[teddyfingers]

Since getting my camera at the first of the year, the one thing I have notice is that lighting will make or break a photo. I look at some pictures and the shadows and contrast are what give it life. I have been reading various web sites on this subject, and still don't understand what to look for most of the time. I was wondering what you all could ad to the subject. This is open to all aspects of photography. I need to learn.

Teddy

[Rufus]

What a killer question! :o

Blimey.

You've asked perhaps the single most important question in photography! :o

I dont know how to give a really full answer, but maybe my admission of inability might prompt someone to have a go? :/
I know what I like, but having said that, I can mis-see things, only to regret having promoted them afterward.
Hmmmm.

Help me out here someone!!!!!

[Rufus]

Hmmm....................

You know, I think this is best illustrated, rather than explained.

May I suggest that we post "lighting is the key" pictures and then discuss why it is the key in each image?
It may be a real help.


Or not.


Maybe.

[slejhamer]

Most useful article on basic portrait lighting (and posing) ever written:
http://asp.photo.free.fr/elegantportraiture.htm

[slejhamer]

And an excellent all-around overview of light:
http://www.photo.net/making-photographs/light

[Rufus]

Slej?

I think you ducked the question! :o

[slejhamer]

To a degree, Teddy answered his own question.

"I look at some pictures and the shadows and contrast are what give it life."

You could have that response to almost any image in which lighting is the key. (And lighting's not always "the" key, but it's usually one of them. )

But I'll play along:

Here's an old one from my gallery. DOF is one key, lighting is the other. DOF tricks the eyes, lighting reveals the truth. A square shadow?

[teddyfingers]

Slej, that first one was a good explanation on posing for portrait. I needed this information also. The best information I have seen on portrait lighting is a thread on Zuga's forums. It has a great explanation on how to go about using light for a portrait. Combining the two should give me good results.

Teddy

[teddyfingers]

I guess part of it is I need to play more with lighting. Another part the artificial lighting that I have available to me is so limited. I feel many times that I do not have the resources to pull off something like slej what you have posted above. Please give me some ideas to play with. Maybe explain to me what you did with the picture above.

Teddy

[slejhamer]

I hadn't seen that post on zuga Teddy. Very nice; thanks for the link. The one I referenced from Zucker appeared there a long time ago.

Regarding the above, it was done with one tungsten desklamp and a sheet of rolled 8.5" x 11" paper. No tears, no cuts. What appears to be receding to the background is actually foreground - the DOF plays tricks! The point of the paper closest to the camera is the out-of-focus point on top, which creates the forward point of the shadow. The in-focus folds are in the mid-ground and create the right-point of the the shadow.

You should definitely have the resources to experiment. Have some fun with a single light source plus a home-made reflector (or two, or three ... ) And for portraits, why not start with natural light + reflector.

The following shot was done with a single off-camera flash behind the scooter and a big sheet of white paper making a tunnel-shaped reflector above it and to the sides. I placed another sheet of white paper in front of the scooter to reflect more light that way. The "wet pavement" is my desk blotter at work!

[Cailean]

That first one makes my head hurt, Slej!!

[shuttertalk]

Wow, great stuff guys. My own experience with lighting is that even getting a dedicated flashgun and bouncing the flash (instead of using onboard flash) will change your results so dramatically that even everyday shots look like professional portraits. (well maybe I exaggerate a bit).

Once you get into studio lighting, things come alive!

[teddyfingers]

Thanks slej, I sometimes need a reminder that we can use what ever we want as long as the end result is satisfying. The lighting source doesn't need to be made for photography to be used for photography.

ST I got a bounce flash about 3 or 4 weeks ago. It is quit awesome it makes a world of difference than with the on board. I have a Sto-Fen omini-Bounce for it too.

Teddy

[shutterfreak]

How do you get a square shadow???

[shuttertalk]

Regarding the above, it was done with one tungsten desklamp and a sheet of rolled 8.5" x 11" paper. No tears, no cuts. What appears to be receding to the background is actually foreground - the DOF plays tricks! The point of the paper closest to the camera is the out-of-focus point on top, which creates the forward point of the shadow. The in-focus folds are in the mid-ground and create the right-point of the the shadow.

Hey shutterfreak, Mitch explains it in his post above.