[Beth Ann]

I am VERY new to ALL of this and, as a matter of fact, I am just on Chapter 2 of my Photography course book, which is Light and How Images Are Formed. Now, I'm usually very intelligent about learning things and have been in many Honor Societies, but I am having a great deal of difficulty with this concept. I don't know if it's me or if it's how this book reads, Langford's Basic Photography, or what, but it's driving me batty. Can anyone out there help? Just any insight would be wonderful to help me on my way!! Thanks to all.

Beth Ann

[Barbara G.]

Hi Beth Ann,

Welcome to the forums! Can you be more specific in what you are needing help with understanding? Others will be along to comment as well!

[Beth Ann]

Hi Beth Ann,

Welcome to the forums! Can you be more specific in what you are needing help with understanding? Others will be along to comment as well!

I'll try. Well, for one, how is an even mixture of all visible wavelengths by a light source "white", but is representative of ALL the colors? Then if only some of the wavelengths are present, it shows colors?

My book also says, "A matt surface such as an eggshell, drawing paper or dry skin scatters the light evenly". How does dry skin scatter light evenly when dry skin is not even?

My book states that, "if your light strikes a shiny surface at right angles, it is reflected backward along its original path and you get a patch of glare, for example, when flash-on camera shots are taken flat on towards a glass window or glass-painted wall." Is it talking about a straight on camera shot or a shot at right angles?

That's about as far as I have gotten in the chapter, and I hate to move on until I can get this down, but no matter how many times I read it, my head is probably scattering the meaning so I don't understand it. Thanks for responding so quickly.

Beth Ann

[PhotoPlay]

Hello there, you could try Joe Mcnally lighting setup or Zack Arias basic one light. They're really good when it comes to basic lighting.

[NorfolkMike]

The way I think of light is white until it is broken into segments (colours or wavelengths depending on how you are looking at it, for example a photographer see it as colour, a scientist may see it as wavelength ) by a prism such as a lens. When light hits an object it is displaced, if the object it shiny and the light is effectively head on it flares, whereas with other surfaces you can get a different scattering of light, hence shadows highlights etc.
Hope this helps

[Wall-E]

Hi Beth Ann,

Welcome to the forums! Can you be more specific in what you are needing help with understanding? Others will be along to comment as well!

I'll try. Well, for one, how is an even mixture of all visible wavelengths by a light source "white", but is representative of ALL the colors? Then if only some of the wavelengths are present, it shows colors?

You are having a problem resolving the difference between the transmitted color of LIGHT, as opposed to the reflected color of a PIGMENT. When you add all the colors of LIGHT, you get White, when you add all the colors of PIGMENT, you get Black.

My book also says, "A matt surface such as an eggshell, drawing paper or dry skin scatters the light evenly". How does dry skin scatter light evenly when dry skin is not even?

I think you reading too much into this. Skin is inherently a matte surface. It only becomes shiny when something is on top of it like sweat or oils from pores.
Skin in small sections IS even. It has very little texture compared to something like gravel. It only becomes 'not even' when it has hair/blemishes of some sort.

My book states that, "if your light strikes a shiny surface at right angles, it is reflected backward along its original path and you get a patch of glare, for example, when flash-on camera shots are taken flat on towards a glass window or glass-painted wall." Is it talking about a straight on camera shot or a shot at right angles?

A 'right angle' is 90 degrees and IS a 'straight shot'. You're probably thinking about one that's 45 degrees off to the side.

That's about as far as I have gotten in the chapter, and I hate to move on until I can get this down, but no matter how many times I read it, my head is probably scattering the meaning so I don't understand it. Thanks for responding so quickly.

Beth Ann

Sometimes the technical stuff can be hard to digest. And overwhelming.
And not always necessary to make nice (and saleable) images.

I went to a seminar taught by a lady who did school portraits quite successfully, and she didn't turn her camera off Auto/Program until she'd been making money for over 2 years.