Photographic Lighting - The Lighting Angle (4.5b)

Requirement

11 images

Purpose

• To experiment with using diffused light at different angles

Technical learning

Direction and elevation

• 2 dimensions to the position of light source: (a) direction and (b) elevation
• Both have a major impact on how viewer reads image
• Photographers describe direction variously - by angles, points of compass, clock positions or relationship to the subject (as in chart below)
• Photographers sometimes describe elevation as between 'high' and 'low', but more useful to consider the angle at which light strikes the subject, since this takes account of the height of the light and its distance from the subject

Impact of lightening angles
David Praekel, 'Lighting'

Backlighting and rim-lighting

• Both are effective in revealing shape
• Back light is behind the subject directed towards the camera. This creates a silhouette sitting in a bright background. 
• Rim light comes round the edge of the subject from a source behind or to the side so that it reveals the edges of the subject

Top and base lighting

• Top lighting with a softbox, with reflectors to throw light towards the front of the subject, is common in product advertising
• Base lighting requires the subject to be placed on a transparent surface and lit from below

Exercise instructions

• Pick a small subject (e.g. sculpture) so that you have several planes to show differences in shadow and light
• Use a tripod (and keep in the same location during shoot)
• Set the subject against a plain background
• Move the flash and diffuser around the subject as you shoot
• With the light level with the subject, (1) front, (2/3/4) side, (5) behind
• With the light 45 degrees above the subject, (6) front, (7) side, (8) behind
• With the light 90 degrees above the subject, (9) directly overhead, (10) slightly in front, (11) slightly behind
• Compare the results 

Images and review

Still life# 1 Bowl

• The 2nd attempt: the 1st attempt was OK for learning, I just didn't like the images much. So having another go, in addition to reinforcing the learning, made me happier with the result
• Improvements were mainly from the use of a black card background and conversion to monochrome

Still life# 2 Tennis Ball

• Use of yellow tennis ball on a red rush table mat, provides contrasts: one of adjacent warm colours, the other of textures. 
• The shape of the ball provides a useful way to show the modelling effect of the flash. 

Key points of flash impact

• Location, surface area, diffusion of shadow
• Subject and background
• Intensity on illuminated surfaces

1. Bowl

1. Front - level with subject

No back shadow but some light
reflection from inner glass onto black surface,
with shadow pattern as well.
Detail bleached out by flash, but for the difference
in the reflection from the black card 
the image has no depth

2. Three quarter - level with subject

Shadow thrown onto background in the opposite
direction to the flash, right hand edge of bowl
is also in shadow. More texture revealed.

3. Direct left  - level with subject

Shadow cast to the side, but light seeping through
glass lights up inside right of bowl.
Not particularly appealing - mildly chaotic
Strange shadow at 8 o'clock (unsure what
caused it - might be light reflected from the background?)

4. One quarter - level with subject

Unexplained shadow (however, can this really
be reflected light at work? Doubt it)

5. Back - level with subject

Replaced the black back board with my DIY
polythene A3 diffuser.
Reveals the shape in silhouette.

6. Front - at 45° elevation

Bleaches detail but 45 degree elevation 
casts a small shadow behind to add some depth, 
compared to image #1 above

7. Direct left - at 45° elevation

The diagonal shadow across the face of the bowl
is interrupted by light passing through the
lattice. Neat shadow on the base of the set.

8. Back - at 45° elevation

Interesting illumination of the structure, almost
a film negative or infrared effect.
Shadow on the base is nearly as
appealing as the rendering of the image.

9. Overhead

Top half illuminated, bottom half of bowl not.
Slight loss of symmetry of shadow on base suggests
that flash wasn't directly overhead.

10. Overhead - slightly backward

Again the effect of light passing through the structure
is evident here

11. Overhead - slightly forward

Top 2/3 rds lit by flash, soft shadow
across remaining 1/3rd of bowl

2. Tennis Ball

1. Front - level with subject

Eliminates nearly all shadow on ball and mat

2. Three quarter - level with subject

Creates a shadow on the ball (25% of its
surface) and makes illuminated side look brighter. 
Also, diffuser creates a graduated shadow,
light to dark in the direction of the light source.
Long hard shadow on mat.

3. Direct left  - level with subject

Shadow now covers c. 50% of subject,
left hand edge has a luminous glow
(Is this an illusion caused by contrast, or is
this is a real increase in brightness?)

4. One quarter - level with subject

The ball is in silhouette, but for a
crescent shaped area of brightness on
the same side as the flash. 
Rear side of mat lit, front side not.
Faint lens flare.

5. Back - level with subject

A silhouette (created by shooting through the 
framed greaseproof paper).
Lens flare corrected in Photoshop.

6. Front - at 45° elevation

Mostly even lighting, modest
shadow at base of ball, diffused on ball but
hard on mat.

7. Direct left - at 45° elevation

Diagonal shadow on subject, oblong shadow 
on the mat

8. Back - at 45° elevation

Near silhouette. 
Edge round top half of ball
is rim lit

9. Overhead

Shadow covers 25% of lower part of ball
and is highly diffused on the subject. Hard shadow
thrown underneath, mimics shape

10. Overhead - slightly forward

Shadow covers lower half of ball.

Hard shadow

underneath, distorted shape

11. Overhead - slightly backward

Shadow covers bottom 2/3rds
of subject and appears harder
on the face of the ball. Hard shadow

underneath, even more misshapen