Lighting

Lighting is important. As photographers, it’s a key element that we work with, and it has several characteristics.

The Direction of Light is important because except for the most diffused conditions, you'll have shadows in your image. You use shadows within an image for emphasizing texture, volume and dimension, or diminish them, as you need.

The Diffusion of light is used to soften or harden the subjects within your composition. Putting a sharp edge into a face or softening the face of a little girl makes for a good composition.

The Intensity of light or its quantity affects an image. You’ll need to use a longer shutter speed in low light or open up to a wider aperture in stronger light. This will ether blur or cause a shallow depth of field in your image.

The Color of Light was discussed on the Film section, but I'll remind you that the temperature of color is measured by the Kelvin Scale and everything has a temperature when using color film.

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Want to know more? Continue the Photo Technique Mini-Course and learn about the Digital Darkroom or return to Cameras, Lenses, or Film.

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