Light and Shadow

Evening Skiing. Taken in Hartwell, Georgia. July 31, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500.

def: the use of light in photographs can be used to create sharp contrast, reflections, and most importantly lighting for subjects. The positioning of the light, the type of light, and the color of light all affect how subjects appear and some are more flattering than others.

Different Light Technique:

- direct intense light can be harsh, such as bright sunny days, and unflattering.
- Diffused less intense light is more flattering and has lower contrast. Diffusion can be done using shade, a scrim, or shooting on overcast days for a natural diffusion.
- The color of light is also important: some light has a bluish tint while others have more of a golden tint. White balance settings can help with appropriating the type of light you’re using. Indoor lighting usually yields a yellow cast. 

Positioning of Light:

Tree Shadow in Ruins. Taken in Paestum, Italy. July 6, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500.

- The photo "Direct Beach Light" has the sun directly in front of the subjects, resulting in squinting and harsh contrast.
- The photo "Beach Backlight" utilizes backlighting which is the most flattering, and slightly silhouettes the subjects in front. Often a fill flash can be used with back- lighting to fill in the needed light. 

def: Shadows can emphasize emotions, create surreal images, silhouettes, and establish the correlation of one object to another and their place in the full scene. Shadows can create pattern, silhouettes, or direct shadows of objects.

Technique: 
- Shadows are often the most powerful in black and white photographs, such as the picture "Evening Light Studying" which in black and white yields the most apparent contrast between the light and the shadow.

- In color photographs shadow most often is used to silhouette, which happens some in the photograph "Lover's Path Shadows" where the inside of the columns becomes silhouetted against the bright colorful exterior.

- Position and strength of shadows establishes general mood.


Technique for shadow photography:
- Play around with exposure. You can set it lower and get a darker shadow or go a little higher and get some detail in your shadow.
- Hard shadows are achieved using a very bright light sources, like a strong light, and make a statement 

Direct Beach Light. St. Augustine, Florida.May 29, 2010. Nikon Coolpix P500.

Becah Backlight. St. Augustine, Florida.May 29, 2010.
Nikon Coolpix P500.

Evening Light Studying. Taken in Atlanta, Georgia. September
 1, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500. Black & White.

Light Through the Pan- theon Oculus. Taken in Rome, Italy. June 3, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500. 

Lover’s Path Shadows. Taken in Cinque Terra, Italy. June 16, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500.

Citations:
Photography Lighting Techniques. Retrieved from http:// www.essortment.com/photography-lighting-techniques-57951.html.
Understanding Natural Light Portrait Photography: A Guide to Learning to See Light. Retrieved from http://www.digital- photography-school.com/understanding-natural-light-por- trait-photography-a-guide-to-learning-to-see-light.
Showcase of Beautiful Shadow Photography. Retrieved from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/03/01/showcase-of- beautiful-shadow-photography/ 

Jitesh, A. (2009 May 25). Seven Creative Uses of Shadow in Photography. Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/photography/articles/35807.aspx