There’s a good chance that you have spent a lot of time trying to avoid shadows in your photography. 

Unwanted shadows can ruin a shot, making it hard to see your subject or create distractions in the background. Not all shadows are unwanted, however; you can play with shadows as an artistic tactic to add contrast to your pictures. By taking advantage of intentional shadows in photography, you can create more eye-catching photos.

Using Light and Shadow

There is a lot more to using shadows in photography than just letting some parts of your photos be dark. 

If you want pictures that stand out, you can use the light and shadows available in your setting to create high contrast photos. The eye will naturally distinguish these lighter and darker areas, perceiving an image to be much more dynamic and alive. Of course, this isn’t always simple to achieve.

The challenge comes with figuring out exactly how to combine the light and dark within the location of your shot. This can require some control over framing and lighting, but the end result is worth it. The extra work that you put in to find a complementing balance of contrast will create photos that seem to have a life of their own.

Shaping Your Target

One of the ways that you can use light and shadow in your photography is by studying how light and shadows shape your subject. 

Highlights of light can help define some aspects of your focus, while shadows obscure or border other details. The effective use of lighting will determine how shadows cast on and around your point of focus, so you have complete control over how those lights and shadows inform the shapes in your picture.

The creative use of shadow can add notable details to your pictures. Having objects blocking part of the light outside of the focus of the camera can project shadows onto your scene that add dramatic flare. Smaller objects within the scene can also cast long shadows or otherwise leave a mark on the scene as well. The more creative you get with shadows, the more control you have over setting the tone of the entire scene.

Shadows in the Dark

Though the approach may sound a bit tricky, you can make effective use of shadows in pictures taken in low lighting. 

These pictures generally appear darker and have a lot of shadow in them already, but through purposeful positioning of lights, you can create additional striking shadow effects. In fact, some of your favorite low-light photos are likely to demonstrate this technique.

The key to using shadows with low-light photography is to make use of light that is available without trying to add extra sources of bright light such as a flash. Not only can this introduce red eyes and other unwanted details, but it is likely to ruin any shadows that you worked hard to create. You’re much better off using low-light settings on your camera to compensate.

Black and White Photos

The contrast created by shadows in your pictures can be distinguishably seen if you’re shooting in black and white. 

Deep shadows will appear very dark in your pictures, letting you guide the eye to certain sections of the photo if that is your artistic intention through careful application. Lighter shadows will appear more soft in black and white photos since there is a smaller range of shades to play with and therefore create a dynamic range of contrast.

For added effect, a pop of color can be added to these photos for playful effect. Using a bright color typically works best, though subtle shades can also go well with some photos. The mix of light and shadows creates a good contrast for color to stand out, especially if you colorize a part of the picture that is bordered by both light areas and shadow.

Shadows in the Streets

The effective use of shadow can also have a big impact on outdoor photos. 

This is highly effective if taking photos in the streets or other urban settings where there are a number of right angles blocked out by buildings. Shadows shaped by the outdoors can make a statement about locations, the time of day and other aspects of the photos that would otherwise be lost without the shadows as indicators.

Controlling Shadows in Photography

When it comes to photography, the shadows you cast are only as good as your light. 

This doesn’t mean that you have to use intense lighting for your pictures, though it can be helpful if you want to cast hard shadows. Instead, it means that you need to know exactly how to control your lighting to create the types of shadows that you want. With proper lighting, you can create both intense and subtle effects that will help you deliver just the look that you want to create.

Light Quality

Just as good lighting control is essential for controlling shadows in photography, the quality of your lighting is another factor to consider. 

The higher your quality of light, the more precise your shadow control will be. In some cases, lower-quality light can be used to create soft shadows while a stronger and powerful light can provide defined and deep shadows. Mixed qualities of light can create other effects as well, letting details gradually fade in or out based on where your lights are positioned.

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Lighting is an essential part of photography. 

Without good lighting, your pictures can appear too dark, too bright or will suffer from unfortunate shadows or glare. If you don’t have much experience with lighting, it may seem a bit confusing when you start looking at different lighting options. Finding photography lighting equipment for beginners is a lot easier when you know what it is that you’re supposed to be looking for.

Fortunately, the process becomes easier as you gain a better understanding of how photo lighting works and the effect it can have on the pictures you take. A good beginner’s lighting kit can help you to learn this, providing you with a good base of equipment that you can expand on later as needed.

The Importance of Good Lighting

Good lighting is important because it ensures that your subject is visible without washing them out with too much light or making some parts of the subject difficult to see. 

When the lighting is good it provides a consistent level of light to all parts of the subject while also ensuring that the background or backdrop isn’t affected by unwanted shadows or other unintended obstructions.

This isn’t to say that you have to have perfect lighting to take good pictures, of course. There are absolutely amazing photos that have been taken in poor lighting or with heavy shadows or other issues affecting them. The better your lighting is, though, the easier it becomes to get good shots. 

This is why it’s often recommended to find a good set of photography lighting equipment for beginners when you’re just starting out as a photographer since it can not only boost the quality of some of your photos, but also help you to learn how different pieces of lighting equipment are used. 

Flash Lights

Camera flashes are the most commonly recognized lighting that you’ll see as a photographer, with the most basic flashes attaching to the camera itself. 

External flash modules are available as well, however, giving additional angles to the light at the point that a picture is taken. You’ve likely seen external flash units like this in photo studios or other professional shoots in an enclosed space; since the other lighting is already controlled, the flash just provides additional illumination to the scene to get rid of unwanted shadows.

Consistent Lighting Kits

One of the big things that you’ll need when you’re starting out is a consistent lighting kit. 

These lights provide you with even lighting throughout the shot. As the name implies, a consistent lighting kit provides even light that can be maintained throughout a photoshoot. These lights are typically positioned behind the camera to control the direction of shadows and highlights, and multiple lights may be used to create just the lighting profile that you want for your subject.

There are a few different options when it comes to consistent lighting, including tungsten bulbs, fluorescent light rigs and LED lights. Some of these lights make use of covers or softboxes to ensure that the light provided isn’t too harsh, while others use multiple coated bulbs of a low enough wattage that they don’t need anything to soften the light. 

Depending on the type of scene being photographed, multiple sets of these lights may be used together to provide brighter or more uniform lighting to an entire scene. 

Lighting Wands

Unlike a consistent lighting kit, a lighting wand is designed to provide light to a specific area only for as long as a photographer needs it. 

They are very useful when only a little bit of light is needed or if you need to fill in a shadow that wasn’t covered by the consistent lighting that you’ve used in your scene. Lighting wands are one of the more useful camera accessories that you can carry with you since they provide light just where you need it and don’t require a lot of room to set up or stage. Once you’re done with the light you can put it away with no breakdown time.

Filter Kits

Being able to filter the light that’s cast on a scene is an important part of any good lighting kit. 

These filters can affect the light in a number of ways, most notably changing the color of the light as it passes through. This is useful for situations in which a scene needs a specific shade to accent some of its features or if you want to create specialized lighting effects through the use of colored lights. 

Softboxes

Softboxes are one of the most common pieces of lighting equipment outside of the lights themselves. 

These cloth-like boxes feature multiple sides that are made of a dark material that light can’t penetrate and then have one side that is white for the lights inside to shine against. This allows light to illuminate your scene but removes any harshness or excessive intensity from your lighting. The remaining light is soft and uniform, letting you illuminate your scene while creating a more natural-looking lighting profile.

Umbrellas and Reflectors

Umbrellas and reflectors work on a similar principle to soft boxes in that they help to control the way that light illuminates your scene. 

Unlike softboxes, however, they do not soften the light or reduce its intensity. Umbrellas and reflectors use reflective material to redirect the light into your scene while allowing it to keep most of its original intensity. Different colors of material may be used to adjust the light slightly without the need for filtering.

One of the big differences between umbrellas and reflectors lies in how they’re used. Umbrellas are typically stationary, held to the lighting rig by adaptors that clip on to the light stand or another light component. Reflectors are more likely to be handheld, allowing you to adjust the lighting on the fly and only for as long as you need it for a shot.

Light Stands

While there are clamps and other options available for positioning your lighting, you will need light stands as well to ensure that your lights remain stationary and provide consistent lighting over the course of a photoshoot. 

Light stands allow you to adjust the height that light originates from, keeping your lights in place even if they’re positioned oddly. They also allow you to make small adjustments to the positioning of the lights that would be difficult to make if you were trying to have someone hold them or place them on existing shelving or other features.

Lighting Controls

In most cases, lighting such as flashes is controlled by the camera itself; before the picture is taken, the flashes illuminate briefly and then go out. 

There are additional control options for other lights as well, though, with remote controls and similar devices allowing you to adjust light intensity before taking a picture. Some lighting options may even allow for app control, letting you precisely control the level of the lighting through an on-screen dial or slider. 

While lighting controls aren’t common in all sets of photography lighting for beginners, the increasing popularity of wireless controls and connectivity means that you’ll likely encounter controls like these at some point in your photography hobby or career.

Other Equipment

There are a number of other options available to you once you start to get a feel for different pieces of lighting equipment. 

These include more advanced lighting options that are similar to some of the ones covered here as well as add-ons and other modifiers for some of these pieces. There may also be specialty lighting rigs that weren’t covered in this list because they are intended only for use in specific circumstances.

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At its most basic, photography is light captured by a sensor or on film to produce an image that can be replicated. That’s it. But the end results are hardly that humdrum.

The images conjured by that light can inspire and excite us. They can make us pensive or talkative. They can remind us of happy memories or show us terrifying truths or allow us to experience the otherworldly. They can change lives and show us lives long gone.

If every art has a language, then light is the language of photography. Without it, the medium doesn’t exist. Learning photography requires us to study this language. And with the photography basics below, you can begin becoming more fluent.

Color temperature

You can spend a lot of time with color temperature, diving into the physics, mechanics, and applications. But the short and sweet of it is that color temperature describes a light’s hue.

When color temperature is balanced in a photo, whites will appear as a true white. That is, the colors are neutral. As you change the color temperature—which is measured in a unit called Kelvin (or simply K)—that neutrality shifts, and the whites will no longer be so pristine.

Increase the color temperature, and the photo’s colors become cooler. In other words, the whites will take on a blue hue, while blues grow deeper. Decrease the color temperature, and the photo’s oranges and reds will become predominant. This makes the image feel warmer.

Balancing the whites in your camera settings, or through post-process editing, will offer that neutral palate, but that’s not necessarily the best way to present every image. To elicit certain moods or atmospheres, you may want to make your compositions either cooler or warmer.

Hard vs. soft lighting

Color isn’t the only property of light that can drastically alter your photo. You’ll need to be mindful of whether the light is hard or soft, as well.

Hard light hits directly. That is, it travels from its source to your subject without being filtered. The resulting effect highlights texture and creates deep, strong shadows.

Use your camera flash for a selfie, and you’ve just smacked yourself with insta-hard light. A more thespian example is film noir. Those knife-edged shadows cast across the actors’ faces—such as the classic venetian blinds setup—come courtesy of hard light.

Conversely, soft light originates from a broad source and is diffused through an intermediary. Think light flowing through a window. It results in softened shadows and more even complexions. This makes soft light easier to work with and more complementary to people’s features when taking family photos. (Though hard light has its uses. See below.)

Remember: It’s not necessarily the source that makes a light hard or soft light. It’s about how that light reaches and wraps around your subject. A good way to remember this fact is the sun. At noon on a clear day, the sun shines brightly and casts strong shadows. But filter that same light through an overcast sky and it softens.

Inside lighting

Inside lighting can be tricky. Indoor light sources tend to be harsh, natural light can be minimal, and your choices may be limited to what your tools can compensate for.

The interior surroundings will also affect color. Dark walls will bounce off a darker hue of light, which will be reflected in your photo. But bright, white walls will bounce a nice even color of light.

Inside photography can have its perks, though. Since you aren’t at the mercy of the elements, you can more easily use lenses and artificial light sources to manipulate the composition. For example, bouncing a flash off a white wall can evenly light a scene, and soft boxes allow you to pack up and take that hazy glow anywhere.

Don’t have a soft box? Sunlight streaming through a window proffers a soft light that compliments most any portrait. It’s basically a makeshift soft box.

Outside lighting

Outside lighting is generally favored by photographers. Unless you’re shooting at night, you’ll have plenty of good, natural light to brighten your set. All of it free, thanks to the sun.

But the sun illuminates the outdoors differently at different times. To reiterate: A clear sky, especially during midday, provides a hard light, while clouds diffuse soft light naturally. Therefore, most photographers prefer to shoot on bright, overcast days.

You should consider the time of day, too. The best light tends to be in the hours before sunset or after sunrise. This is known as the golden hour. Because the sun’s light travels through more atmosphere at this time of day, it becomes very soft and very warm. It’s a tone that enhances most any subject.

Another photographic favorite is the blue hour. It takes place roughly a half hour before sunrise or after sunset. Like the golden hour, the sun’s angle changes the way light filters through the atmosphere, but this lower angle adds a much cooler nuance, bathing the world in blues and purples.

Positioning: Front lighting

Front lighting occurs when the light source is positioned in front of your subject. It’s that simple.

If you’re just learning photography, front lighting is the easiest light to work with. Because it shines directly on your subject, it reduces the number of shadows, brings out detail, and minimizes texture. It’s the you-get-what-you-see position for light.

Although easy to use, front lighting does have some downsides. Images using front light feel flat because they lack texture and shadow, robbing them of a sense of depth. It’s also the least dramatic of the lightings, though it can still be used to great artistic effect.

Positioning: Side lighting

If you want to add some flair to your composition, try side lighting. Side lighting occurs when a light source hits at about 90 degrees so one side of your subject is in light, the other side in shadow.

A quick note on shadows: Shadows add layers and shape light within the frame. This creates dimension and volume, which can reinforce the drama of an image or redirect the viewer’s focus. But shadows can also obscure important details, so they can be tricky to get right. They are a practice-makes-perfect type situation.

Side lighting plays with this contrast between light and shadow to evoke the texture and dimension that front lighting striped away. When done right, its visual impact makes your subject pop in the frame.

Positioning: Backlighting

Speaking of shadows, backlighting.

Backlighting occurs when the light source comes from behind the subject. With all that light flooding into your camera’s sensor, the subject becomes cast in deep shadow, and details become muted.

Does this ruin a photograph? Sometimes, but when used intentionally, it creates a layer of spectacle and awe. Picture a city skyline with the sunset bursting from behind, and you’ll get the drift.

As with side lighting, backlighting can be difficult to get right. Silhouettes are never pure. Light will almost certainly be falling on the subject from some side- or front-light source. The trick is to darken just the right amount of detail to draw the eye, but keep enough so that the composition’s subject isn’t unclear.

Photography basics are the first step

When it comes to photography basics, lighting may be the most fundamental but there are several others to consider. Composition. Familiarity with your gear. The exposure triangle. Editing software. And, of course, practice!

As you continue your photographic journey, be sure to create a photo book portfolio of your work. Select your favorite shots, your most adventurous experiments, and the compositions that surprised you. Chronicle them in a photo book dedicated to your photographic journey, showing your progress year after year.

Remember, it’s not just about the next shot, but the journey that got you there.

The post Go Back to Photography Basics with Photo Lighting appeared first on The Motif Blog.