Easy to learn Photographic Lighting

The quality of your photographic lighting can have a big effect on the quality of your photos. There are a number of setups that have become extremely common in photography, and understanding them can help you control your images more effectively. Let's take a look at some of these basic setups, including the ideal positioning of these lights and what they are best for.

Modeling Light

Photographic lighting travels in a straight line when it's not filtered or diffused, causing sharp shadows to be created. You can exaggerate the contours of objects by using this lighting dramatically. Moving the light or the object can help you control the shadows, a process called modeling. This can also be referred to as key lighting when modeling is the main purpose for your light setup.

Soft Light

When you use diffusers or filters, or bounce your light off an opaque surface, it softens, losing its directional properties. This type of photographic lighting can be used to soften shadows from direct or modeling light, and still increase the level of ambient light around the subject. Reflector boards are popular methods when working outside. This can also be called fill lighting.

Rim Light

Silhouetting a subject from behind with unfiltered light is called rim lighting. Usually, this kind of photographic lighting is positioned high, and a little outside the scene. It creates an edge light, allowing the imagination of the viewer to fill in a window or other light source outside the image. It can be used to keep subjects from merging with backgrounds, but is distracting when overdone.

Front Light

To lift the exposure level and soften harsh shadows caused by modeling light or direct sunlight, front lighting is a good choice. To decrease its obviousness, this light is usually positioned a little above the axis of the camera lens, looking at the subject from the same point of view as the lens. This light may be called a basher.

Standard Three Light Setup

In this very standard photographic setup, three lights are used. A modeling, or key light, a soft fill light that brightens shadowed areas, and a back or rim light to highlight details. To avoid lens flare, no light should be allowed to fall on the surface of the camera lens itself.

Artificial Light Only, Or Daylight Combination?

Using artificial photography lighting alone gives you complete control over the situation, but can seem cold or calculated. Adding daylight can make things a lot more complicated, but adds a natural element. However, you have to be very skilled in order to use it effectively, since artificial lighting must be matched in color to the sunlight, and the sun will continue to move throughout the shoot. Avoid using the white balance on your camera to try to compensate for differing photographic lighting colors, since this can produce unusual effects.