10 | Changing the lighting to transform your shots
You c a n do t h i s e xerc i se usi ng a
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is the best subject when you’re
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won’t move or get bored! So, set up a suitable
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move easily around the subject. With your Nikon
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experiment with different lighting effects.For our example we took pictures with the light
in three positions to illustrate the classic lighting
effects that you will encounter. First we lit the
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is like having the sun behind you when shooting
outdoors, and although this gives an even light
across the subject it can look a little boring.
Next we moved the light so that it was
positioned above the subject, which brings out
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like shooting in the middle of the day when the
sun is high in the sky, all the shadows are
positioned below the subject, which isn’t
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To improve this we then moved the lamp lower
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shooting early or late in the day, when the sun is
low in the sky. This side-lighting reveals the
texture and shapes in the subject, and the
shadows are to the left and slightly below
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Finally, we positioned the lamp behind the
subject to give a strong backlight. This produces
a striking effect, but it does mean that there is
very little light on the front of the subject, so
the silhouette is crucial here.What you’ll learn
That it’s the direction
and quality of the
light that will really
make your images
work. In this exercise
you will get to grips
with how changing
the lighting can alter
the appearance of
your subject.What you’ll need
A simple still life
subject, such as a
flower, food or fruit,
and a lamp that you
can easily move
around to alter the
direction of the
lighting – a desk
lamp will be fine.Learn about lightingSpend the final evening learning how to use light to
bring out the shape, form and quality of your subject
Add a reflector
Photographing the same
subject as the main
exercise, you can use a
reflector in addition to the
main light source to help
lighten the shadows and
reduce the contrast in your
images. You’ll see the most
dramatic result when youuse a reflector on a backlit
subject. Simply position the
reflector in front of the
subject to bounce some of
the light back onto it. This
will enable you to retain
significantly more detail
in both the subject and
the background.TAKE IT FURTHER
30
minsFRONT LIGHTING TOP LIGHTING SIDE LIGHTING BACK LIGHTING34 March 2016 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
MASTER YOUR NIKON
IN A WEEKENDDAY 2 | EVENING