Absolute Beginner's Guide to Digital Photography

The Main Light: The Dominant Source

Where do you start when making a photograph with artificial light? Using lights

like photofloods or electronic flash that you bring to a scene and arrange yourself

requires a bit more thought than making a photograph by available light where

you begin with the light that is already there and observe what it is doing to the

subject.

The most natural-looking light imitates that from the sun (see Figure 21.10): One

main light source casting one dominant set of shadows—so usually the place to

begin is by positioning the main light. This light, also called the key light, should

create the only visible shadows, or at least the most important ones, if a natural

effect is desired. Two or three equally bright lights producing multiple shadows cre-

ate a feeling of artificiality and confusion. The position of the main light affects the

appearance of texture and volume, as seen in Figures 21.10–15. Flat frontal lighting

(see Figure 21.11) decreases both texture and volume, while lighting that rakes

across surface features (as seen from camera position) increases it.

CHAPTER 21 LIGHTING 315

FIGURE 21.9
Direct illumina-
tion from the
right, creating
prominent
shadows.