It's week 37 of my personal photography project and the subject is "shadows". I had plans. Big plans. The day after the subject was announced it started to rain and we haven't seen the sun since and my time is up. My blog post is due and I've not missed a week yet so it was off to the studio for Plan B; how to improve your own photography by managing shadows.
The Set Up
Don't be intimated because it's a photography studio, this set up is as simple as it gets. The large box to the left marked "Window Light" is in fact a continuous light source (i.e. not a flash) so in this example it's acting like it's label; it's my "window light". The reflector opposite it is bouncing some of that light back toward my subject to fill in the shadows a bit because there's no light on that side of my studio. We DO want some shadow because photographs are two dimensional, shadows give us shape and convey additional dimension. Without shadows an image appears "flat" and lacks depth and shape. Too much shadow and we loose detail, hence why I added the reflector. Anything large and white / silver can be used as a reflector; a simple piece of white foam core board from the craft store, a white sheet, I've even used the silver sun shield from my car!
Closer, Closer, Closer...
Ok, here's a tiny bit of science for you, but it's not hard so stick with me! A broad light source lessens the shadows, reduces contrast and suppresses textures (think about wrinkles, do we really want to increase the shadows on those?). With a broad light source, light rays hit your subject from more directions which tends to fill in shadows and give more even illumination to the subject.
Taking that one step further I want you to repeat after me: "The closer the light source, the softer the light. The father the light source, the harder the light". If I ever get anything tattooed on my arm, it will be this. Move a light closer and you will make it bigger, which is also broader. Move it farther away and you will make it relatively smaller and therefore narrower. Sometimes we may want hard light for artistic choices but typically with people and pets we want soft, flattering light that reduces the contrast of the shadows.
4 Comments
Sep 14, 2018, 10:35:20 PM
Lynda Mowat - Thank you so much! That puts words around what I have discovered. And it makes so much sense. Nice explanation and lovely model. Thanks to Ginger.
Sep 14, 2018, 10:28:47 PM
Shae - This is such a great post!! Well done!
Sep 14, 2018, 3:41:18 PM
Danyel Rogers - Fantastic explanation!! Nicely done!
Sep 14, 2018, 5:35:30 AM
Kim Hollis - Gorgeous pup and lighting. I love the big space you have to set up your "studio." :)