Lighting Essentials: Lighting for Texture, Contrast, and Dimension in Digital PhotographyThe core goal of photography is representing subjects that have depth and texture in a medium that inherently lacks both those qualities, and this book shows the best way to rise to that challenge: through the careful application and capture of lighting. It demonstrates how to accentuate or minimize textures, add or subtract highlights, and create or combat shadows to showcase the subjects in the best way and create the illusion of a third dimension in the images. Exploring techniques for lighting portraits, still-life subjects, nature images, and architectural shots, both studio and location lighting are covered in detail. The book teaches photographers how to study their subjectsÑwith all of the textures, colors, shapes, and surfaces they haveÑthen visualize the image as a finished photograph before the photography actually begins. With chapters that thoroughly cover the science of lighting and visualization, photographers can apply that knowledge and successfully create artful images. |
Contents
introduction | 9 |
the Five areas of Light Presentation | 15 |
A Trio of Bell Peppers | 22 |
Specular Transition | 32 |
Shadow | 42 |
The Importance of Subject Color | 48 |
How the Five Areas of Light | 60 |
Lighting Is Power | 70 |
Exposure Variables | 77 |
Shadows and Highlights Show Shape | 111 |
Surface Qualities | 119 |
Conclusion | 150 |
Common terms and phrases
180 color images angle of incidence angle of reflection aperture background ball bell pepper Bill Hurter bottom Briana camera left camera right chin color photos contrast create cross-processed dark depth of field diagrams diffuse diGiTaL dimension dramatic edge efficient surface Example exposure Facing page—This fill card film flash flash Photography focus front glass glossy hair headshot Inaudi’s jacket Left—Here Left—I Left—This lens light meter look main light Mark Chen matte surface Micki middle gray nice Notice photograph placed Portrait Photography Posing real tone reflected light reflector rendered Richelle Right—Here scrim setup shadow side shadow transition shape shiny surface shoot shot shutter speed skin smooth softbox softer specular highlight specular reflection specular transition speedlight spot meter stop striplight studio subject-centric lighting Sunny 16 Rule surface efficiency tion true subject value true value umbrella wall Wedding white card