Natural. Light. Mastering a photographer s most powerful tool. by Mitchell Kanashkevich

Transcription

1 Natural Light Mastering a photographer s most powerful tool. a book by Mitchell Kanashkevich

2 Written by: Mitchell Kanashkevich Publisher: Darren Rowse Producer: Jasmin Tragas Graphic Design: Naomi Creek Natural Light Mastering a photographer s most powerful tool. Version 1.0 Copyright 2012 Mitchell Kanashkevich All photos and illustrations by the author unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. You may store the pdf on your computer and backups. You may print one copy of this book for your own personal use. Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author s experience, knowledge and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

3 Contents Credits and Copyright 2 A note from Darren Rowse 4 About the Author 4 Introduction 5 Getting started 7 Communicating visually 8 The role of natural light 9 The power of natural light 10 Light as a creative tool 11 Adapting to the light 12 The philosophy behind working with natural light 13 Technicalities 14 Metering 15 Types of metering modes 16 Metering and exposing 17 The histogram 18 The changing characteristics of natural light 19 Light quality 20 Direction of natural light 21 More on direction of natural light 22 A world of possibilities 23 Natural light and color 24 Post-processing and light 25 Reasons for post-processing 26 Common post-processing tools, techniques and their purposes 26 Global adjustments 27 Local adjustments 28 HDR (Hight Dynamic Range) Images 30 Pseudo HDR Images 31 Quick guide to natural light 32 Twilight 33 Magic/golden hour light 37 Light diffused by clouds 41 Diffused natural light outdoors and indoors 44 Harsh daylight 48 Light in fog 52 Working with natural light 55 Controlling light s impact on the scene in front of you 56 Diffusing light 57 Directing light 58 Multiple light sources 60 Reflecting light 61 Dealing with natural light s dynamic nature 62 Dealing with elusive light 64 Case studies 66 1: Silhouettes over water at sunset 67 2: Light beams and multiple light sources 70 3: Elusive light and the magic dust cloud 73 4: Communicating hardship with harsh light 76 5: Accentuating the beauty of everyday life through the color-and-light-show of twilight 79 6: Everyday scenes with diffused, sculpting light 82 7: Dramatic interplay of shadows in a landscape 85 8: Atmospheric natural light as the driving force behind the photo 88 9: Creating a sense of drama with a reflector and an iphone 91 Ten Tips on natural light 94 Closing words 95 Share the Love 96

4 A note from Darren Rowse Digital Photography School The word photography comes from two Greek words, photo (which means light ) and graphy (which means to draw ). As a result many have defined photography over the years as to draw (or write) with light. So while many of us living in this digital era are somewhat obsessed with gear, workflows and apps in our pursuit of beautiful images, it is light itself that we should really be looking to understand. A wise landscape photographer friend of mine once said to me, Photograph the light not the land. His words changed my own approach to photography not only for landscapes but also for my day-to-day activities, particularly my portrait work. About the Author Mitchell Kanashkevich is a freelance travel and documentary photographer. He travels the world and shoots personal projects as well as travelrelated stories and stock photos for Getty and Corbis Images. His work has appeared in some of the world s top photography magazines, on book covers, in ad campaigns and has made its way into private photo collections around the world. When not on the road Mitchell makes his home in Sydney, Australia with his wife (and helper in every possible way) Tanya and his dog Toshka. This ebook is all about getting back to the basics of light natural light, something that s available to all photographers and something I ve admired in Mitchell Kanashkevich s photography since I first came upon it.

5 Introduction COMMUNICATING WITH COLOUR SPEAKING WITH COLOUR I mentioned right at the beginning that one of the reasons behind colour s importance in Natural light is the most important and powerful tool available to What this ebook is about photography is that it impacts what our photographs say. This is a fact, not being aware of photographers, and it is free to everybody in the world. To begin it or ignoring it means that There you re is a ultimately tremendous just amount losing control of talk over about what light your as it photographs relates understanding natural light s potential, you only need to start closely communicate. photography, yet the topic of natural light is often made unnecessarily observing it in your everyday life. Observe the way the rays of the complex or dumbed-down and simplified to the point where our setting sun illuminate everything when you walk down Let me a familiar also throw a rather creative bold statement possibilities out become there. Colour limited. is not necessarily good for storytelling. It has in fact, for quite some time been seen as an obstacle to story-telling. A wrong street. Observe how the sunlight makes your room look when it pours through the window. Then, do it all again, at a different time of day or colour in the frame can drive This your ebook story aims in to a different provide a direction complete, and comprehensive a few of these guide wrong to using in different weather, paying close attention to the various nuances that colours or in other words colours natural irrelevant light in photography. to what you re One trying of my to main communicate goals while or writing colours it come with the changes. was to make natural light accessible and easy to understand, without that distract the viewer from an action, gesture or a detail that holds importance can make your over-simplifying it. The nuances are countless and with them come countless story pretty creative impossible to understand. In short, a lot more things can go wrong when colour possibilities. Those possibilities are what makes natural is involved light so and that s why Above a lot of anything visual story-tellers else, this ebook make is black-and-white about helping you their see medium natural of light important and powerful. choice. as a tool and teaching you how to use it, hence making your creative possibilities as a photographer infinitely wider. Developing an understanding of how natural light works While and it is how undeniable to that colour can present a challenge to effective visual story-telling, a work with it can help you hone your photographic skill deeper and understanding broaden and sensibility towards colour can not only help us communicate our your creative horizons without spending more money on sophisticated stories effectively, it can make the images speak louder, clearer, with more complexity and quite and expensive photographic equipment. In fact, even the absence of a often directly to the senses of the viewer. More on that later. For now, let s have a closer look at digital SLR camera is no hindrance. A deeper understanding of natural just how we actually speak with colour from within the frame. light will help you take stronger, more engaging photos with any camera that has some level of manual control. Some As examples I hinted in this the visual weight section, we begin to communicate with colour as soon as we ebook were shot with the fairly basic camera of an iphone start using 4S, just it to to draw the viewer s attention towards an element or an area within the frame. prove that point. The most visually heavy elements are the ones which speak loudest and before any others, with that in mind, let s have a closer look at the image on the next page and through it let s analyse a little closer how we can speak with colour.

6 Some disclaimers COMMUNICATING WITH COLOUR SPEAKING WITH COLOUR I mentioned right at the beginning that one of the reasons behind colour s importance in Structure of the ebook photography is that it impacts what our photographs say. This is a fact, not being aware of Although artificial lighting tools can be used in a similar it or ignoring manner to it means that The you re ebook ultimately comprises just seven losing chapters, control all over of what which your have photographs self-explanatory natural light in some of the situations I cover, this ebook communicate. is not about titles. Within them you ll find a combination of theoretical knowledge that topic. I am not playing down the power of artificial light, but I and practical advice. The topics range from the role of natural light in don t discuss artificial lighting tools here. I may use the Let terms me also natural throw a rather photography bold statement to the out technical there. Colour necessities, is not necessarily working good for storytelling. referring It has to in fact, for quite with some natural time light been in its seen various as an manifestations, obstacle to story-telling. and making A wrong the most light and light intermittently, but I will always be natural light. colour in the frame can drive of the your photos story in you a different create with direction the aid and of post-processing a few of these software. wrong colours or in other words colours On the irrelevant practical side, to what there you re are case trying studies, to communicate diagrams, and or even colours a few Light from the moon and the stars can also be classified as natural that distract the viewer from exercises, an action, designed gesture to or encourage a detail that you holds to get importance out there and can to make learn your light, but for the sake of simplicity and in order to keep levels of story pretty impossible to from understand. seeing things In short, with a lot your more own things eyes, can through go wrong the viewfinder when colour equipment down (no remote timers, torches, less dependence on is involved and that s why (or a lot screen) of visual of your story-tellers camera. make black-and-white their medium of tripods) I will limit what I refer to as natural light to light from the sun. choice. No educational book on photography would be complete without The final disclaimer is in regards to natural light and black and While it is undeniable that photographic colour can present examples a challenge to learn to from. effective My work visual as story-telling, a travel and a white photography. This is not a subject we ll focus on; however, a deeper understanding and documentary sensibility towards photographer colour can has not exposed only help me to us innumerable lot of the information here is equally applicable to black-and-white communicate natural our photography just subtract color. stories effectively, it can make lighting the images scenarios; speak and louder, hence, clearer, the examples with more cover complexity pretty much and any quite situation you might encounter. There are also a few examples shot in often directly to the senses of the viewer. More on that later. For now, let s have a closer look at decidedly unexotic situations you needn t be far from home to apply just how we actually speak with colour from within the frame. the knowledge you gain. As I hinted in the visual weight section, we begin to communicate with colour as soon as we The cameras used to make the photos in this ebook were Canon 350D, start using it to draw the viewer s attention towards an element or an area within the frame. Canon 400D, Canon 5D, and 5D MKII, as well as iphone 4S. For those The most visually heavy elements are the ones which speak loudest and before any others, with of you into numbers and technical stuff, I include the Exif info: the that in mind, let s have a closer information look at about the image which on lens the and next settings page and I used through for each it let s shot. analyse a little closer how we can speak I haven t with included colour. the camera models where I used one of the digital SLRs, since all have similar capabilities. The exception is images made with iphone, which is distinctly different from the other cameras.

7 Getting started We will begin our exploration of natural light by establishing what specific role or roles it plays in photography. Having accomplished this, we will look at ideas that are key to helping us work with natural light effectively and creatively. This chapter is the foundation upon which the rest of the chapters will build. What you learn here will set you on your way to becoming a thinking photographer, your deeper understanding of natural light allowing you to transcend the limitations of everyday photography.

8 Getting started Communicating visually Before we begin to talk about light s role in photography, we need to ask a rather ambitious, but vital question. What is photography about? What is the bare-bones purpose of it? It s safe to say that most would agree on a similar variation of an answer. At the core, each photo has one purpose: to communicate visually. On the one hand, a photograph can communicate a sense of story: it can tell the viewer what something or someone looked like or what was happening in a particular scene. In the photo on this page, for example, I m essentially telling you: here s a man, he s coming out of the water, he s washing his clothes, and there are boats and flowers in the water behind him. On the other hand, a photograph can also communicate a certain sense of mood or atmosphere that touches the viewer on some level. In this image, the subdued, cool shades of gray that dominate the image create a calm and almost melancholic mood. The communication happens regardless of what we re photographing and regardless of whether we re aware that every image does in fact communicate something. It is very important to be aware of this, unless you are only photographing for yourself and don t care whether the stories you see and the feelings you have translate through your images to others. Being aware that communication is taking place allows us to photograph with more purpose. The sooner we become more intentional about communicating through our photography, the more powerful and clear our results will be. As you will soon see, light is the one element that we need to be particularly intentional about. 28m, f/2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 200 8

9 Getting started The role of natural light We ve established that the essential aim of each photograph is to communicate visually. On a very basic and obvious level, light is a necessity for that communication to take place. We need it to illuminate what we frame within the viewfinder, and natural light can illuminate anything in our world. But let s move beyond the obvious and see what further roles natural light has in photography. Besides being a basic necessity, light is the most important factor in photography alongside composition. Of more importance than light simply illuminating the subject are the various nuances of how it does so, and what effect this has on the scene. Let s turn to the image on this page. Here, you ll see that light is creating an interplay of bright and dark tones. It is enhancing textures, creating a sense of three-dimensionality, bringing attention to the goats backs and horns, and to the stones on the wall. Light is telling us a story by guiding our eye to what s important to that story. In creating this shot I had to consciously recognize everything that light did and to decide on the framing that would make sense of it all, which is the importance of composition I alluded to above. But it s the way light illuminates the scene and the way it affects everything within the frame, which weaves another layer into the story, adding an element of depth and richness. It helps me to tell the story of all these goats flowing between the rugged stone walls more emphatically and with more conviction. In addition, light plays a fundamental part in communicating the sense of mood, in conveying the particular atmosphere. The interplay of bright and dark tones in the image feels dynamic, even dramatic. The warm 16-35mm@35mm, f/3.5, 1/400s, ISO 160 rays of the morning sun evoke a very lively, warm and positive mood. The role of light doesn t stop at communicating how something looks; it goes on to convey how it feels to be at the scene and this is perhaps the most profound role that it plays in photography. 9

10 Getting started The power of natural light So far I ve been talking about natural light as this general, singular thing. But, natural light is always changing and one way that makes the idea of working with it easier to grasp is to segment it into different lighting scenarios or different types of natural light. Each of the various types of natural light has its own effect on whatever you frame within the viewfinder, and as a result has a potentially limitless role in shaping what you communicate through the frame. As I mentioned on the previous page, however, perhaps the most profound role of light comes from its ability to convey a sense of mood or atmosphere. To demonstrate just how much light is responsible for communicating the mood in a scene, let s have a look at two images of the same very simple scene, taken at the same place and composed in virtually the same way. We could say that the story, as far as the subject I chose to shoot, is essentially identical in both images. However, you d be right to notice that the mood, or the atmosphere, is undeniably different. The first image doesn t feel very exciting or dynamic. The mood evoked sits somewhere between neutral and melancholic. The second image is quite the opposite. It feels vibrant and exciting, and exudes a general sense of happiness. The only reason the two images have such opposing moods is the light that they were shot in. One was made at midday, when the sun was behind heavy clouds. The other was taken at sunset, on a clear day. Note: You will learn later on in the Quick guide to natural light chapter about what different effects various types of light have on the scene they illuminate. (top) iphone, f/2.4, 1/125s, ISO 100 (bottom) iphone, f/2.4, 1/200s, ISO 64 10

11 Getting started Light as a creative tool When I started out in photography, I used to think that there was good and bad light. To my mind, light during the magic hour (sunrises and sunsets) was the best. Light from a colorful, cloudy sky at twilight was good too. I preferred these types of light because they made everything look romantic and beautiful. All other types of light were basically bad or undesirable and I rarely photographed in them. My chosen approach to light always led me to photograph a specific kind of subject matter. The image on this page is a perfect example. It s a beautiful scene, and its beauty is mainly due to light. The point is that I was only seeing those subjects that light would make appear beautiful. I was virtually blind to everything else. As I progressed with my photography, I had the urge to expand on the themes of the stories I told, beyond conveying only beauty. I wanted to convey drama, mystique, hardship, sometimes even sadness. The types of light I thought of as good would not necessarily help me do that. I realized that categorizing light into good and bad was overly simplistic and incredibly limiting creatively. I eventually came to see all the possible types of light as a creative tool-set for the photographer who understands how to use them. Just as there s the right or wrong tool for a specific job, there s the right or wrong light for what you re trying to communicate through an image. The diffused midday sunlight of an overcast day wouldn t make the scene in the photo above look romantic and beautiful the way light of the clear 24-70@43mm, f/10, 1/320s, ISO 400 setting sun did. However, this doesn t mean that it couldn t communicate something entirely different more suitable for that particular lighting scenario just as effectively. 11

12 Getting started Adapting to the light It s important to see light as a creative tool, but unlike an actual tool, a particular type of light is not something you pull out of the box on demand. We can t control natural light. We can only adapt to it, or pick the right story or the right mood to be communicated with the particular kind of light that we ve been dealt at a given time. Sometimes it s most practical to allow light to become the driving force behind the images we make. The photo on this page is a good example of allowing light to be that driving force. It was taken offshore from a little fishing village. There were plenty of romantic, serene and beautiful scenes to capture around there, but I was also affected by the fishermen s struggle to make a living at sea. I spent a few days near the village and decided that what I d shoot on a given day would depend on the light available to me that day. Clear skies and the potential for golden light of the magic hour meant I d concentrate on the beautiful stuff. Overcast skies and an almost grayish kind of light meant I d focus on telling the story of the hard stuff, the struggle. Because the light situation is often so unpredictable, it s useful to always have a few ideas floating around for what you want to shoot. Having more than one idea for a photo means that you ll have more chances to create powerful images under almost any circumstances. Of course we don t always have the time or we may need to make a very specific photo, in which case we really just have to get the most of what we have we can t control the forces of nature @20mm, f/2.8, 1/6400s, ISO 640 To know when to apply which idea, one needs to understand the types of light and the potential of each type of light for communicating stories and for creating a mood. This will be covered in detail a little later, in the chapter called Quick guide to natural light. 12

13 Getting started The philosophy behind working with natural light As we ve seen, we can t control natural light at its source. We can only learn how to get the most out of it for our photography. To do this, we first need to learn how to read light, and we need to understand its effect on what it illuminates. One of the most important steps to achieving this is to start asking questions. Get in the habit of looking at photographs and asking yourself: What does light help to convey here? What time of day was this shot at? Which direction is the light coming from? Could this have been shot in a different light and still had the same effect? To really master light, you need to become obsessed with it. You need to train your eye to recognize its various subtleties, all of which play a role when light s effect translates to an image. When you walk the streets, when you re at work, when you re resting and going about your everyday life, you need to constantly pay attention to the lighting scenarios. Even without a camera, look at the interplay of shadows, observe how light affects colors, watch out for situations where light creates unusual affects as in the image here. When the time to make the shot does come, your eye and your mind will be trained to intuitively make all the necessary adjustments and decisions within seconds so as not to miss the shot. 13 Exercise: @145mm, f/10, 1/40s, ISO 100 Pick your favorite or most-respected photographer and try to break down ten of their images. Ask yourself lightrelated questions about the images, such as the ones I mentioned, and start to consciously absorb the information. Don t worry if you can t answer all these questions just yet. The exercise is all about training your eye and you ll start that training simply by looking at images in a more critical manner. 13

14 Technicalities Dealing with natural light is not only a creative or philosophical matter. There is an unavoidable practical and technical side, predominantly in the form of metering and exposure. Before continuing, I should note that our cameras are not as powerful as our eyes. They cannot capture the same colors and tones, or dynamic range, that our eyes can see. This is important to keep in mind, as it means that in some scenarios, particularly those involving high contrasts, we won t be able to get the exposure right in-camera. We can get around the limitations, but in order to do that, we need to understand that they exist.

15 Technicalities Metering The act of measuring or reading of light levels in the scenes we frame within the viewfinder is called metering. Digital cameras have builtin light meters to do this job. The light meter computes the readings of light levels in relation to the sensitivity of the sensor (which can be adjusted with ISO). It then tells us what shutter and aperture settings will achieve a correctly exposed shot. We see the light meter in action every time we look through the viewfinder it s that line with the bars and the moving marker at the bottom. There are slight variations between what different cameras light meters look like, and yours may look different from what you see in this image. However, the general idea behind them is exactly the same: a marker along the middle of the line signifies a correctly exposed image. A move of the marker to either side means under- or overexposure. The further the marker is from the middle, the more under- or over-exposed your shot. Camera manufacturers have built different metering modes or systems into most modern-day digital cameras. They allow us to meter in various ways. For example, we might want to meter on a precise, small area of the frame to expose our shot for that, or we might want to do the opposite and expose for a larger area. The different metering modes are to help us do such things and, at least in theory, they give us more flexibility in dealing with different lighting scenarios. Let s look at the available metering modes on the following page to see how they work. 15

16 Technicalities Types of metering modes Here are the common metering modes you ll find in the most widely used digital cameras Canon and Nikon. The illustrations are based on a Canon viewfinder. There might be variations in how things look on other cameras, but not to the point where you cannot recognize them. Figure 1: Evaluative (Canon) or Matrix (Nikon) This is the default metering mode on most DSLRs and many compacts, and the most sophisticated of all the metering modes. It works by analyzing the entire frame for light and dark tones, then looking at where your focus point is (which can be any one of those tiny squares in or around the circle) and marking the most important determining factor, while still considering the rest of the frame). Evaluative or Matrix mode is generally considered the best all-round system. Figure 2: Spot metering This is heavily weighted to the center, covering just 3.8% of the viewfinder area (on average). Spot metering mode can be good when there is a very specific, small element to expose for in a scene. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 The camera uses a light reading based on the red/pink areas to determine the exposure. The darker the color, the more weight is given to that area. Figure 3: Partial metering This is weighted towards the center of the viewfinder, covering around 13.5% of the area. This mode is best for cases where we need to expose for a backlit subject and don t want the subject to become a silhouette. Figure 4: Center-weighted This is weighted at the center of the image and then averaged-out for the entire scene. It is the preferred mode of some photographers because it is generally very predictable in how it reads the light levels it always does this based solely on what s in the center. Note: There s no need to compose all your images with the subject in the center (which is where the camera makes a light reading in most modes). Center your subject just to make a reading, and lock the exposure, usually by pressing the shutter button halfway, or with a separate control. After locking the exposure, re-compose the shot as is most suitable for what you re communicating. 16 The truth about metering modes I ll admit it! For many years I wasn t even aware that different metering modes existed. I shot everything in the default Evaluative/Matrix mode, and even now that I am aware, I still never change the setting. We can actually achieve a correct exposure with any of the available modes. Some of them might excel more than others in specific situations, but in practice, our proficiency will depend on what we re used to, and on what system makes the most sense to us. Moral of the story: Familiarize yourself with different metering modes, but do not obsess about them to the point where they become a distraction. If you re new to photography, my suggestion is to shoot using the Evaluative/Matrix mode, as I have. I find its ability to evaluate the entire frame and then to give the final reading with consideration for a specific focus point very convenient, flexible, and powerful.

17 Metering and exposing f/5.6, 1/1000s, ISO 100 As I mentioned in the introduction to this chapter our cameras are not as powerful as our eyes. This becomes particularly apparent when contrast between bright and dark areas in a framed scene is high. Regardless of what metering mode we use, the camera sensor cannot capture the entire range of light levels, nor the dynamic range that our eyes see. We cannot get a perfectly exposed image right out of the camera. Fortunately, we can get around the problem to an extent by expanding the dynamic range in post-processing software more on that a little later. What s important to note now is that to be able to make this expansion we need to take special considerations at the time of the shoot, while metering and exposing our photographs. The image above demonstrates how I do this. In Evaluative Metering mode (that s the one I prefer; you can use another mode) I used the focus point (by focusing and refocusing) to meter on the most contrasting areas: the man and the bullock with dark shadows and very bright clouds in the sky. I took mental notes of the readings and then made a calculation to decide on what settings to use when exposing to avoid losing detail in either area. In this case I wanted to be on the safe side with the bright clouds, and decided to go with the meter reading for them, hence intentionally underexposing the man and the bullock. You can see the result of this decision in the left image, which is unedited from the camera. The right image had the dynamic range expanded. I knew I could bring out detail in the underexposed areas in post-processing, and that s what I did. The decisions about what to meter on and what to expose for are generally made with consideration for what important area or element within the frame is at most risk of getting lost. To do the job well, it s very important to know where the threshold is, and how far we can under- or over-expose before losing detail for good). A few test exposures and the in-camera histogram which we ll discuss on the following page can be a big help. There will be times when contrasts are simply too great; no matter how we meter or expose, we won t be able to preserve all the detail we want, nor will we be able to bring it back in post-processing. In those cases we have to make sacrifices. A part of an image might remain too bright or too dark, but the trade off is having the most important element properly exposed. 17

18 Technicalities The histogram The histogram feature is available on most modern-day digital SLRs. It is a graphical representation of what portions of an image are dark, bright, or moderate through spikes along a horizontal line. On the left side of the line are spikes that represent the shadows/dark parts; in the middle are mid-tones, or moderate parts; on the right are highlights, or brightest parts. All the tones in between these points are represented by spikes. The higher the spike, the more intense the tones in the image corresponding to that place on the histogram line. If the spikes are so high that they re cut off or clipped, the histogram is telling us that we re losing detail in that particular area. On the far right you see three different histograms. Histogram 1 has clipped spikes in the shadows. This means a loss of detail in the dark areas. In Histogram 2, the spikes are clipped in the highlights, indicating a loss of detail in the bright areas. Histogram 3 has a good balance between shadows, mid-tones, and highlights. There is no loss of detail anywhere. If at this stage you are thinking that clipped spikes on the histogram are bad you are only partially right. Everything depends on your goal for a given image. You might decide you cannot afford to have clipped spikes and lost detail in the part of the image that is the highest priority to you. For example, you might want to avoid over-exposing the sky, as was the case with the image on the previous page. However, there will be times when the lost detail represented by clipped spikes will not be important enough to expose for accurately, because it might sacrifice detail in a more important element within the frame. Here s the proof. The histograms in the box actually correspond to the images below. Histogram 1 belongs to Image A. There s a lot of darkness in this image and detail in those dark areas is lost, but this doesn t actually bother me one bit. My aim was to have a part of the frame in complete darkness. I didn t need detail, as much as a sense of mystery. Histogram 2 belongs to Image B. There was no way that I could capture detail in the area around the bright midday sun; that wasn t the point. My aim was to show the face of a man in a trance, lifting a cup of alcohol to the sky. Histogram 3 belongs to Image C. There s obviously no loss of detail anywhere, but this doesn t mean that the image is any better than the other two. All in all, the histogram can be a very useful tool, as long as you interpret it with consideration for what you are trying to achieve and with some idea of what you will do with the image in post-processing (A) @85mm, f/2.8, 1/50s, ISO 2500 (B) 24-70@32mm, f/2.8, 1/2000s, ISO 100 (C) 24-70@24mm, f/16, 1/125s, ISO 100 A B C 18

19 The changing characteristics of natural light Light changes or rather its characteristics change. The changes occur in accordance with the time of day, due to the weather, and because of various other circumstances. This chapter will give you a comprehensive idea about what commonly happens to light s key characteristics. Even more importantly for our photographic purposes, we ll look at the effect these changing characteristics have on what the light illuminates when it comes to subject matter.

20 The changing characteristics of natural light Light quality By light quality, I refer to whether the light is hard, soft, or somewhere in between. Light quality will depend on the circumstances in which you re shooting. For example, the first image on the right was shot outdoors, close to midday, under direct sunlight. These conditions usually produce the brightest and hence the harshest kind of light there is. Notice how bright everything looks and then direct your attention to the very deep shadows these are key characteristics of hard light. The bottom-left image was shot on a cloudy day, with light completely diffused. The key feature to notice here is the lack of shadows, the light being so soft that it didn t produce any. The bottom-right image was shot during the early stages of sunset. While the light is direct, it is a little diffused by the earth s atmosphere and hence it can be categorized as somewhere in between you can see that the shadows are not very deep nor distinct in this case. There are other circumstances that influence the quality of light, and we ll cover the specifics of these a little later on. (top) 16-35@35mm, f/4.5, 1/1000s, ISO 100 (left) 24-70@32mm, f/4.5, 1/125s, ISO 500 (right) 20mm, f/4, 1/250s, ISO

21 (all images) f/6.3, 1/1328s, ISO 100 Direction of natural light Direction of light changes constantly. The most obvious reason for the change is the Earth s movement around the sun. In practical terms, this translates to the direction of light shifting through various parts of the day. Where such direction change becomes particularly relevant is in photography of larger subjects, such as geographical features and buildings. You can photograph these subjects throughout the day and find light coming from different angles, hence illuminating different parts of the scene or casting shadows. The images above serve as a good example of this. All are part of a two-hour time-lapse, and all were shot from exactly the same spot. Different time meant a different direction of light and shadows in different places. 21 What this means in real life situations is that if a beautiful landscape or building you desperately want to photograph appears rather uninspiring because of the light, don t fear. Wait around or come back another time, and you ll likely find it looking completely transformed. Hint: A compass can be very useful to predict where the sun will rise and set, even more useful is a phone app called Sun Seeker. To see the finer effects that light has on a scene, however, you need to be there and observe. Exercise: Start paying special attention to the way the direction of light changes. You can go to your backyard or just outside your home on a sunny day. Pick a scene and photograph it over a period of a couple of hours, or even over the whole day. No need for a time-lapse; the point is simply to see how light affects everything within that scene, as the sun s direction changes.

22 The changing characteristics of natural light More on direction of natural light Light s direction also changes because of where you and/or your subject are positioned in relation to the light source. Your light source might be the sun or an open window in a room. Positioning the subject between the light source and yourself creates the familiar silhouette. This is backlighting, and it s what you see in the image below. Light coming through a window in a dark room at roughly a 45 angle to to the subject creates a progression of light to dark tones, as in the image on the left. I often refer to this as the sculpting effect because the light appears to be sculpting the subject. The same effect can be achieved outdoors as well we simply need to photograph when the sun is close to the horizon and is also a little diffused by the Earth s atmosphere, which is to say sunrise or sunset. We ll see much more on this in Quick guide to natural light and Directing light. (left) iphone, f/2.4, 1/30s, ISO 64 (below) 20mm f/2.8, 1/1000s, ISO

23 A world of possibilities Our light sources can move horizontally and vertically. Again, just think of the sun or imagine a window high up on a wall or in a ceiling. This flexibility of the light s path translates into limitless nuances. Here I ll cover two more which occur pretty frequently. (left) 24-70@24mm, f/9, 1/250s, ISO 100 (right) 24-70@27mm, f/2.8, 1/64s, ISO 2500 Semi-silhouette A semi-silhouette is created when the light source is behind a subject, but rather than being directly opposite, shining into the lens, it is located a little to the side or at approximately 45 in relation to the camera. When this is the case, light can create a bright outline around the subject. If in addition to being to the side the light is above the subject, as in the image on the left, there is more overall brightness in the scene. More detail is gained in dark areas, and a bright outline or rim of light is created around the top of the subject too. Multiple light sources In the image on the right I used multiple light sources. Notice that both sides of the young monk s face are lit but not lit in the same way. This is due to the varying size and intensity of each light source. One light source is a large opening in a room. It is located towards the left side of the frame, relatively far from the subject. This light is strong, but diffused and makes the left side of the face look bright, but soft. The other light source is a much narrower doorway, located to the right side of the frame, much closer to the subject. It is less diffused and more intense. You can see that it doesn t make the whole right side of the monk s face bright, rather it only creates a very bright spot around his temple. Note: If all this stuff sounds a little confusing, don t worry there will be more examples and diagrams of where the light is coming from later. For now, you just need to absorb the information, to become familiar with what light looks like in different situations. 23

24 Diffused light in the shade at sunrise Golden light diffused by Earth s atmosphere at sunrise Direct bleaching light around midday Natural light and color Light has an enormous impact on color. It can make colors look more vivid, more dull or bleached, or depending on the type of light you re shooting in, all the colors in the scene can take on a certain tinge. The examples above are of a very simple subject: a stone wall. The images are unedited from the camera and they demonstrate natural light s effect on color perfectly just observe how the color of the wall changes in different lighting scenarios. Note: In order to deepen your understanding of light s impact on color, pay close attention to what effect different types of natural light have on color in the upcoming Quick guide to natural light chapter. Exercise: You can see natural light s effect on color yourself by doing an experiment similar to mine. As you can see, you don t need a complex subject; photograph whatever you have access to over different parts of the day. (left) iphone, f/2.4, 1/148s, ISO 64 (middle) iphone, f/2.4, 1/350s, ISO 64 (right) iphone, f/2.4, 1/2500s, ISO 64 24

25 Post-processing and light You should be under no illusion that the images included here looked that way directly from the camera. In fact, the images you see in magazines, on billboards, and elsewhere in the professional photography world have all to some extent been post-processed, or, in other words, digitally manipulated. This ebook would not be complete without touching on the relationship that post-processing has with light. It fulfils a vital role in creating the final image, and that s exactly what we ll look at in this chapter. I should stress that this chapter is not a tutorial on post-processing. It is an overview that will give you an idea of the importance of post-processing, and of the possibilities that it brings. For tutorials I recommend Neil Creek s Nuts and Post or simply Google post-processing and photography to find myriad free resources. Even though this isn t a tutorial, you can still immediately apply the information in a practical manner to your own photography. Look at the examples, experiment with the software and learn from the post-processing section in the Case studies chapter.

26 Reasons for post-processing Our eyes are capable of perceiving incredible degrees of tones, colors and details. Strong contrasts between light and dark parts of a scene are no hindrance to our visual perception, which performs effortlessly in all but the most extreme situations. Today s digital cameras cannot do the tasks our eyesight can, no matter how expensive or advanced they are. In many situations, to even get close to communicating through our photographs what our eyes perceived so easily in life, digital camera users must turn to post-processing (digital manipulation) software. For this simple reason post-processing has come to be considered a vital part of photography for anyone working with the digital medium. Some photographers use digital manipulation software to purposely stylize their images to look surreal. Without engaging in any debate about whether that is good or bad, it s clearly not a necessity that photographers can t function without, and therefore we won t deal with it here. The basic reason for post-processing as it relates to light is to compensate for the camera s shortcomings in capturing the light s impact on the subject we frame within the viewfinder. The general description to cover for what we do is to expand the dynamic range of tones and colors beyond what the camera s capabilities are. More specifically, this act might involve darkening over-exposed aspects within the frame, while brightening under-exposed parts. We might also increase contrast or bring out colors and tones that had a strong presence in the scene, but didn t translate effectively enough after the camera s internal image processor was done with them. Post-processing effects may be applied to an entire image or to very specific areas within the frame. The various techniques used are not rocket science, but there is a learning curve. Once you do grasp the post-processing basics, however, more possibilities open up and your images will reach a new level. Common post-processing tools, techniques and their purposes Over the next few pages I will be referring to the tools and techniques found in Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, and Photomatix (for HDR). These are the most commonly used post-processing software packages. However, regardless of what software you use, the concepts covered here will give you a basic understanding generally transferable to other software. Note: Understanding of natural light is relevant no matter what camera you use, and a few iphone examples are provided to reiterate the point. However, those of you who are serious about consistently getting the most out of your photographs should be using cameras that allow you to shoot in RAW format. (left) 24-70@68mm, f11, 1/500s, ISO 250; (middle) @200mm, f2.8, 1/1000s, ISO 100; (right) @100mm, f/7.1, 1/200s, ISO

27 Post-processing and light Global adjustments Global adjustments are adjustments that affect an entire photograph or an entire range of tones or colors within the frame. They provide the quickest and easiest way to address the camera s shortcomings. The most commonly used global adjustments that we need to be aware of are controlled by the sliders in Adobe Lightroom and in Photoshop Camera RAW. Exposure darkens or brightens the entire image Recovery (Highlights in Lightroom 4): brings back details in very bright areas by darkening them, unless the image has been severely over-exposed Fill light (Shadows in Lightroom 4): brings back the detail in dark areas by brightening them, unless they are severely under-exposed Blacks: makes black colors look darker and adds punch Contrast: adds more or less drama and punch to an image Tone Curve and sliders below it for Highlights, Lights, Darks and Shadows: have the ability to do the job of the abovementioned sliders Temperature: makes the image look warmer or cooler Saturation, Hue and Luminosity: can adjust individual colors 24-70@70mm, f/2.8, 1/1250s, ISO 400 Now to see global adjustments in action. The before version of the image is a little dull. The camera was unable to capture the contrasts in tones and the vivid colors that the light created and my eyes perceived. I ve dealt with this issue in the after image solely through the use of global adjustments. A similar result can be reached through various tweaks no right or wrong way. My choice was to work with the Tone Curve sliders, slightly increasing the value of Highlights, slightly decreasing values in Lights and Darks and significantly decreasing the value in Shadows. While the after image is an adequate improvement achieved through just a few tweaks of the global adjustment sliders, there are more complex cases when global adjustments are only the first step in post-processing. In those cases we need to turn to local adjustments, which is what we ll look at on the next page. Note: We can apply the same or similar adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop (though not in Camera RAW) to a Jpeg file. The big downside is that the margin for error when working with Jpegs is much smaller. Even slight under- or over-exposure can result in a complete loss of detail and no matter how you try, you will not be able to bring it back. The Jpeg file just doesn t store adequate data to allow this. 27

28 20mm, f/2.8, 1/160s, ISO 400 Local adjustments Local adjustments are adjustments to specific, isolated areas of an image. Ideally, local adjustments are applied to a photograph which has already had all the necessary global adjustment tweaks. The main tools to make local adjustments are the Exposure Adjustment Brush in Adobe Lightroom and Camera RAW and the Dodge and Burn tools, when working with a Jpeg in Photoshop. The most common scenario requiring local adjustments involves a minor part of the frame being much brighter or darker than the dominant part of the frame. In these situations, tweaking the global adjustment sliders to make either part look better means undesirable consequences for the other. The image here is a good example of a situation needing local adjustments. The contrast between the bright white costume and the rest of the scene meant that it was not possible to expose all the elements in the scene properly. I tweaked the photograph as much as possible with the global adjustment sliders, but fixing the issue of the white, slightly over-exposed costume meant everything else in the photograph would be too dark. The solution was to paint with the Exposure Adjustment Brush, slightly decreasing the exposure value (it can also be increased if desired). This was done just enough to bring out the detail in the white costume. With some practise, the combination of the global adjustments mentioned on the previous page and the Exposure Adjustment Brush can solve a very wide range of our cameras light-capturing shortcomings. Quite often, the Exposure Adjustment Brush is used to make smaller tweaks in this case, brightening of the eye s iris. Once again, the contrast between the dark iris and the main areas I exposed for meant that the 28 camera was not capable of capturing the desired range of tone and detail. With that said, for finer tweaks similar to this one, I often find the Dodge (used for brightening) and Burn (for darkening) tools in Photoshop much more responsive. TIP: Use the Exposure Adjustment Brush to do all the major adjustments, particularly those involving bringing out the detail in high contrast scenarios on the RAW file. After that s done, output to a Tiff or Jpeg and apply the finishing touches with the Dodge and Burn tools in Photoshop. Just keep in mind the limitations of working with a Jpeg file, if that s what you output to or if that s what format you shot in.