It would be wrong to think that shooting in artificial light requires less knowledge or skill.
On the contrary, the expansion of creative possibilities inevitably entails a complication of the process of preparing to shoot.
To order, passing through the camera lens, the light rays from the subject is “written” on the film of his image, it is imperative that before taking a picture found in certain parts of the room lighting, “draw” their light on the object specified cut-off figure.
From this will largely depend on both technical quality and artistic merit of the picture.
And such a creative ownership of light is possible only if the knowledge of the laws lighting, especially lighting and the rules of their operation.
LIGHTING EQUIPMENT
Consider the most common lighting and the character created by their lights.
Modern lighting and electronics provided the photographer a wide variety of designs and lighting parameters of light sources ranging from conventional electric and ending with pulsed gas-discharge lamps.
Electric lamps used for lighting rooms, differ in power, and hence on the force produced by their luminous flux and have a transparent, frosted or milk glass bottle.
This color glass cylinder provides more soft, diffused lighting.
Industry also produces a special control lamps, brightness are noticeably more brightness of conventional light bulbs, which is achieved by burning lamp mode perekala.
Their term of service varies between 2 – 8 h, and therefore they should be included only for a short time, most shots.
As usual, and perekalnye bulbs can have an internal reflector, allowing to concentrate in one direction coming from the scorching rays of light filaments.
The extremely small size and high brightness are characterized by quartz halogen lamps.
The internal volume of container in them is filled with iodine vapor, that significantly improves parameters of lighting lamps.
It is an independent group is a pulsed gas discharge lamps that emit light in a very short (1500 – 110000s) and a powerful light pulse.
The internal volume of the container of such lamps filled with inert gas, xenon, through which under normal conditions the electric current does not pass.
When using a high-voltage pulse, the gas in the cylinder tube is ionized and becomes a conductor of electric current through it is the category of a special condenser and have large electric charge, and the gas turned on the thousandth of a second in the plasma, emit powerful pulses of light.
The advantages of such lamps – small size, high brightness, high efficiency and constant flux, lack of – the inability to visually monitor the cut-off figure, created such a source on the subject.
Lighting lamps with no special reflectors are used very rarely, because they illuminate equally not only the subject, but all the surrounding objects.
In this case, a large number of random scattered light, there are stray glare and reflections, disturbing imagery.
Therefore, for better use of lamp light and the possibility of sending its light output in the desired direction apply special reflectors on the shape and size of which depends largely on the nature of coming from the lamp luminous flux.
In most cases, the reflectors are provided with fittings (clamps, clamp), allowing them to consolidate in the right position and in a certain place.
Reflector with a lamp can be fastened to the backs of the chairs and other furniture or a special tripod.
Naturally, the lighting can be used ordinary household lighting – table lamps, sconces, chandeliers, floor lamps, etc.
But they are less convenient and in most cases do not allow to create the necessary illumination of the subject.
Pulsed electronic devices, called flash-lamp, very diverse.
This miniature lamp of low power, designed for amateurs, and more powerful illuminators are designed primarily for professional photographers.
In all cases of food such flashlamps is provided from AC power, battery or internal battery.
Synchronization of light flash lamp with the work of a camera shutter is using a special wire synchronization, either through direct electrical connection circuit synchronization lamps with built-in camera contact, or light beam.
Since the duration of the light pulse is extremely small, it is necessary that the time window of the camera flash personnel were fully open.
Otherwise proeksponiruetsya only part of the frame and the picture would be ruined.
This condition is satisfied for all quotations in cameras with central gate, and only for a relatively long exposure in cameras with curtain shutter.
In the description of the camera has always shown the most fast shutter for shooting with electronic flash.
Of course, one can also use slower shutter speeds, but the need for this.
Features photography by artificial light
Shooting under artificial lighting has its own peculiarities.
Of great importance is the distance between the subject and light source, which is usually limited to a few meters.
Changing the distance will inevitably lead to changes in illumination.
Changing the light is proportional to the square of the change in the distance: thus, if the distance between the illuminator and photographed the object to double, the illumination of the object decreases fourfold.
This should always be taken into account when shooting.
An important property of light – focus the light flux is directly linked with both the linear dimensions of the light source, and the distance from it to the subject.
Tentatively, this dependence can be represented as follows: if the linear dimensions of the light-emitting body close or equal to the distance from the source to the subject, the lighting of the object is soft, svetotonalny character, but if the linear dimensions of the light source is ten times less than the distance from it to the subject, This lighting can be considered directional.
Characteristics of lighting for different ratios of these dimensions are given below:
What is the practical significance of such a relationship?
First of all, on the basis of these data, it is easy to determine the size of reflectors bulbs needed to create this or that by the nature of light.
So, if you want to highlight the human face soft diffused light without a clear, sharp shadows, the size of the reflector lighting unit should be close to the distance between the device and the subject.
It is for this reason, special studios and film studios to create a soft diffused lighting set lighters with the size of the radiating surface greater than 1 – 2 pm
Conventional floodlights provide diffused illumination only at distances of 30 – 70 cm, with greater distance from their subject, the light becomes more focused, more and more rigid.
Especially noticeable orientation of the luminous flux of lamps, flares, reflectors whose dimensions do not exceed 5 – 10 cm
To a large extent focus light beam depends on the structure of the reflecting surface of the reflector.
What it is closer to the mirror, the smaller scatters light, the direction becomes more luminous flux.
Closely related to the orientation of the light flux form of reflector: reflector is deeper than the more narrow beam of light it can get.
The relationship of conventional lighting and bulbs for the most part unobtrusive.
However, when shooting vehicles with short-focus lens and illumination of the object electronic flash from a camera a narrow light beam can cause uneven exposure film on the surface of the frame: the central portion will have a normal exposure, and the edges of the frame – underexposed.
Often, to reduce the luminous flux of a lighting device on its way directly near illuminator set light diffusers, which is a metal ring on which stretched gauze or tulle.
This method is ineffective, and therefore for soft diffused lighting should be used as a secondary radiator with large linear dimensions of the white screens, used for viewing slides or amateur movies.
In this case, a powerful light source (halogen lamp or high power flash lamp) set at a distance of 60 – 90 cm from hanging on a tripod or on a wall screen in front of his center, and direct luminous flux on the screen.
Reflected from the surface of the screen light creates a soft diffused lighting, especially necessary in portraiture.
Instead, the screen can be used fairly large in size (not less than 60 X 60 cm) piece of white cloth or even a light wall.
Sometimes, for a soft diffused lighting in the room or other space for a powerful light lamps directed at the ceiling, which in this case is also a secondary transmitter with a large surface radiation.
The above ways to create a soft diffused lighting have one drawback: the illumination of the subject compared to the direct illumination of the light falls several times, due both to loss of light in the process of reflection (50%) and increasing distance from the light source to the subject.
That is why these methods require the use of powerful light sources.
Instead of the screen, wall or ceiling as a reflector, you can use an umbrella covered with white cloth.
To do this, the most suitable solid satin silk or some other sufficiently dense tissue.
Such an umbrella in an open position strengthened with clamps to a tripod.
In the immediate vicinity of the pens and have a source of light.
When folded, they take up little space, and in the process of shooting them easy to install in the right place at the premises.
Get a direct light beam is much easier.
It’s enough to put an ordinary photo illuminator fused from heavy paper or thin cardboard long cylindrical tube, whose diameter is equal to the diameter of the reflector illuminator.
The length of the tube is determined by the desired degree of focus light rays.
For the majority of cases occurring in practice is enough length of 50 – 60 cm
The inner surface of the tube to prevent light scattering to be glued with black paper.
Can be used as a source of directional light and an illumination of the photographic enlarger.
Coverage subject
When shooting with lighting fixtures nature of each option coverage is expressed more clearly than when shooting in natural light, as under the open sky to light significantly softens the contrasts of light and shade.
In most cases, reproduction of forms of relief items are used, or anterior-lateral side, a few overhead lights direct light, which not only emphasizes the three-dimensional object, but retains its familiar look to our nature light distribution, characteristic of the natural light conditions.
In contrast, the lighting of the object directed light from below are rarely observed in natural conditions and because we perceive as unusual and unnatural.
The shadows of the object of the least visible in the frontal illumination, and the most – at the posterior-lateral and backlit.
CAMERA PORTRAIT
Let us now turn directly to the portrait photography – the most popular genre of photography in artificial light.
Obviously, to get the picture well developed in all the details of such a complex shape object as a human face, with one source of direct light is almost impossible.
When shooting portraits for the most part use multiple light sources, each of which performs its strictly defined function.
1 Features of artificial lighting when shooting portraits
The light source, which forms the main cut-off figure on the face of the model, called the drawing a source of light.
He was always situated in relation to the person in the forward hemisphere, ie
photographed people can see it, no change in head position in space.
The main difference between light generated by this source – the distribution of illuminated and shaded areas on the face.
Regardless of the total number of lighting instruments used simultaneously for portrait photography, drawing a source of light is always the same.
Its inclusion leads to a dramatic change in the nature of the lighting on or off all other sources of illumination when the light source draws a character does not change the lighting.
Anterolateral, some overhead lights most familiar to our eyes, and yet it reveals to the best three-dimensional shape of the face.
Therefore, drawing a light source is always located above (or level) of the portrait and the person directly in front of him on the line of symmetry of the person or within 60 – 70 degrees to the right or left of the line of symmetry.
It was under such an arrangement, drawing a light source is provided by the anterior-upper side lighting.
However, even within these limits there is an infinite set of points in the space allocation lighting.
The position of this fixture in the horizontal plane is also associated with the shape and volume of the face.
The more steps forward on the face of the nose, the deeper planted eyes, the closer to the axis of symmetry of the face should be drawing a source of light.
Of course, much depends on the direction of shooting: most pronounced relationship between the shape and position of the person drawing a source of light when shooting full-face, the least – in the profile.
Despite the purely creative process of creating black and white picture on the face of the portrait, there are a number developed in the practice of shooting techniques, allowing for drawing a light source optimally.
Thus, if the illuminator is located along the axis of symmetry of a person of his height should be determined from the shadows under the nose – it is desirable that it did not exceed half the distance from nose to upper lip and darkening of eye sockets, it is preferable that the upper eyelids were covered risuyuschim light.
When the anterior-lateral position of the source drawing a light of its height and position in the space of governing often so that the shadow of the nose crossed a remote source cheek, leaving her at the top of the light flashes.
Often not very aesthetically pleasing look images on which the shadow of the nose crosses the line of the lips, and eyes are in shadow eyebrow arches, although for some visual effect such a distribution of light and shade on the face is acceptable.
It is also important when shooting and positioning of the camera and draws a source of light.
If they are placed on one side of the plane of symmetry of the head of the portrait, then facing the camera is more illuminated part of the face, in this case, as in all cases, the front lighting, volume and shape of a person are transmitted to the image less pronounced, flattened.
When placing the camera and draws a source of light from different sides of the plane of symmetry of the head of the portrait facing the apparatus of the shaded part of the face, in which case its volume form is well reproduced in the picture.
We have considered placing the source drawing a light towards a person of the portrait and to the camera.
However, shooting with one light source is extremely rare in connection with the high contrast black and white image and a bad study of details in shadow areas of images.
So in most cases, along with drawing a light source is involved is another, which aims to reduce the contrast of light and shade, etc.
In highlighting the shadow areas on the face and figure of the portrait.
Light from this source, as it fills in the shadows, elaborating details in them, so this source of light is filling.
Illumination of the person filling out the source of light must be less than the illumination created by drawing a light source, since otherwise the cut-off figure fill light source interrupt figure formed by drawing a light source, the nose, under the chin and other places will appear on the two shadows, and at too great power source of fill light to take over functions drawing a, which can completely spoil the picture.
