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Our
Featured Article:
Photography
Tips - Lighting your Subject
B.L. Hill
Lighting your subject is, obviously, very important for
the successful capture of the 'perfect' image. The type
and intensity of the light can dramatically change the
mood of the photograph. Sometimes the effect is not obvious
until the picture is developed. Even with the digital
camera, although you can see an image immediately, the
size of the view screen makes it difficult to notice some
of the differences.
The best way to learn how light affects the final image is to
experiment - ah the joy of the digital camera - you don't have
to wait to get the film developed to see the results! Try taking
pictures with and without the flash. Try using alternate sources
of light. Try using settings other than the camera default
settings.
Taking pictures with/without a flash Many cameras have an
automatic flash setting that I find most people used 99% of the
time. This may not always get you the result you want. For
example, on a very bright day your flash will not fire as your
camera senses enough light. However, you may find that the
shadows cast are very strong and detract from the photo. Most
digital cameras today have a setting called 'fill flash'. You
can use this setting to 'fill' in the shadows created by the
strong sunlight.
The opposite of this is to not use the flash when the camera wants to
use it. Each year at Halloween I love to carve pumpkins. I try to
create a new design every year and take photos of them. I take
them out to the front step (in the dark), light the candles and
position my self so that the flame is hidden behind the design but
the light comes shining through.
If I were to use a
flash, all I would see would be an orange pumpkin with stuff
carved out - not what I want. If I turn off the flash, I can then
take a great photo that shows the design as glowing against the
dark pumpkin.
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