Photography 1: The Art of Photography

Project: Photographic lighting.
Exercise: The lighting angle.

For this exercise I used a diffused light source.  I experimented with using it from different directions.  For parts 1 and 2, the camera was kept in a fixed position, (on a tripod) aimed horizontally at the subject.  For part 3, the photographs were taken from overhead.  I moved the light around the object and took a photograph at each position.

1.  Light at the same level as the subject and camera.

5517.jpg; Front lighting; F16; 1/90s

5518.jpg; Side lighting; F16; 1/90s

5519.jpg; Behind and to one side lighting; F16; 1/90s

5520.jpg; Directly behind lighting; F16; 1/90s

2.  Light raised so that it points down at an angle of 45 degrees.

5525.jpg; Front lighting; F16; 1/60s

5524.jpg; Side lighting; F16; 1/45s

5523.jpg; Behind and to one side lighting; F16; 1/45s

5522.jpg; Directly behind lighting; F16; 1/90s

3.  Light suspended overhead, pointing down.  Photograph taken directly overhead.

5526.jpg; Directly overhead lighting; F16; 1/60s

5527.jpg; Overhead and slightly in front lighting; F16; 1/90s

5528.jpg; Overhead and slightly behind lighting; F16; 1/60s

What did I learn from this exercise?

When studying the differences between the images due to moving the light I found that certain qualities of the subject are revealed better by some lighting conditions.  The position directly behind shows the shape fairly well.  The "slightly behind" positions will highlight the edges.

Image 5524, produced with the light raised so that it points down at an angle of 45 degrees gives the best 3-dimensional effect, ie reveals the form of the subject best.