Photography 1: TAOP, Ex Contrasts and Shadow Fill

Project: Photographic Lighting
Exercise: Contrast and Shadow Fill

For this exercise I set up a simple still-life.  Room was left for access at the sides of the set.  The scene was shot from the same level as the objects.  A light was fixed about 2-3 feet to one side of the objects and at their level, so that it was aimed at right angles to the camera's view.

The first photograph was taken without a diffuser in front of the lamp and the second with a diffuser.  These were followed with a series of 5 exposures using the diffused light.  The light and camera remained unchanged.  The first two photographs are shown below:

5580.jpg; F11; 1/125s; No Diffuser.

5581.jpg; F11; 1/90s; With Diffuser.

The lighting of the objects is more even when the diffuser is used.  The diffused light is able to "leak" around the edges of the objects.

For the next image a white card was positioned about 3 feet away from the objects on the opposite side to the light and facing it.

5582.jpg; F11; 1/60s; White Card Reflector 3 feet away.

The next image was taken as above but with the white card positioned about 1 foot away from the objects.

5583.jpg; F11; 1/60s; White Card Reflector 1 foot away.

In the second of the two images above the side of the objects furthest away from the light is brighter than in the first.

The white card was then covered with aluminium foil, with the dull side facing the objects.  A photograph was taken.  The foil was then turned round to the shiny side and another photograph taken.

5584.jpg; F11; 1/90s; Dull Foil Reflector 2 feet away.

5585.jpg; F11; 1/125s; Shiny Foil Reflector 2 feet away.

The shiny foil reflected more of the light from the lamp onto the side of the objects furthest away.  More of the shadows were filled with light.

For the last shot the foil was crumpled, straightened out and re-attached to the card, shiny side out.

5586.jpg; F11; 1/180s; Crumpled and Shiny Foil Reflector 2 feet away.

I then compared each of the images and placed them in order of contrast, from greatest to least:

5580; 5581; 5582; 5583; 5586; 5584; 5585.

What have I learned from this exercise?

Using quite simple and easy to produce reflectors, the contrast in an image can be altered significantly.