If you find yourself spending your free time taking photos — portrait and landscape — as well as being the main person to photograph celebrations and events, then you might have the potential to do great things. If you enjoy being a photographer, there is no reason why wouldn’t you turn it into your main money-earning business.
Of course, it is not something that happens overnight, but in the times we are living in, having a respectable online portfolio is important. It should include a variety of photos of different styles and genres.
Using certain lighting effects can have a powerful impact on the overall result of your image. The Photography Masterclass website is a great source of info if you are a beginner and you don’t know what these are. We will be reviewing the different types of lighting in photography as well as when is the right time to use them. Let’s get right to it!
Flat Light
As one of the most common lighting types in photography, flat light may not be the most desirable for professional portraits. It comes in a form of direct light on your subject — the effect that it causes is the absence of shadows. The thing is, in order for the scene or a person to look lively in your photo, there need to be shadows. The same goes for animals and landscapes at sunset.
On the other hand, if you are doing work for a magazine that promotes skincare products, for example, then this effect will be great when photographing. It straightens out any wrinkles, creases, or acne, thus creating a virtually perfect skin appearance.
Split Light
Another lighting effect that is commonly used in portraits, especially ones with a black/white filter, is split lighting. It is set at an angle of 90 degrees. Unlike the aforementioned lighting type, this one features both shadows and light.
Considering that one side of the face is completely lit while the other being shadowed, with the margin coming in a form of a straight line through the middle of chin and nose, it highlights a masculine look. This means that you may want to stay away from the split lighting type if you are shooting a woman or a baby.
Short Light
Short light is the complete opposite of the flat lighting type. The shadow falls at the side of the face that is closer to the camera. This is known as short light and is actually used in portraits of things found in their natural state of being. Due to the shadows caused by this light, acne, wrinkles, and other imperfections will be a lot more visible.
Broad Light
Unlike the short lighting effect, here the side of the face that is closer to the camera is well-lit. While shadow is still present, it is at the back-side and not the focus. This type of effect is perfect for subjects that have a narrow face. We suggest you check out the Photography Masterclass website to find other particular uses for this type of lighting.
Backlighting
Last on our list of the types of lighting in photography is the one that comes from behind your subject. We always like to emphasize that the best time of the day for taking a photo is just before the sun sets (when it is on the horizon). This so-called golden hour is the main source of back-lighting — still, it is not the only one.
You can mimic it in the morning as long as the sun is shining through the middle of your window (indoor portrait). This type of effect works perfectly for landscapes or scenes were you are not focused on making the main subject as clear as possible. On the other hand, if the haziness caused by back-lighting is causing an effect opposite to your intention, there are a couple of things you can do.
If you want to hide the full effect of this lighting but still create a good contrast, you can try semi-silhouette. For example, instead of letting the whole sun into your picture, shoot the photo from the bottom, so just a bit of light catches the frame. A great thing to do here is to aim for a darker subject and blur the lighting source so you can create a warmer overall composition while making a clear difference between the background and the focal point.
As mentioned above, back lighting is known to cause haziness that is not wanted in many portraits, which is why you may need to put the light in front of your subject. But how can you do this and still get the warm effect of a sun setting down? Think reflectors. Whether you will be using a DIY reflector made with aluminum foil, or you invest in a professional one, the key is to create light on the face of your subject.
If you want to go for a sharp and strong effect, the closer the reflector is to your subject, the better. On the other hand, if you want a combination of back lighting and front light, placing the reflector a bit further away from the subject is a good choice.
Conclusion
It is important to be aware of the different lighting types so you can experiment with these effects and get the most out of your portraits. Investing in a collapsible reflector and a studio light will allow you to create the desired effect or reflect light from a natural source onto your subject.
While some types are adequate for highlighting more masculine subjects, others create warm tones that you would use when taking photos of a baby, or a sunset with a subject in front of it. We did our best to give you examples of when and how to use these light effects — keep these tips in mind during your next photo session and make it one to remember.