Working with shadows and lighting...

fishbate Level 1

March 24, 2018, 6:27 pm

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Working with shadows and lighting...

I'm a newbie in photography and i've been trying to figure out how natural lighting and shadow could help me in my shots. Although i have some good pictures with it, i still lack of knowledge how to use the natural effects on my shots. Can any tell me how to use natural lighting and shadows for my shots, specially with angles and perspectives.

This is one of my shots, taken only by a phone during sunrise. Your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

Unfortunately, I'm not an expert or extremely knowledgeable about photography so I can't give some proper thoughts and tips for you to take advantage and use shadows and natural lighting to make your photos look better. But I did find these two links which should be of how some help to you:

http://www.easybasicphotography.com/light-and-photography.html
https://expertphotography.com/natural-light-photography/

7 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

I am not a photography expert. I am just a hobbyist photographer and I learned photography through self-practice, and I never attended a photography school.
The basic rule of photography is your foreground should be lit. If your background is brighter than your foreground, you will get silhouette pictures. Unless you are trying to take silhouette pictures, you should always avoid the brighter foreground. The second rule is never take the pictures with the light source coming from the back of your subject. but there is an exception to this rule. If you are trying to take pictures of silhouettes this is perfectly ok.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

".... I am just a hobbyist photographer and I learned photography through self-practice...."

This exactly how I how about my photography life and experiences. I just snap for fun and keeping of memories. Pictures are wonderful memories keepers because it's always going to amaze you when you stumble on a picture that you took 5 years ago and see the difference in how you are at the moment.

7 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

I find pleasure in taking pictures. However, I am a step forward from the cell phone photographer. Well, I enjoy taking pictures from cell phones, however, I do not consider cell phone photography to be the true photography. I like to take pictures with my Canon DSLR. It gives a vicarious thrill to play with the camera settings (aperture, ISO etc), get a proper angle, focus the subject properly, and take the picture.

7 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

"The second rule is never take the pictures with the light source coming from the back of your subject. but there is an exception to this rule."

I definitely wouldn't use the word never in this circumstance, because as you said there are exceptions, and plenty of them. Usually you don't want to take a picture that way, but backlighting can often be utilized to make some really nice effects. Keep in mind though, one is most likely going to require a DSLR camera to achieve these effects.

If you up the exposure on your camera by adjusting the settings, taking a picture with a light source--such as the sun, for example--behind your subject can give the subject a nice, divine-looking glow while not underexposing their features. If you turn down the exposure in this circumstance, that is when you get the silhouette effect, which can be nice on its own.

7 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

Remember, I said there is an exception to this rule. Shadows pose a great challenge for the photographers and the good photographers are the ones who make this into an opportunity. If you use shadows well, you can get a best shot. Light and shadows play a vital role in bringing the best in the photograph.

7 years ago

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EfficientNinja

EfficientNinja

Thanks for giving a basic explanation of how to utilize lighting. Thanks for pointing out that foreground lighting is important and it should be at a good level to properly focus on your subject. I've seen many beginners like myself that are taking pictures of subjects that are against the light or have very bright backgrounds.

7 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

There are photography rules. However, these rules are always to be broken. However, you should know when to break these rules. For example, a general rule is the foreground should be brigher than the background. You can break this rule to take silhoute pictures. Another rule is the rule of anti-light. However, if you can manipulare the light the pictures with anti light can also be very good.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Know where the light is coming from to achieve your desired effect on the picture. If you want to accentuate the subject's features, ideally the sunlight should be shining directly on the subject. Working with the sun behind can also work but you need to use reflectors to light up the picture. You can also practice to have a feel of the light and how to angle properly. Just pick a spot with nice sunlight and point your camera on a subject and just walk around them to see how the angles affect the lighting on your camera. If the subject is a person, you can also ask them to turn at the same time as you so that you'll see which features are touched by the sunlight for every different angle.

7 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

When you are taking pictures, you have to first check the direction of the light. Well, in the outdoor area, lights will come from all direction, what I mean by the direction of the light is finding the brightest light source. Your subject should be lit by the primary light source. You can always break this rule though. You should also know the difference between the hard light and soft light. You must know how to manipulate light by taking pictures with flash light and using reflectors. You can use also manipulate color in your photograph by taking pictures at different times of the day or using the reflector with a different shade.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

I'm still an amateur photographer because I haven't taken it to the level of earning money from just being a photographer. Although I'm aware of some sites where being a photographer would earn me money but I'm not yet ready to take that step towards it for now. Maybe you should try checking some of online courses which you can participate in and have your photography skills enhanced a little more.

7 years ago

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Barida

Barida

Checking some of the online sites that assist those that wants to become professional photographers are numerous with the aid of a search engine. That is how I began my photography journey last two years and that has gotten to the extent where I now enjoy some good moments taking all manner of pictures.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Thanks for the suggestion about checking online websites for information and assistance on how to improve from being just an amateur photographer into a professional one. I'm thinking of taking up professional course programs on it as well.

7 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

I am also a hobbyist photographer. Even though I have spent a lot of money in procuring equipment, I have never pushed myself to make money from photography. tried to sell my pictures online but it did not work. I have volunteered to take pictures in the even, however, I have never received money for my photography. However, this does not mean I should stop investing money and time in photography. You can do photography for self-pleasure.

7 years ago

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EfficientNinja

EfficientNinja

Can you recommend some specific courses online? I find that some courses online about different things aren't valuable. I don't want to spend time watching or learning a course that only wastes your time. I've seen a tutorial on a subject but I wasn't able to finish because the other half is paid.

7 years ago

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keen2write

keen2write

The image looks good like some of you I am no expert either but I am sure there is free editing software out there.

7 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

The sun is the best lighting there is. It comes for free and and it also creates different moods at given times of day. I have a friend that likes taking pictures that are against the light. She says taking a picture with the perfect angle can help create a glow without even using any kind of photoshop. I love the way how she plays with light, specially when the sun is about to go down.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

Yup...i also have a friend that creates good work in terms of natural lighting and shadows. I think there are photographers that are so natural in working on their environments. Maybe because of skills and experience. Although my friend is a professional and makes a good living out of photography, he is also just a hobbyist like me before... of course he undergone some training's and seminars but this is after he's passion became a career.

7 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

I really admire people who find their passion and make it a productive part of their lives and others as well. I for one would like to earn from things that I love to do. As they say, "If you love your job, you wouldn't a single day in your life." Going back to the topic , Professional or amature photographers has a big leverage if they know how to play with shadows and light. This would create more character regarding the product and how it would come out.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Sometimes when there's to much sunshine it's brightness can ruin your shot, in these cases using your flash could help cancel off the extra brightness and could give you a perfect shot.

7 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

Lighting during cloudy days can make your work pop. I find that shadows are more prevalent during rainy or not so sunny weather. So if you're looking to find great angles, try shooting at night too. I've had great pictures using cloudy and dark surroundings.

7 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

Working with shadows and lighting...

That is right. I guess the perfect time to play with light and shadows is while the sun is setting or the sun is about to go down. Sunset and sunrise plays a big part in capturing dramatic type of photography because one can really emphasis on the silhouette. But on the other hand, sunny weather is also perfect in photography. In sunny a weather you will have the chance to see the vibrancy of color. Photos are more crisp and colorful.

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

I'm not expert in photography, bur for me your uploaded picture is really fine. Your camera phone is the only problem. I think if you just use the high definition camera on that shot it will become much more dramatic. The images of that people will become clear and the sunrise will give a better lighting to your image, and if you want to include the sun on your picture, make sure you will capture the whole sun.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

Thank you for all your suggestions and comments guys...having your pointers will definitely improve my shots. The picture uploaded was taken during sunrise and i was just amaze how beautiful the scene was so i tried taking picture with the best view i could have.

I guess the shot is much better with a DSLR, definitely it would improve the quality. The angle also of the sun is somehow a bit overwhelming. Maybe if i waited a little more time to angle of the sun could be more soother.
Can't wait for my next shot...i will definitely make use of what I've learned from you guys...

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

I think much better also to find other better forums about photography to get more professional advice. Actually, I'm just like you looking for some professional advice also. You will learn a lot from sites which is their topic is just for photography only. You're right, you should use the DSLR camera specially if your object is so bright like the sun.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

I completely agree with you on this, camera pixel quality is one major factor in having a good quality picture. The higher the megapixel, the better the picture is going to be. So therefore, getting a HD camera such as conon models would give such a picture with better quality.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Of course, other than improving your angles to work with lights and shadows, working with the proper equipment helps improve a lot of photos, so if you are really serious with your photography work, investing in a good camera would go a long way to improve your overall picture quality.

7 years ago

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Adesuwa08

Adesuwa08

I don't know much about lighting and shadow effects, but one thing for sure is that they got this mode on camera that it can be adjusted to what and how you want it, but when it comes to natural effect it just have to be how you do things and aim and set your angle.

natural effects comes with your mood and how you tend to capture the right moment, not that there is a special way to go about it but trust your instincts to tell you when it is natural and when you can take that moment.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Yeah, camera settings make it a lot easier, but some people prefer actually making use of the natural lighting without any modification, and it can be quite difficult and really requires practice and patience to take the right picture in the right angle at the right moment.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

I agree natural lighting and shadow is very hard to work with and it takes experience and practice. But i think its a great help in terms of authentic shots, there are times you have to take the shots as it is because it's beautiful the way they are. The problem is how can you can get that moment in the most capturing way using these natural shadow and lighting.

7 years ago

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edencaga

edencaga

What kind of camera are you using? If it's DSLR try to practice the settings manually. It maybe hard at first but eventually sooner or later you will discover the correct way of setting up your camera or you already distinguish how will the settings should set up, its a lot more easier for you to control directly your DSLR. It's good if you can able to practice outdoors through natural sunlight.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

Its just a smartphone (SAMSUNG). Unfortunately i didn't realize that the view could be so amazing so didn't brought my DSLR. Also this was taken on a Sunrise, so i was actually not in the mood in taking pictures until i was there.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Yeah, there's just something beautiful when a picture is taken naturally without any additional editing or filters, but you really have to work with your angles to determine how the light bounces off of your subject.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

Yup, i think i took the shot too quick because i was just mesmerized by the view on that moment. I was so in a hurry that i forgot too look for a much better angle.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Yeah, sometimes you just happen upon a breathtaking view that you just scramble to take a picture of it before the view disappears and you have no time to setup or choose an angle.

7 years ago

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