Ever found yourself pondering, “Well, the light did look better there than does in this photograph,”? Or - “the lighting was not very good but I still took the picture of that landscape.” It is really easy to have that tendency to think that the light will somehow be transformed as the picture is being captured. But the fact is that there is a difference between how we see light and how the camera ‘sees’ it. And this difference is substantial.
Most digital sensors can just record a usable range of around 5 f-stops of light before they lose detail. On the other side, the human eye can perceive about 11 to 14 f-stops of light between the brightest light and the darkest shadow. As the pupil is constantly opening and closing while scanning a scene,
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As per the range of light and dark values in a scene, you have chances of losing details in the shadows if you expose for the highlights. Likewise, you can lose details in the highlights if you expose for the shadows. No wonder then that you don’t always get what you expected to get!
The available natural light
Available natural light is the light that you have to make the exposure for the photograph. It is not the light coming from flash, strobes, or other equipment for studio lighting – these are sources of artificial lighting. Natural light changes constantly with the changes in earth’s position relative to the sun. It also depends on weather conditions such as dark clouds and fog.
Light has different characteristics that are broadly characterised as colour, brightness and direction. The impact of each of these need not be overstated. Photographers who do not comprehend the characteristics of light (including artificial light) often end up creating pictures that lack pizzazz or emotion. Those who know how to work with this element of photography will make increasingly better images. While illuminating their subjects nicely, they can also convey the emotional symbolism of
In the movie Edward Scissorhands, a lot of different cinematic techniques are used. This movie mostly focuses on lighting, usually using darker low-key lighting throughout most of the film to create a darker, creepy tone. Low-key lighting is used mostly in scenes with Edward scissorhands in them, not as much with the girl. A good example of these low-key lighting scenes are the beginning ones, when the girl first enters Edward’s castle. The atmosphere inside is dark and creepy, adding to the already mysterious and dark tone of the movie. Another example of a scene with low-key lighting is the very beginning of the credits screen. The words are displayed in white with the rest of the background as a dark and evil setting. This already gives
To conclude, I think we can agree that there is no ‘right’ way to light a scene, only a more
The use of lights throughout the play did not vary often. Throughout most of the play, bright overhead lights portrayed the play’s main set room: a small town beauty salon. The lights created an atmosphere that was not only cheerful, but also warm and inviting. On each side of the stage, warm, more natural lighting was used to make the small outdoor areas more realistic. Lights were also used to convey
Tim Burton, in Edward Scissorhands, uses high key and low key lighting. For example, Peg’s town is flooded with high key lighting in order to make the outside seem joyful and peaceful. The outside may look cheery and bring, but most of the people living there were not the most pleasant people. The women gossip and create rumors; the men are rude and conceited. He used low key lighting in order to make the audience feel anxious about the upcoming events. An example would be when Peg walked up to the top floor of the mansion and noticed that someone was sitting in the corner. Edward’s shadow may have given him a frightening appearance, as he is a ‘man’ with scissors for hands. But Edward was a kind and caring gentleman. In conclusion, he used reverse lighting to add an irreplaceable, distinctive quality to his movies.
For example, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) Burton implements dim lighting during meaningful moments and bright lighting during more vibrant moments. This effectively conveys the tone set for the scene and maintains a clear balance in the scene. This helps the audience clearly understand the scene’s characteristics and its meaning to the film. Similarly, in Edward Scissorhands (1990) Burton utilizes lighting to set contrast between the characters. The superficial town is set in a bright, sunny setting, however, the lives the characters lead are quite the opposite of bright. These individuals spend their free time judging others and have no individuality whatsoever. Furthermore, Edward, one of the only characters who is kindhearted, is portrayed in dull, dark lighting. The lighting contrasts with his sweet personality to emphasize who is accepted and who is not. This contrast helps the audience understand the contradicting worlds of Edward and the frivolous town. In addition, in Big Eyes (2014) Burton implements lighting to show the slow transition of Margaret Keane’s life. The lighting depicts the dulling of her life as she faces troubles in her life. The use of lighting here helps the audience see the clear transition in Margaret Keane's life and clearly understand the conflict in her life. Similarly, Burton utilizes lighting in his films
If the lighting is happy light then it may convey a more laid back scene, but if the lighting dark and shadowy it might mean the scene is scary or tense. Lighting also lets the viewer know what time of day it is by being morning or night. Another thing that plays into the film is how it is color corrected. In “Hugo” the color correction is made up of blues and grays. Color correction helps give the tone of film and mood as well. In “Hugo” the color correction is light and colorful, but the blues help convey there is a sadness to the story.
First there is the powerful use of lighting to give off different moods and tones. For example, in Edward Scissorhands, the town is all bright and sunshines, but then you see the dark castle off in the far distance. The low key lighting of the castle makes it presents a dark and mysterious mood. So when Kim’s mother goes to do her sales it keeps the viewer on their toes, scared of what the dark place may hold. Another example is from the movie, “Charlie and the Chocolate factory”. When Charlie and the others first head inside the factory, they are in a room with moderate light, nothing too special. However when he enters the next room, he is exposed to a high lit place of wonder. The incredible lighting showed every detail, also giving it a happy and stunning mood. Finally, in the movie “Big Fish”, Burton uses a high key lighting
While putting a light in the background can be good for making silhouettes it also can cause your subject to be underexposed. (lightsfilmschool.com n.d.) Backlighting is used extensively in Blade Runner.
Describe at least two scenes in which light is used for a particular effect. How does the lighting contribute to this effect? The filmmaker uses light in Casablanca to direct attention and to set mood. When Sam is performing, the spotlight is on him to show that he is the one to focus on. When Ilsa is listening to a song, the lighting creates a soft glow around her face, making it peaceful.
that all the modern scenes are filmed in light can also support the idea of the
In "Constant Star", lighting told much about the play as soon as it began. Low, yellowish lighting and a bit of fog spread by ceiling fans filled the stage as the play started. This gave the stage the look of an old photograph, so the audience immediatly gathered that the show was taking place in the past. The mood was often set by lighting as well. Red lighting gave the audience a sense of foreboding while yellow indicated happy times. Also, lighting could substitute for props. During scenes involving the train, lights would flash on and off, making the stage look as if it was actually moving. This effectively created the illusion that the cast was on a train. Also, lighting was innovatively used to create a "jail" in one of the scenes by creating vertical bars on the stage around the convicts.
“There is a sort of elation about sunlight on the upper part of a house. ” Edward Hopper, a classic realist painter of the twentieth century, had a fascination for light. His plays on the mood of light stretch as a major theme throughout his works, and contribute to the intensifying effect he could inject into seemingly every day scenes. His works took a dramatic appeal through the “eerie stillness's” and lone figures sprinkled throughout his paintings. Although influenced by Edgar Degas and Edouard Maent, Edward Hopper easily added his own personal touches to the beautiful style of realism.1
A picture is more than just a piece of time captured within a light-sensitive emulsion, it is an experience one has whose story is told through an enchanting image. I photograph the world in the ways I see it. Every curious angle, vibrant color, and abnormal subject makes me think, and want to spark someone else’s thought process. The photographs in this work were not chosen by me, but by the reactions each image received when looked at. If a photo was merely glanced at or given a casual compliment, then I didn’t feel it was strong enough a work, but if one was to stop somebody, and be studied in curiosity, or question, then the picture was right to be chosen.
Light quantity can be decreased in a garden or greenhouse by using shade-cloth or shading paint above the plants. It can be increased by surrounding plants with white or reflective material or supplemental lights. Light quality refers to the colour or wavelength reaching the plant surface. Sunlight can be broken up by a prism into respective colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. On a rainy day, raindrops act as tiny prisms and break the sunlight into these colours producing a rainbow.
Have you ever seen a painting or picture that captivates you and directly stirs up emotion within you? More than likely, you have. Usually, viewers merely observe the picture and enjoy the way it looks and how it makes them feel. But, have you ever asked yourself, “why?” What about the picture makes it pleasing to the viewer? With each strategy the photographer uses creates their own touch and passion that floods all over the picture. The emotional connection nearly goes unnoticed for when the picture is well photographed, the viewers experience the sensation in their subconscious. This is one of the most powerful tools that a photographer holds in their hands. If one can become a master of manipulating how the photo affects its viewers, the said photographer can potentially maneuver people’s minds and thoughts with one click of a button. The time spent with my mentor has opened up the door for me to tap into that power though the use of background, focus, shutter speed, angles, and most importantly, lighting. Even with all these techniques, the person behind the camera must remember that creativity must be at the forefront of all operations. Caleno (2014), when writing about the basics of capturing a beautiful moment in a picture commented, “If we want to be creative we must drop these pre-conceptions and start looking at things from a small child’s innocence.”