| |
|
| Lesson Archive Lesson 1: Digital Primer Lesson 2: Quality of Light Lesson 3: What's the Picture About? Lesson 4: Position of the Sun Lesson 5: Framing Subjecs Lesson 6: Empty Space Lesson 7: Vantage Points Lesson 8: Capturing Personality Lesson 9: People & Environments Lesson 10: Wide Angle Lenses Lesson 11: Telephoto Lenses Lesson 12: Zoom Lenses Lesson 13: Lines Lesson 14: Details Lesson 15: Textures & Patterns Lesson 16: Be a Director Lesson 17: Experiment Lesson 18: Scouting Locations Lesson 19: Carry Your Camera Lesson 20: Final Thoughts |
Most of us know the simple photographic rule, "Shoot with your back to the sun." The reason behind this rule is simple, it keeps your subject's face out of the shadows. Of course, this assumes that you're taking a picture of a person, or of a group of people, and since people are the most photographed subjects in the world, the rule becomes useful most of the time. However, most rules are meant to be broken and this one is no exception. In fact, by changing the position of the sun in your compositions, you can create some very bold and interesting images, no matter what your subject. Let's explore some different examples. |
|
| Side Lighitng: Side lighting gives your subject a more complex and dynamic look. Using side lighting on any subject will give the shot more depth and dimension than front lighting, and it can also give you very pronounced shadows, which is great for landscapes. |  |
|
| Backlighting: Perhaps the biggest benefit of using backlighting is that your subjects won't have to squint because they won't be facing the sun. This allows for more relaxed portraits. Backlighting also gives a more even textured light to your subjects, which can someitmes be a more appealing look. When shooting subjects in this kind of light, move in closer so that you don't have too much contrast with the background, which will be much brighter. | ||
Silhouettes: Silhouettes also
use backlighting, but the difference is that you let your main subject
fall into shadow against a bright background. A good example is placing
a human figure in front of a sunset sky, although any subject can make
a good silhouette. To create the desired effect, point your camera at
the sky and press the shutter halfway down. Without releasing the
shutter, recompose your shot and press the shutter all the way to take
the picture. Some cameras even have an automatic silhouette exposure
setting. This will portray your subject in shadow agianst a perfectly
exposed sky, and if you place the sun behind the subject, you can
create an even more dynamic effect. Since digital cameras allow you to
see the results immediately, don't be afraid to experiment with your
exposures until you get the look you want. When shooting silhouettes,
make sure that your camera's flash is turned off. |
 |
|
Next Lesson: Framing your Subjects |
 Visit Dan's Website www.danbaileyphoto.com |