Purpose: To explore the characteristics of light. (Click on the first image to view as a gallery. Hover to get caption and cameras settings)
Assignment Reflection:
Include some thoughts on lighting, the execution of your assignment, what was difficult and what was rewarding. Is there anything you notice about the different positions of the light source?
Behind the scenes: The first time I did the assignment I spent 5 hours setting up my “studio” in our basement and taking the images required. I began by finding black and white poster board, gathering every light I could find and all of my equipment. I set my camera on a tripod and used a remote to trigger. Each image required a different set up of the lights and lots of experimentation with settings, lighting angles, various objects (the first time around a red pepper, a few different shells including a carrier shell) were part of the mix. Then after all that I took a look at my “carefully taken images” only to discover that almost all of them were out of focus. I had used a shallow depth of field…and given the structure of the shells that wasn’t the best idea. I should have known better by now..and should have checked focus etc. part way through though…but I was so on a roll I didn’t even think to! That was a lesson well learned.
The next day I took all the images again. This time I narrowed my objects to two shells and a sculpture that I have always liked. I added more lights to the set up so that I could turn on what I needed when I needed them and found a better “torch light”—which was actually a light from a microscope. I also added more surfaces for the lights and made sure that I had a light that I could turn on between shoots so that I could find my way around in the dark and yes…to the table with my computer so that I could check my shots occasionally so that I could confirm that my focus was sharp. I also added a small stand with a printed label to the mix that I put near the object to help with focusing. I used that to confirm that I was in focus by zooming into the label at 5x and 10x to manually focus using live view. I was also sure to zoom in at 5x and 10x on the object to confirm focus in various areas of the object before shooting. I used a remote to shoot for everything. Generally, the second day went much more smoothly. The one area where I failed was to get a good white balance in camera. I had used a gray card the day before and several of the images had an odd cast (Now that I have read some more I realize that I may have used it incorrectly). So the second day I didn’t set a custom white balance. That was a big mistake as it is very difficult to correct this in post. I also realized that my lighting was mixed—some of the lighting was warm some was cool thus making any correction nearly impossible. If I had another day I would have redone the images that were on a white background. Oh…and although I am not 100 percent pleased with the day 2 results I really felt like I was getting a handle on some of this!
What was most difficult and what was rewarding?
I think the most difficult part of this assignment was figuring out how to set up all the parameters for each image. There were so many things to keep in mind from finding the best place for the light(s), to getting the settings right on the camera, to making the image as visually appealing as possible to figuring out where to stand to juggle everything. Each image was a new challenge. For top lighting I had to figure out how to hold the lighting above the shell without getting it into the frame; for the back lighting I had to figure out how to angle a light so that the light source wasn’t visible but it needed to be close enough to provide strong enough light. At the same time for back lighting my other hand was on the remote to trigger the shot. For all the images it took several tries before I found camera settings that would give the results I was looking for. The most rewarding aspects of this assignment was realizing that through all this, lighting was beginning to make more sense. I also started to think about how I might use these lighting techniques to create mood, energy etc. in my photography. I also realized that I don’t need fancy equipment to light…although eventually that might make things easier. (Note: Following tonights class discussion I adjusted the white balance on three images. Prior to class I didn’t realize we could adjust the images in lightroom for this exercise. In camera would have been so much better but at least I feel I have moved the color in a better direction in those images).
Some specific thoughts about the gallery images
As I mentioned earlier, my white balance is an issue in images 1, 8 and 9 and that is something I need to improve. I really like the way the high key and low key images feel. There is a cleanness to the lines that appeals to me. Where the light falls in each of the images gives the image a different feel in general and gives emphasis to a particular area of beauty of the shells. The spiny shell lit from the side gives the spines energy—almost like it could fly. When the lighting emphasized texture as in image 7—the emphasis is on those elements that give that texture and so much so here that you can almost “feel” the sharpness of the spines. Image 8 which uses more diffuse light (I put a light behind a cloth in a light box), doesn’t have this emphasis on sharpness or texture. Instead one looks at the whole shape. In image 5 (backlighting), the shape of opening of the clam and its beauty is emphasized. The more direct light helps us to see the shape also as a shadow on the background an almost doubling of the lines and shape. Light painting of the sculpture helps to bring out areas that peak our interest in what is going on and give a sense of story of mystery. Wherever the light hits something is revealed, the way it hits seems bring out a mood of the image.
This was a good exercise on many fronts. I feel that it provided a good base to build out my skills in lighting. I think it will help me translate what is happening outside the studio as well as it is clear that the direction from which light comes is very important in what an image conveys.