Assignment 4. Applying lighting techniques.

ASSIGNMENT 4

 

APPLYING LIGHTING TECHNIQUES

 

The assignment brings together various lighting techniques that I have understood through my studies in part 4, Light and applying them to one specific object.
My aim is to bring out particular physical properties of the object using various light sources that are both natural and that I have about me in the house.
At the core of this assignment I must show the following qualities using various means of lighting.

Shape - The outline of the subject must be clearly defined.
Form - The volume or configuration, structure of the subject must be obvious.
Texture - The quality of the surface of the subject, its finest detail should be seen.
Colour  - The colour of the subject should be shown as strongly as possible.

I am not fortunate enough to have a studio or photographic lighting set at home, therefore I have made use of available natural light and an SB400 flash to create form, dimension and contrast throughout the assignment.  To create the images throughout this collection of work I have observed  how the direction, quality and type of lighting affects the way I view the subject matter. Seeing light, throughout part 4, has made me aware of how light acts and reacts in different ways. I have observed direct sunlight, diffused sunlight through cloud and its variations. An open flash imitates the type of light we see from direct sunlight, a hard light with strong shadows and strong contrast.  A soft box will imitate the light we see on an overcast day, resulting in soft diffused light with few variations in contrast and less shadows. The light falling on a subject creates a range of tones, highlights, mid tones and shadows. Each can be described by its level of illumination, how bright, how dark and the distribution within the frame.


                                                                    Shape

Defined as an enclosed space, the outline can be curved, angular or both.

Fig 1

 

SB400 flash used

Lamplight placed to the right.  The upper half of the back is highlighted and the remainder is in shadow.

 

 

 

Fig 2

Lighting from household lamp, placed behind the camera and to the left.  The front side of the subject is highlighted and the back of the subject is in shadow.


                                                                           Form

Defined as a visible shape, configuration or structure of an object.
An area defined by contour with no regard to other identifying qualities such as colour or material.

Fig 3 

 

Lighting from fluorescent tube just above the subject, diffused with card and directed light to left side of face. I also used a black background and black screens to the sides.

By removing the colour and transforming to Black and White, the visible elements are now lines, mass and shape.  The highlighted areas now define the contours.   

 

Three dimensional, taken from this angle the visual shape is organic.

Fig 4



. 
Flash used, and directed upwards towards ceiling.  White shiny card used to deflect light down again to create soft light on shoulders.
I used a heavily grained base for this image and increased the ISO to achieve a grainy effect overall.


                                                                          Texture

I wished to show the quality of the surface and its detail. Texture enriches the interpretation of the subject.
In this image the shading and variation of colour create texture, they enrich the surface of the form.
Curves and pattern are aspects also of texture here.
I chose to take this image from close up and did not use added light.

Fig 5 

 

 Natural daylight through a large window was enough to highlight the textures in the image above.   

 

 

 

Fig 6

 

 Making use of a household lamp, I placed the light to the rear of the subject and place the shiny face of foil above it, to reflect the light onto the surface, bringing out and highlighting the texture of the surface. I used my camera in close proximity to my subject to bring out the fine detail.

 

                                                                         Colour

 



Fig 7

 

 To achieve the red tones, a coloured sheet of perspex was placed to one side of the subject and the colour reflected back onto subject.

 





  

Fig 8

 

Lighting from fluorescent tube and diffused using large sheet of tracing paper,  a black screen was used to the left of the subject to block other light away from subject.