How to make good use of light exposure

From the beginning of photography invention, natural light is best friend of the photographer, it is a commercial photography lighting the main study object. Although it is impossible to control, but learn to put to good use is the first step to learn photography. Although the natural light contains the sunlight, moonlight and starlight and not visible, but generally speaking, the most important is sunshine. With the distance between the sun and the earth, in the sky location and climate impact, every day at different time, the nature and the intensity of natural light will have great differences.

Must also constitutes the sun will light with a prism to be analyzed can be found a seemingly white sun light, in fact is composed of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple cannot be decomposition of monochromatic light. However, the human eye can see light in spectral accounted for only a few parts; in the outside, and infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays, cosmic rays, and radio waves and visible light. The sun through the atmosphere generates a first refraction, and then from different objects again and refraction or reflection, formed the world, and when to open the camera shutter, light through the lens of refraction and film or photosensitive element record, in order to form a picture.

Natural light is particularly important for landscape photography. From morning till night, such as the light and shade can be fully used to match the light effect, can make the works provide attractive light taste. Many photographers all believe that the best natural light is just before sunrise or after sunset. At this time, present a light in the sky and subdued color, natural light is the most expressive in landscape photography. From a low angle of oblique natural light, for example, can be in the grass beach, the water and the top of the mountain have detailed shadow or projection, add to the richness of image; But even direct sunlight to produce sharp contrast and shadow, such as the top light or backlight, light environment, also can produce abnormal moving photography. When shooting outdoors, not only should firmly grasp the moment your subject light and shadow, constantly pay attention to the position of the sun in the sky; Beauty is wait for no man!

Now that the sun dominates the daytime, the night is usually when the leading role by artificial light. Artificial light play an important role in our daily life, for the modern city is everywhere. Although the position of the sun, unparalleled as lighting science and technology developed, people create artificial light still occupies important position in the photography lighting, to assist the photographer to create many interesting image. Artificial light only can play an important role in the night, when night fell, lights, dotted works is the best time. Generally speaking, the sun goes down to just, still remain a little corner in the sky, but the street lights have been lit, is the most suitable under the conditions of not to use a tripod to shoot the best time.

In the middle of the night, the combination of water and light is a very wonderful and quiet. Observe beside a lake or river, whether there is enough artificial light at night, whether present coloured light; If the light condition is perfect, can the lights and the water reflection into their own works. Of course, after the rain of the night also is very good shooting time; In this case, remember to look around the streets, had better choose in high-rise buildings, the road at this time will be a sea of light and color, as long as attentively composition, you will get unexpected results.

Night when deep down, the street lights is the most common subject. To the subject matter, it is recommended to use a tripod to help, can help stabilize the fuselage, avoid vibrations cause the image blur, and can be long exposure clap a glaring light rail. Remember to choose the busy main street, to try different angles, can produce satisfactory results.

When darkness falls, pay attention to tonal change of different artificial light, and use of rainwater and the light reflection effect, can convert ordinary street view to impressive photos.

When using artificial light for composition, it is important to note that the colour of the light. If you want to do big scene, slice wide, suggest that can use a variety of color light source to the composition, will be ideal; If want to do small scene, tonal should be few and well chosen, and tonal contrast, as far as possible can accurately show the theme. In indoor, it can be divided into the studio and not the studio to discuss the two circumstances. Part in the studio, it is suggested that in accordance with the spot light (tungsten filament lamp, fluorescent lamp or colored leds) to adjust the white balance; If it's in the studio, should be in accordance with the image needs to adjust the lighting mode.

Unless it is in the studio can fully control the light environment, otherwise photo shoots, sometimes it is difficult to control a light source in the environment's influence on the subject; Understand the light characteristics and hand equipment, adjust measures to local conditions, to produce want photos. At the scene of the shooting environment, all of the available light source is called ambient light, including natural light, such as the sun, moon and artificial light, such as candles, tungsten filament lamp, fluorescent lamp, neon lights, fireplace, torch, fireworks... , etc., but controlled by the photographer's tent and flash lamp is not one of them.

In the space design and film, the ambient light is sometimes viewed as the relative main and auxiliary light source; But in plane photography, in addition to can make use of the environment as the main light source, can match other artificial light or light control equipment (such as using a jump lamp or reflection board), for the use of auxiliary light. When shooting in low key light way, only using the environment light lighting technique is quite common.

If the ambient light is complex, and must also use the strong light source as the main light, you must pay attention to the problem than light, to avoid the contrast is too strong, cause problems in image performance; In addition, how the light source at the scene and the flash of color temperature, strike a balance between successful performance to atmosphere, is the photographer must pay attention to.