We shoot with natural light, which can vividly express the natural beauty of light and color and the situation between everything and nature, so the texture and direction of light is one thing we must know when shooting portraits.
Characteristics of light
The texture of light in outdoor photography, the texture of light will be affected by atmospheric conditions such as the sun, clouds and fog. Or anything that can affect the dimming of the sun. Portrait works not only wait for the light to change before shooting, but also use the shade under the tree or flash lamp and reflector (soft light plate) to correct the texture of light for shooting.
There are three textures of light: hard dimming, soft dimming and soft dimming, which will be introduced separately below.
A) hard dimming:
Light is concentrated from a light source, such as a direct flash or direct sunlight. Because the light direction is clear and concentrated, and the contrast between light and shade is large, some details will be lost, but the color will be accurate and strong.
Canon 5D Mark III, EF 85mmF 1.2L USM, F2, T11520, ISO 200, portrait mode, automatic WB.
Caption: On the MD fuselage with direct light, what we want is the light and shadow effect behind it to make the picture full of interest.
B) soft dimming:
Light is blocked by clouds or other factors and presents a large and diffuse light source. This phenomenon is called soft dimming. Cloudy days other than cloudy days are the best example. The contrast is extremely weak, and there are no bright areas or extremely dark shadows, which often cannot give people a strong visual impact. But because there is no dazzling light, it can show soft colors and rich layering. If you fill the light with a flash, the picture will be more stereoscopic and layered.
Nikon D3X, AF-S 16-35mmF4G, 19mm terminal, F4, T 1/80, ISO 100, standard mode, SC-28, SB800, AWB, King June CC 2800.
Caption: The fuselage is connected with the flash on SC-28, and the soft light restored by EV is played at a 45-degree angle, which makes MD's face light and kimono brighter and highlights the theme we want. A green background with antique cones.
C) soft light:
Morning fog, Shan Lan or other weather factors make the air full of suspended particles. This shimmer is soft light. Soft environment can reduce the contrast and show charming breath, but it makes the picture quality worse and the colors are not bright and bright. It is recommended to shoot in black grayscale (monochrome), which can present an elegant picture.
Direction of light
Direction of light Generally speaking, light has five directions: front light, side light, backlight, top light and shimmer. These different light sources are described below.
A) headlights:
The light from the front is the front light, and the scenery lacks three-dimensional sense, and the texture and level are a bit dull, but it is very effective for rich color presentation. If the light is too strong, the effect is counterproductive.
Nikon D3X, AF-S DX 35mmF 1.8G, F2, T 1/800, ISO 200, standard mode, AWB.
Caption: The color under direct sunlight will be slightly overexposed, and the clothes with white background and some skin colors have exploded. But the small blue squares add points to this work. The whole picture only has red lines, small blue square lines and yellow microphones to express the enthusiasm of the sun.
B) side lights:
The light irradiated from the side is side light, which has the effect of light and shade, and the picture quality is bright and three-dimensional. Because of the big contrast, you may get lost in the brightest or darkest details, but the overall effect is pleasing to the eye.
Nikon D3X, AF-S 50mmF 1.4G, F 1.4, T 1/320, ISO 200, standard mode, AWB.
Caption: Let MD face the light source, and you can get a soft, elegant and delicate light source picture. If you shoot with your back to the light source, the difference is that the background is dead white.
C) backlight
If the dark area is filled with flash or reflector in time, the light behind the main body is the most mysterious and romantic light source. If it is a translucent theme, such as bright red leaves or pale petals, it can create a beautiful outline of edge light under backlight.
Nikon D3X, AF-S 50mmF 1.4G, F 1.4, T 1/800, ISO 200, standard mode, AWB.
Caption: The afternoon light is very soft. Photographers only need to avoid direct sunlight. If the flash or overhead light is added in time, the golden glow is the focus of shooting.
Caption: When shooting in backlight, we usually judge whether it will be overexposed by light color or white (whether there are details). At this time, if there is no light, how to choose the exposure of skin color and white clothes? If the white clothes are slightly detailed, the skin color will be yellow or dark, so it is the right decision to keep the skin color details and overexpose the white.
D) dome light:
The light in the middle of the sun is the top light, and the image lacks layering and three-dimensional sense, with great contrast, but it has obvious depth and visual surprise, especially when shooting the natural color blocks of the earth. If you take a portrait, basically the top light is not easy to express the atmosphere of the picture, so you need to use other elements to create the atmosphere.
Canon 5D Mark III, EF 17-40 MMF 4 l USM, F4, T 1/400, ISO 100, portrait mode, C-PL, automatic WB.
Description: Although the light emitted by the sun is emitted directly, it will also spread in all directions at an angle perpendicular to the propagation path. Part of the reflected light may stay on the water surface, windows, wet stones and glass windows for a single vibration, and the polarizer selectively blocks the randomly polarized light to eliminate part or all of the reflection.
When the sky is clear and the clouds are white in Wan Li, if you want to use a polarizer to make the sky bluer and the clouds purer, you must first find the polarized light belt, and point out the position of the sun with your index finger. The polarized light belt is located in the direction where Damge rotates 180 degrees to the left. If we find the polarized light band, the sky will be bluer and more saturated by rotating the ring frame of the polarizer, and the polarized light band will be around the sky under the top light.
E) low light:
The light reflected by a window or wall facing the light source is weak light. Making good use of weak light can present extremely profound and artistic works.
Nikon D3X, AF-S DX 35mmF 1.8G, F 1.8, t1125, ISO 200, standard mode, AWB.
Caption: The reflection of the floor is the exquisiteness of this work. Coupled with the short focal length and large aperture, it creates a blurred picture of light spots, vaguely showing the samurai who are practicing kendo in the decisive battle.