PHOTOGRAPHY-13

 PHOTOGRAPHY-13

LIGHTING

Average day-light is generally sufficient for any out-door photo imaging; but, under situations when ‘Flash light’ comes into use , obviously, extra-care requires being bestowed on to the aspect of lighting when human subjects varying in skin tint arethe key members -say in a wedding or some important occasion involving ‘Chief guests’.

Concept of lighting in general

‘Lighting’ refers to the aspect of providing a correct quantum of light to enhance ‘the visibility’ component of the subjects involved. All that we need to remember is—lighting is not a blind act of throwing light on to the subject of interest. Instead a certain degree of care in ‘permitting ‘ the right volume of light for a picture avoids pitfalls like snowy faces or artificial masses bereft of details such as general plan and skin texture , ‘hair pattern’and other such distinctivities.

Two major features of light are termed –The Key light and 2 The ‘Fill-in’. The two are self explanatory as key is areference to main component; ‘fill-in ‘helps to balance segments that are under less-lit or shady facets. So, the ‘fill-in ‘is a subdued version as against that of the key light.

For dramatizing a picture ,sometimes ‘the fill-in may be slightly exaggerated while the key light is kept subdued. In this format the picture [especially portraits ] gather some brilliance by light and look convincingly ‘best rendered’. So, the person has a brightened lateral facet , while the frontal details stay clear without imposing a demand for ‘viewing’..Sometimes a compromise between the two can be achieved to a fair extent by judicious angling of ‘Flash light’ such that a white wall near by acts as areflector throwing up a subdued ‘fill-in [being a reflected component] while a high portion from flashlight serves the needs of the key light. In this case a single light does the role of key and ‘fill-in’ thanks to a wall proximal enough to ‘reflect lateral light’. That is why in movie-making, assistants ‘hold broad white reflective surfaces –thermocol sheets –comfortable to hold or tilt to giv the best impact of reflection  in the final image.

Still photographers cannot afford the luxury of high profile lights /reflectors and have to settle for cost-effective substitutes . Now-a-days one can notice 2 umbrella-shielded lights kept in the ‘shooting arena’ like wedding dias , throwing up fill-in light as a destined routine and the flash from ‘Camera position’ delivering key light just at the moment of picture taking. IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, the arrangement described in the preceding line is a RITUALISTIC UNIMAGINATIVE use of fill-in , as precious little of varying the ‘filling-in ‘ component is tried at all. Pardon me if I sound arrogant. To me , it is the fill-in that can ‘revolutionize’ the experience of enjoying the final picture for its dexterous lighting. People willingly keep missing the bus , obviously being oblivious of it. Whoever intends learning the nuances of elegant lighting,  watch the works of established portrait photographers of the previous milleennium. Alas, they and their art have perished and buried unfathomably deep , eternally   losing the treasure.

To understand the suggested intricacies in lighting , please mentally divide any portarait into 4 equal quadrangles. Carefully compare any 2 quadrangles for light /shadow distribution. One would realize that there had been a determined bid to reveal Key  Vs Fill-in play as a polite display of skill etrnally showcased in a portrait.

More to follow

Prof. K. Raman