The word photography means "drawing with light". Controlling or selecting the light a camera records is essential to all aspects of photographic composition.
32
votes
4answers
6k views
Why do light sources appear as stars sometimes?
See for example this photo:
From my experience, the longer the exposure the stronger can this effect be observed. Is this correct? Are there any other factors that influence the creation of these ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the difference between luminance and illuminance?
The more I read about this, the more confused I become. Illuminance, as I understand it, measured in lux, is the perceived brightness of light on a surface. It's what you'd measure with an incident ...
19
votes
8answers
2k views
What's different about photographing at sunrise vs. sunset?
I usually get better light at sunrise (compared to sunset). I do though hate to wake up early in the morning to use that light ;)
What are the biggest differences between sunrise and sunset?
18
votes
6answers
1k views
How can one deal with midday light in street photography?
Firstly, of course, photography is all about light, but for doco/street style photography (which is what I like), it's really about being in the right place at the right time.
However, I've been ...
9
votes
3answers
647 views
Is the color of the AF assist light important?
What are the differences between white and this darkroom red/orange active autofocus assistance lights?
4
votes
4answers
386 views
Is there a fundamental difference between emitted light and reflected light?
In the context of practical implications for photography, is there a general difference in the qualities of emitted vs. reflected light (other than emitted light being brighter in many situations)?
I ...
7
votes
10answers
4k views
How do you avoid a dim portrait with a bright background and no external flash?
I took a picture once in a beautiful location with an awesome background, and a cool location to get the shot. The problem is, the location of the subject had substantially less light then the ...
5
votes
4answers
533 views
Does adding additional strobes cumulatively add to the flash power?
I've been reading articles that talk about using multiple strobes next to each other, all pointing in the same direction: as a means to add more light over what one flash can do.
Does the addition of ...
10
votes
3answers
311 views
How to engage in photography without a camera?
My digital camera has bit the dust. Now I wonder how to take pictures without a camera.
Photography is an art of making images from the light field present at some particular location at some ...
7
votes
3answers
198 views
How do I adjust colour casts between photos taken at different times?
I have several photos of similar subjects on the same background.
As they were taken outside at different times, the lighting conditions are different, and so the colours in the photos aren't ...
7
votes
2answers
549 views
Why are sensors less sensitive to blue light?
This is a followup question to Why is the blue channel the noisiest?. The simple answer to that question is that sensors are less sensitive to blue, and therefore require more amplification, which ...
4
votes
4answers
4k views
What non-studio lights are best for photography?
I don't have a studio, nor I want studio lights.
I am interested in knowing which "kinds" of light "bulbs" should I purchase for my "table lamp" for indoor photography?
Are there some particular ...
3
votes
4answers
436 views
Why are these light trails large blobs of light instead of nice thin lines?
I'm trying to shoot a traffic light trails with my point & shoot camera (Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8). But the oncoming vehicle headlights are appearing as large blobs of light and not exactly thin ...
