Questions tagged [lighting-basics]
Lighting basics are all about the 'rudimentary' techniques that photographers use to light their photographs. While this often includes basic artificial lighting techniques, it is not in any way *restricted* to questions about artificial lighting.
37
questions
6
votes
6
answers
229
views
Why can't I get a white background with my product lighting?
I am a complete beginner with product photography and I am trying to take a good picture of dried mangos in a jar.
I have two lights bought for product photography and a white poster that I folded ...
- 52.1k
171
votes
8
answers
39k
views
What are the best techniques for photographing overweight people?
I'm not the most lean person on the planet, and many pictures seem to really point this out. While I wish I was simply in better shape, it is simply not the case for me or unfortunately, many people....
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
2
answers
42
views
Matte box for my S20 Ultra?
I'm shooting products in daylight for a business project. I noticed sometimes there is a haze from the sun and cupping my hand in front of the lens eliminates it significantly.
Are there any options ...
- 5,138
2
votes
2
answers
175
views
Is there an optical/photographic reason for the difference between product and its product image?
I recently bought this wristwatch from a major online store, which was advertised with the following image:
One of the reasons I picked it is were the black pointers and markers.
The watch I actually ...
- 24.8k
29
votes
7
answers
6k
views
How do I photograph large appliances with glass doors for product showcasing?
I have a Canon m50 camera and use the default lens that came with it, a 15-45mm lens.
I work in a company that makes stainless steel products, many of them with glass.
So the problem is that there ...
CommunityBot
- 1
84
votes
4
answers
85k
views
What is Rembrandt lighting, and when do I use it?
I often hear studio photographers talk about 'Rembrandt Lighting' when they're setting up lights and doing studio portrait photography. What is Rembrandt Lighting, and when do I use it?
- 32.7k
21
votes
3
answers
5k
views
What does it mean for light to be soft or hard?
I've heard of "soft lighting" and "hard lighting". What do these mean? How can I control how soft a light is?
CommunityBot
- 1
20
votes
2
answers
28k
views
What is a kicker?
In lighting, what is a kicker and when should I use it? (And is it any different from hair light?)
CommunityBot
- 1
3
votes
1
answer
70
views
Best lighting management under a strong sunny sky with limited gear
I'll be developing a documentary photo and video project on farming communities which live +3000 meters above sea level, based mostly on portraits and images of everyday life. At that elevation, the ...
- 32.7k
7
votes
6
answers
1k
views
How to choose the correct exposure for flower photography?
I have an old Minolta X-700 with an MC-Rokkor lens (its internal light metering was broken) and I'd like to use it to take photos of flowers. I use Sunny 16 rule, and though it seems that for the ...
- 1,057
5
votes
4
answers
649
views
What lighting equipment to purchase for under $50?
I'm an enthusiastic beginner with Canon 550D, shooting both stills and videos, indoors and outdoors.
My biggest problem is strong shades and insufficient light when photographing people. I figured ...
- 1,128
5
votes
2
answers
4k
views
How to light and use flash in large rooms with dark ceiling and colored walls?
While reading "Using on camera flash in banquet hall with high ceilings", I realized that I have a similar problem at hand.
I regularly (at least twice a year) shoot conferences for a large company.
...
- 24.8k
21
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How do I create a (good) Hair Light?
My attempts at creating a hair light have been less than successful; I can get a hint of highlight but nothing like I see in the pro shots. What are the things that I should be adjusting in terms of ...
CommunityBot
- 1
7
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What is a loop lighting pattern?
I've seen several references to a loop lighting pattern, often in the context of portraiture lighting.
What is meant by the term?
- 1,128
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How do I get rid of the glare in this photo?
I wanted to know how to get rid of this glare on my lens, is this corrected using a filter?
- 27k
2
votes
3
answers
519
views
Balancing interior/exterior scene contrast
This morning, I wanted to take an image of a room, with a window.
Outside, the sun was about to rise so the sky was a dark pink/blue with a bright moon also.
Inside, the room was dark, but the ...
- 143k
23
votes
3
answers
36k
views
What is butterfly lighting, and when do I use it?
I often hear the term 'Butterfly Lighting' used when discussing high-fashion and glamor photography. How do I set up Butterfly Lighting, and when do I use it?
- 2,279
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How to create high contrast lighting on a face?
Could you tell me how to get this effect between camera settings and photoshop? I know how to use the flash and backdrop, but I'm curious as to how to get the one side of the face dark.
- 175k
4
votes
2
answers
204
views
How does bounce light on an object fall off after several bounces?
I've always wondered why, when light bounces into an object and illuminates its dark side, it would not also then bounce into the cast shadow itself and illuminate the shadow region.
Is there a way ...
- 24.8k
3
votes
1
answer
302
views
What lighting would help me re-create this picture?
I love the whole lighting situation on this photo so much! I would like this to be the style of photographs I take for my blog, but how would I achieve this? A question from an Amateur Photographer. I ...
- 1
5
votes
4
answers
618
views
Clamshell/butterfly lighting - Should the lights move with the head?
I use clamshell lighting in my large format portrait work. Typically these are full face portraits with the lights, lens and subject all on the same axis. Most examples of clamshell lighting that I ...
- 24.8k
9
votes
3
answers
7k
views
What is clamshell lighting, and when should it be used?
I've heard of Clamshell Lighting. What is it, and when should it be used?
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
3
answers
2k
views
Why are foil reflectors used instead of mirrors
Are there any other reasons for the usage of foil reflectors instead of mirrors than the ability to fold and store in small spaces? (Mirrors reflect the light more efficiently?)
- 175k
2
votes
2
answers
143
views
Metering for Fast Action Under Changing Lighting
I have been attempting to photograph subjects moving quickly in a forest (under otherwise direct sunlight, so the lighting is harsh when the subjects are not shaded by foliage), but I haven't been ...
- 175k
10
votes
2
answers
7k
views
What is the difference between active and passive fill light?
What is the difference between an active and a passive fill light? I have an assignment that states to "use active or passive fill light" in a picture, but I need some clarification to understand what ...
18
votes
2
answers
24k
views
What is split portrait lighting?
Ok, so I got interested enough in the other lighting setups, what is split portrait lighting and when is it appropriate to use?
- 151
117
votes
1
answer
19k
views
In portrait photography, what is 'broad' lighting? What is 'short' lighting?
What are 'broad' and 'short' lighting when it comes to studio portraiture, and when should I use each?
CommunityBot
- 1
3
votes
2
answers
208
views
Is there a term for the area that a lamp lights?
Is there a term for the area that a lamp lights up?
As in, the headlights on a car are small, but the area that they illuminate is large.
I understand that distance to a surface would also be a factor,...
- 33.4k
1
vote
2
answers
376
views
how to balance mixed tungsten and daylight in a showroom? [duplicate]
Location: interior showroom (mixed tungsten and day light from show window) How do you balance the light? please explain
I am an engineering student taking a non technical elective course about ...
- 11
44
votes
18
answers
5k
views
What are common beginner mistakes in photography?
What are common mistakes seen in images taken by beginning photographers?
For example, a friend of mine pointed out that the horizon was not straight in one of my images, and now I see it everywhere!...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
6
answers
24k
views
How can I best shoot portraits with only two lights?
Assuming a two light setup, what would the best use of the two lights?
CommunityBot
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
181
views
What continuous lighting options exist when flash is not an option?
I belong to a volunteer organization that occasionally takes portraits of dogs. All of the photographers are amateurs and none of us have any prior experience with indoor portraits or lighting. ...
- 52.1k
9
votes
5
answers
694
views
How to identify whether the available light is too harsh or too soft?
When I go out in a park what factors should I consider to determine whether the present light is too harsh or too soft?
11
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What lighting effects do the various surfaces of a 5-way reflector produce?
I have a '5 Way Reflector' that I want to use in my photography, which includes the following 5 options:
Gold reflective
Silver reflective
Gold/silver alternating pattern reflective
White
Scrim/...
CommunityBot
- 1
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Broad and short lighting: is one more flattering for female portraits? for male?
This question explains broad and short lighting. Could those with portrait experience confirm (or refute) something I've read, which is short lighting tends to be more flattering to females (...
CommunityBot
- 1
7
votes
4
answers
431
views
How do I start using a hotshoe flash?
I've just been given a Sigma EF-500 DG ST flash unit. I've not really had much experience using flash. How can I get started? Are there any good learning resources?
- 143k
17
votes
1
answer
25k
views
What are standard lighting setups for 2-3 people?
What are some standard lighting setups for two or three people in a group? I just can't think of non-complicated setups that would apply some previously discussed (short, broad, butterfly, split, etc)...
CommunityBot
- 1
Hot Network Questions
- Why do protests happen in the light of their apparent futility?
- What are the specific financial implications of not being a US citizen after a spouse dies?
- How to find the absorption spectrum of O2 and N2?
- Can street names be normalized to single form?
- Stealth on Titan (ground vehicles against satellites)
- Stack - implementation in Java
- Simplest way to create a clickable list in MacOS that will cause selected programs to run
- A question on Euler's totient function
- Finding the equivalent title/position of "Oberassistent II" in both the US and in the Italian university system
- Short story; a journalist visits a hospital with inpatients who are mentally ill. One patient pretends to use invisible tools to build a machine
- Removing polygons that look like lines in QGIS
- What are some simple problems that calculators get wrong?
- Entry to the US after recent travel to Russia by a green card holder
- Happy 30th Anniversary to Shor's Algorithm! How challenging was it when it was first announced?
- Are limits of compact leaves compact?
- Why don't Democrats let Representative Greene rename post offices, and how do they prevent her from doing so?
- Concurrent MA and PhD programs at different universities?
- Could the theory of evolution become common knowledge in a society with medieval technology?
- Infinitive as an instruction
- macro to change line color in tikz
- Moving rear sprocket outward
- What was the reason honey couldn't be sent up to Mir?
- A visualization for the quotient rule
- How do I make an arrayed object fit a 3D curve?