Photography Challenge - Focus on Light

In this challenge we will focus on light.

The challenge is simple and that is to share photos with examples of light. Feel free to share a layout with the photos or just the photos.

Feel free to share photo already taken or head out to take some new ones!

Get out and blog and then add your link to Mr. Linky. Come back later to see others have completed the task.



Please tell us what type of light is in the photo. Show us before and after photos to teach us. Here are suggestions:

TIME OF DAY
1. Photos in the light of day. Light from the middle of the day is harsh, unless the sky is overcast. This kind of light produces harsh shadows on the face which sometimes can be creative, but most often we like to avoid.

2. Photos in the Early Morning or Late Afternoon light. Light about an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset can be dramatic.

3. Dawn/Dusk photos. Light right before sunrise or right after sunset results in yet another range of possibilities. This is great for silhouettes. Our knew knowledge for shutter speed may be useful for these photos.

4. Night photos. Photos taken about 30 minutes after the sun goes down require knowledge of shutters speed. They can be photos with light in them (as in my previous challenge) or photos as we often see around Halloween with a silhouette of dark tree branches.

POSITION OF LIGHT
5. Front light. The best light for getting all the surface details on a face without shadows is front light, but the subject can look flat. In this case, the light would be behind the photography, but shining directly on the subject. This reminds me of those poses with squinting eyes! Front light is not always best. There are so many factors to consider.

6. Backlight light. Light behind the person is not good for seeing the face, but can be used creatively, especially for silhouettes. This is similar to #3 above, (which is why a dusk silhouette works with the light in the horizon behind the subject. If your lighting is in the back, a flash may be necessary if you want to see the face well.

7. Side light. Light that is only to one side of a face gives depth, but causes shadows. Often it gives a warm feeling to a photo.

OTHER
8. Shadows. Remember that an effect of light is shadows. Keep your eye aware of them and utilize them well.

Here is my layout and my example, although I am trying to find time to experiment and share more.

In this photo, there is side lighting, which cast harsh shadows on one side of the face. In addition, the light from the middle of the day also increases the harshness.


I used Photoshop Elements to correct the shadow for my layout. It is still there, but not so harsh. The shadow on the face, in addition to the light to the side of the face, gives an artistic feel to this layout. In addition, having taken the photo with the camera looking up increases the artistic nature of the photo (that will be a future challenge!)

I used Sarah's template and the background and tab are from my recent freebie here on my blog.