It was previously established that the small light source=hard light, big light source=soft light. However it's the not the absolute size of the light that matters, but how big the source appears to the object.
Soft light deals the with four different lighting zones. The first three are:
- Diffused highlight area (what's lit)
- Shadow area (what's not lit)
- Diffused highlight-to-shadow transfer area (the border between light and dark, sees part of the light)
Having a larger-looking source broadens and smooths the transfer zone.
A rule-of-thumb that Hobby gives is that he considers a source to be reasonably soft if it's size is at least half the light-subject distance.
Apparent Light Size Exercise:
The task was to see how apparent light size affects the subject (in this case, a piece of fruit).
Soft light deals the with four different lighting zones. The first three are:
- Diffused highlight area (what's lit)
- Shadow area (what's not lit)
- Diffused highlight-to-shadow transfer area (the border between light and dark, sees part of the light)
Having a larger-looking source broadens and smooths the transfer zone.
A rule-of-thumb that Hobby gives is that he considers a source to be reasonably soft if it's size is at least half the light-subject distance.
Apparent Light Size Exercise:
The task was to see how apparent light size affects the subject (in this case, a piece of fruit).
Unit 2.2 - Specular Highlight Control
The fourth lighting zone is Specular Highlight, or reflections.
The specular highlights reveal not only the size and shape of the subject, but the surface quality.
When shooting a dark subject, form is revealed by specular highlights. If the subject is light, form is revealed by the shadows.
As the size of the light source decreases, intensity of the specular highlights increases.
Exercise:
The task was just to experiment with reflections. I combined this with the previous exercise. The photo on the left was taken with a bare flash, making the specular highlight hard. The photo on the left was taken with the umbrella, which made the specular highlight less intense.
The specular highlights reveal not only the size and shape of the subject, but the surface quality.
When shooting a dark subject, form is revealed by specular highlights. If the subject is light, form is revealed by the shadows.
As the size of the light source decreases, intensity of the specular highlights increases.
Exercise:
The task was just to experiment with reflections. I combined this with the previous exercise. The photo on the left was taken with a bare flash, making the specular highlight hard. The photo on the left was taken with the umbrella, which made the specular highlight less intense.
Last Equipment Run (hopefully)
I went up to Kenmore Camera and got hopefully the last components that I need: a [used] photography umbrella, a flash stand, and a bracket to hold both the umbrella and flash. Total was about $65.
Total time at store: 30min. Travel time was approx 45min each way.
Total time at store: 30min. Travel time was approx 45min each way.