First Thoughts about Learning to See Lighting

After we assemble our umbrella kit, then we place them in front of the subject. The topic then becomes Lighting. This article is more about the philosophy of learning, than about the techniques.

At first, photography novices simply don't know what to look for, and we overlook so much in our flash pictures. At first, we may think we look, but we do not see. At first, we don't know what we are looking at, or looking for. We only see what we want to see, which is not the same as searching out all details. Everyone has been there, at first. Lighting is not the same as exposure or brightness, there is a lot more. To see the lighting, to actually recognize its elements, we have to learn to stop and look at the actual shadows and gradients we create. Seeing is about awareness. This becomes easy habit, but it isn't easy at first, not until we become aware.

It takes a conscious decision to stop, and actually look, and search the image at length - to know what we see. I wish I were better at it, but I have finally learned there is much more to be seen than beginners ever have a clue about. To have a clue, we just need to practice looking, learning to actually see. Study your photo results carefully, numerous times on multiple occasions. The more you look, the more you can see (if you try), and thinking about what you see becomes the norm. Then, after awhile, you easily see more. Think about what you see, search out every shadow, every gradient tone. Was there a plan for the lighting? Account for each light, and their shadows, and their location and degree. I don't mean the shadows behind the subject, generally we try to eliminate those (with close umbrellas, and more distant background). I mean to look at the shadows and shading on the subject, on the face, shadows creating tonal shading which adds interest, which shapes our subject's curves. This is what we try to create with the off-camera lighting. We know where the light was, and see what it actually did, and learn what the shadows actually show. And then we can plan those shadows.

It is not rocket science at all - we can of course see everything that happens, it is all there in front of our face, and we ought to learn to just look for it. Learn to see the light. Where are the shadows? Really, is that all of them? You didn't miss anything? Look again. And again. This new seeing ability slowly builds, not overnight, and we slowly start realizing that there is more to see if we just look. We see more and more (but which was always there.) It becomes easy and obvious, once we become aware. The goal sought here is for you to realize there is more to see, right there in front of your face, and for you to gain determination to think about it and proceed.

Clearly, photographic lighting mostly boils down to personal preferences, either the look you want to create, or simply the method you want to use. There are many ways it might be done, some better than others, but no one way is right or wrong (some seem to approach wrong.) It's your picture, create it as you wish. But those who have learned to observe the shadows that we can see if we look, often have different preferences than those who don't see yet. They might choose to move a light, or to aim the flash head up, or to set a different intensity ratio. Lighting is simply about what we can see, and there are obvious details that we can learn to see (so practice looking, and think about it.) You will see more and more as you progress, if you think to look. And if you think when you look - which is admittedly platitudes, but seeing really does require practice looking, and practice thinking. If you have not started yet, you have much to discover.

Adding more light is easy, and is almost always better than too much dark. This illumination is the major advantage of course, and about anything is better than nothing. If the exposure is acceptable, then a cute little kid or a pretty girl will be wonderful, no matter what you do. However, there is more, there definitely are some subtleties too. About any weird plan you can think to try probably already has a name, and may have some fans too. But some of these methods are classics, with far wider appeal than others. Pros also have the advantage of learning what sells. Lighting books are sometimes disappointing to novices, because they show pictures, and we have to look, and we have to see. So practice your seeing too, which is much of the skill. There is much known lighting information online, but seeing is an awareness which involves the thinking brain.

Here are a few generalities, examples of lighting, of its initial steps, which should be obvious to your seeing.

• One speedlight flash aimed forward on the hot shoe is direct frontal light. It certainly can be considered "even" lighting, it is at the same angle as the lens, so it lights anything the lens can see, evenly. Excessively even, very flat. So it does show some things well, which often can be considered a good picture if exposed correctly (but front to back depth of flash intensity can be an issue.) The on-camera direct flash can make a harsh dark shadow behind the subject. If the flash is centered above the lens, the shadow is often is hidden directly behind the subject (which is the purpose of flash brackets on cameras, rotating to always keep flash directly ABOVE the lens, even when camera is rotated up on end for portrait view). The flash is slightly higher, which can show the shadow below at some points, but it is largely hidden directly behind the subject. But the even illumination of direct hot shoe flash is always a very flat frontal light, flat and even to a fault, same light for anything the lens sees, which allows no subtle shadow gradient tones on the subject, no shading to show shapes (even, but flat and uninteresting.) Not necessarily a bad picture, great in some cases, but not best for portraits. This on-camera flash is all that is of interest to the skill level of many people, but some of us want more, something more special.

  One major exception: Flat frontal light at reduced level is a very good fill light, including from hot shoe direct flash for fill flash on faces in bright sun. The fill is normally compensated to be well less than the ambient (the sun makes the interesting shadows, and the fill at about -1.7EV softens them acceptably.) Note that this compensation is done rather different between TTL and TTL BL flash modes (part 4).

• Hot shoe Bounce flash is typically very good lighting (and still quite mobile) - an entirely different concept, creating a large soft light from another direction (not flat frontal.) Ceiling bounce also greatly helps the front to back depth fall off problem in the room. Bounce does require substantially more flash power, but a very popular opinion is that bounce should be the automatic first preference for hot shoe flash, if applicable to the situation (if the proper ceiling or wall exists.) From the ceiling above is perhaps not optimum lighting for portraits, but it is pretty natural (direct frontal flash is far from optimum too). Bounce from close range can cause "raccoon eyes", or bad dark shadows in eye sockets, etc. However, a small bounce card can add slight forward fill, which also adds catch lights in the eyes (sparkle, which is great), and it can become near perfect. Just don't overdo the card size, to overwhelm the bounce lighting, reverting back to direct flash. Look and see the shadows from the bounce, and look and see the direct shadows from the bounce card. Know what you are creating, so you can control it. The realization that this is our job to do should work wonders for our photography.

• One off-camera flash is better than direct hot shoe, as it can better mimic the sun's position, to cause natural shadows (which actually show detail by their shape.) Hot shoe bounce flash is one version of that (light from a different direction.) Or a direct flash can be hand held in outstretched arm - this is a major purpose of the coiled hot shoe extension cords - but watch out for the shadows behind subject that this can create. But off-camera direct flash is a small light (diameter), and typically causes dark harsh shadows (on the subject.) A white reflector surface on the opposite side can help to add fill, to lighten the shadows (inexpensive white foam boards from craft store). Learning to control the shadows is a major part of lighting skill. Shadow tones are essential and desirable, in mild and controlled degree, but first, we have to learn to see them.

• One Umbrella - Off-camera of course, so it creates shadows. But it is large and close, so it creates very soft and mild and vague shadows. The umbrella is a major advantage - it can be positioned and aimed at will, and if up close, it is a large soft light (see example of soft) which really tones down and modifies the shadows - the rear shadows can almost disappear, yet lighting somewhat from the side does cause faint natural shadows (to detail shapes on the subject.) The large close light sort of wraps around the subject's face, gradually. These will be less perceptible shadows, but still, it creates gradient tones which really help to define the shape of the subject. The intentional faint shadows show a natural view, including gradual shading, which is called modeling or sculpting. Because, the shadows make curves look like curves, to show shape, specifically to add interest (not present in flat even frontal lighting.) These are effects you can see, if you look to recognize them. Anything you do with an umbrella is usually much better than it was without, but the goal is to intentionally create and control these shadows (those directly on the subject). We are not trying to eliminate them, we are trying to create and control them.

• Two Umbrellas - One simply on each side of camera is an even illumination, but is two sets of shadows (they can be faint, but two sets are not natural. The more faint and even, the more flat.) Simply an umbrella on each side is not so bad, better illumination than many tries, but flat is not very interesting light for portraits of individuals. Still, this evenness is rather necessary for lighting a wide area, like a group.

  Consider a large group with two or three rows of people... an umbrella near each end of the group, aimed inward at center, provides a nice even light across the group. But it also causes major shadows that the camera angle sees, and there is great risk of some faces being in the shadow of other heads. We cannot see this from flash until the picture is taken (tell all people they must be able to see both camera, and the flash on that side). But bleacher steps are used to raise the rear rows, and the camera angle is raised too, to look down on them, to see all faces, but the picture still sees all these shadows. Or in contrast, two lights, both very near camera and aimed slightly outward illuminates the same faces that the camera angle sees, in all cases.

• Two umbrellas as Main light and Fill light - this standard concept for individual portraits is one main light, perhaps 45 degrees high and wide, to mimic natural shadows from a well placed sun above. The weaker fill light is positioned close to the lens axis, to be flat frontal light (to light the same as the lens sees), to simply fill in the darkness and harshness of the main light shadows (without causing others.) Not to completely fill them, which would be flat. Shadows add intentional contrast, but are controlled to be mild degree. The fill light level is frequently one stop less (half power) than the main light. But the ratio of the two lights is a choice - it can be a high ratio - a weak fill, retaining dramatic dark shadows only slightly softened, for high contrast. Or the ratio can be low, more equal fill, creating a more smooth even low contrast. This is something we can see, and it is your preference. The degree of that fill light creates intentional lighting ratio (shadow density.) This ratio is speaking of one face, we cannot hold a ratio across a group (because of light falloff with distance from flash.) There are classic variations of lighting details, the names of which usually concern the shadow of the nose. For example, Rembrandt lighting, the nose shadow reaches across face to just barely touch shadow at side of face there. This leaves a bright triangle on cheek above the shadow. I am not at the level of caring quite that much, but I know the far cheek ought to have some light on it. There are many choices, but several variations for individual portraits involve a main light about 45 degrees high and wide, and a weaker fill light near the lens axis. Here is one sample setup.

My preaching here is hoping to convey the advantage of learning to actually see your results. Beginners are confused because they do not see yet - they are unaware that they are missing the nuances of the lighting. Once you finally realize there is a lot more to be seen by just looking, then you will get it, and will know your preference, and how to create it. But this awareness is a troublesome beginning step which always requires conscious effort. I started clueless too, we all did. Believe me, I understand about not seeing nuthin' at first. We can spend years that way, before we wake up and look around, and realize there is more to be seen. Lighting simply requires looking, and thinking, which becomes seeing. I'm talking a lot, and beginners may scoff at this, we all think we see everything, I imagine I do too, but as you practice looking, there will come a time when you finally realize what it is about, and will understand more, and will be aware that you have become more aware. It will not be real easy, it will take time and thought, but anyone can do it if they try - just not many of us bother to try. Just learn to look, so you can see, to better know what you are trying to do. Pretty soon, you will be noticing the shadows in all the pictures you see, magazines, television, catch lights in the news anchors eyes, all the visible stuff you never thought about before. A high point will be when you realize you are contemplating the lighting ratio in the scene in the movie, instead of worrying about who is the murderer.

The first new basic studio lighting concept to be grasped is short and broad lighting (look at the shadows.) Simply good and important starting stuff to realize, an excellent first step towards realizing the goal of lighting is these shadows. A lighting ratio is required to create those shadows. I am trying to say - if you can look and consciously notice (see) these obvious shadows, and their differences, then you are on your way to actually seeing when you look. It is all out there for us to simply see, if we look. Then, after you see, you will know what you are trying to do.

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