ATV Camping Trip - Digital Photography Tips
Tips on digital photography from an accomplished wilderness photographer. A series of short tutorials based on ATV (All Terrain Vehicle), quad bike travel, camping and hiking in the arid desert, mountains and along the coast of Australia
Light Source Size
There are three light sources. That's all, just three.
- Small Light Source
- A small light source is the direct light from the sun, flash or a small,distant window. A small light source will cast quite well defined shadows. Now, we all know that the sun is very big. But hey, just look up at the sky for a second. You'll see that because is so far away, it looks small. The sun's rays are parallel.
- Medium Light Source
- A medium light source is the light from a close window, an open veranda, the light coming in under the foliage of the trees or coming in through the open door of a barn.
- Large Light Source
- A large light source is the light from an overcast sky, a diffused flash bounced off the wall or ceiling or the light reflected from a bounce board or sunlit wall.
Quality of Light
There are two qualities of light. Yes, just two.
- Direct Light
- Direct light generally comes from a small or medium light source and is unimpeded, so casts a distinct shadow.
- Diffused Light
- Diffused light may be diffused by a light curtain in the case of window light, a diffused on a flash or by bouncing the light off a matte surface. Sun light may be diffused by clouds. Diffused light can be light reflected off the ground and in through the window.
Look at the Light
With a combination of light source size and light quality, there are an abundance of different lighting styles available to you for creating mood as well as illumination.
Always look at the light and it's effect on the subject. Look into the shadows and at the highlights. Look to see if the main part of the subject is adequately lit. Take notice of the way the light models the subject. See where the shadows from the subject fall.