Light: Activity 1

Activity 1
Blog Entry
Look through assorted photographic websites and find some examples of subjects lit by hard light and examples of subjects lit by soft light. Describe the effect the light has on the subject’ texture, form and detail, and the overall mood of the picture.

Notes

• Hard Lighting: Hard lighting can be used for portraiture. It requires numerous light sources to convey clearer, sharper, shaping and it requires perfect skin or else the blemishes (such as scars) will pop out more than usual. To show off texture, use side light.

Boudoir - from Tumblr.com. The Hard Lighting in this photo adds shadows around the right side of her face and back, while adding some more detail to her skin texture. Also, if one looks closely, hairs are visible on the woman's back and right cheek. The overall tone of the picture is affected by the light as well, to me this picture looks like it could serve as a promotional picture for a horror movie.

• Soft Lighting: Soft lighting does not show off texture. The larger the light source the softer the lighting. Achieving soft light often requires reflectors, diffusers soft boxes, and other equipment to expand the size of the light source.

  

  Window Light 2 - by Valerie Johnston. The Soft Lighting in this photo adds some slight highlights to certain areas of this child's face, most noticeably in the eyes. The texture of the image is only slightly changed, hairs are visible along the face due to the light. The overall mood of the image seems happy.