Lighting Tricks in Photography

Appropriate lighting for photography can make the difference between a nice shot and a great one. There are quite a few lighting tricks you can use to make your photographs more appealing; some require equipment and some simply require good timing. If you're using a digital camera, your lighting can be manipulated with a good photo editing program, but if you're using a 35mm camera, you need to get it right when you take the photo

Timing

The most obvious lighting trick for photography is to choose the right time of day for your photograph. The best lighting for landscape photography is in the early morning or in the late afternoon. Shadows are longer or nonexistent, and the light is more diffused and naturally softer than at other times of the day.

Effects

Both a fill flash and a gold reflector are tools you can use to help brighten your subject. For a fill flash, use a flash setting roughly 1 1/2 stops less than the standard lighting for the scene. This lighting trick gives you a softer light, not the obvious flash look that another setting would cause. Gold reflectors are used to bounce warm light back onto the subject. Experiment with reflector positions to achieve the desired lighting effect.

Polarizer

A polarizer is a lighting trick often used in photography. A polarizer can reduce glare and reflections from glass or water, or it can enhance colors and make the skies look darker. Be careful that you don't create a lighting effect that's too dark. Experiment with the polarizer until you understand how the darkened effects affect your photographs.

Filters

Filters are commonly used ways to create a variety of lighting effects in photography. Neutral density filters add darkness to the total image, but you can vary the degree of darkness by the neutral density filter you choose and by varying your shutter speed. You can darken a bright portion of an image by using a split neutral density filter. This filter is split with half the filter clear and the other half a gradual grey color. The gray does not add color to your photography, but it does add density--which the meter reads as darkness. Both neutral density filters and split neutral density filters come in a variety of degrees for all lighting situations.

Benefits

Learning tricks to enhance the lighting for your photography is not difficult and will result in beautiful moments captured for a lifetime of enjoyment. Simple solutions such as filters or reflectors can intensify your colors or create a soft glow around your subject. You don't have to be a professional photographer to benefit from the technology available for your SLR or 35mm camera.

Resources

• Digital Photography Tricks