Photography with use of colour, light and shadows

Exercise 5: photography with use of colour, light and shadows

Paula Carrillo, audiovisual lenguage. paula.carrilloc@edu.uah.es

During this work we are going to work on the types of light. As we already know, there are direct (or hard) lights and diffuse (or soft) lights.

Direct or hard light is characterised by extremely dark shadows and sharp edges. You will notice that photos with this type of lighting have higher contrast, which gives a dramatic effect. To obtain this type of lighting, direct light without modifiers is necessary.

As we have already mentioned, with this type of light, we managed to highlight the shadows and contrast. We have achieved this through a single point of light (main light).

Indirect or sotft lighting is lighting that does not focus on a specific object or space, but is dispersed throughout the room. This allows for the suppression of harsh glare and shadows, as well as creating a much more pleasant and comfortable environment from a visual perspective. In the image we can see how the shadows are not marked, and the whole face is illuminated. In this way, we achieve a softer illumination.

As we have already mentioned, with this type of light, we manage to soften the shadows, and not mark so much contrast. We have achieved this through various points of light (main light, fill light and diffusers).