Exercise 3 - Experimenting with Light

I decided to use my long suffering wife for this exercise. I set up some shots around the house and garden and also took some 'on location'. I have also included some archive shots of Heather that have used different different lighting effects.

The image on the left was taken one morning whilst we were having breakfast outside. It is early in the day so the light is low and from the right and just catches her head but is not unpleasantly contrasty. For the middle image I asked her to sit on a stool in our workshop/studio with diffuse natural light coming from the left and above through a roof light. This has given some modelling without being harsh and contrasty. Unfortuneately I did not achieve eye contact. The right hand image was taken with the same setting but with flash bounced off the white ceiling. There is still some lighting coming from the window but the shadow on the right side of her face (our left) has been softened. Of the two I prefer the one without flash.

The image on the left, although less of a head and shoulder shot, was take when we were out for a walk and I deliberately chose strong sunlight passing through the tree canopy but not full shade. The effect is quite pleasing, although there are some distracting bright highlights from the harsh midday sun. The centre image was taken at the same time in full sun and has created some harsh shadows on her face. The image on the right was taken last thing in the evening in the last light of a sunny day. Although not head and shoulders I like this photo. It shows Heather in a relaxed attitude doing something she enjoys.

The reamaining images are older ones that I thought would be interesting to include.

This shot was taken early one morning at Spring Bank holiday this year. It is taken with a 500mm lens + 1.4 converter as I had been out photographing birds. Although, again, not head and shoulders it is a shot I like.

The image on the left was take last summer on a ferry on Lake Garda. Heather is under the canopy of the ferry and so in the shade but the sun just catches her hair. The right hand shot was taken last October in Spain in bright but diffuse sunlight - reasonable modelling but no harsh shadows.

The picture on the left was taken in the Dolomites last summer on a very bright and contrasty day. This is evident from the harsh shadows on Heather's face. The middle image is again taken on a very bright day in the Dolomites but in the shade so no harsh shadows as is the one on the right.

I took this photo for The Art of Photography course last year and the only source of illumination is the candles. This is all about mood and atmosphere and I really like the fact that only her face is lit whilst most of Heather and the rest of the room is in deep shadow. I left the white balance set to auto to preserve the warm glow from the candles.

Again pictures from The Art of Photography course to show different lighting effects.