Light
The word photography literally means writing with light. That's why a good photographer looks at the light first and the subject second: its quality, direction and color shape the character of the image far more than the camera does. In the simulator you can change the time of day and the white balance to see how the same scene is transformed.
Hard light and soft light
How hard light is depends on the apparent size of the source relative to the subject. The midday sun, small in the sky, casts black shadows with sharp edges: that's hard light. It brings out texture and adds contrast, but on a face it emphasizes dark circles, wrinkles and blemishes.
An overcast sky or a large window acts as a huge source: shadows soften and the transition between light and shadow is gradual. It's the most flattering light for people. That's why studio photographers use softboxes and umbrellas, and why moving a light source closer to the subject makes it softer.
Large, close source: soft light. Small, distant source: hard light.
The direction of light
Front light, coming from behind the camera, lights evenly but flattens shapes. Side light reveals relief and texture: it's the favorite for portraits with character, architecture and landscapes in raking light. Backlight, with the light behind the subject, creates silhouettes, glowing outlines and atmosphere, though it demands careful metering so you don't lose the face.
Before you shoot, walk around the subject or ask them to turn, and watch how the shadows move. A few feet of difference in your position can turn a flat photo into one with depth.
The same promenade at midday and at golden hour.
Golden hour and blue hour
Golden hour is the period after sunrise and before sunset. With the sun low, the light passes through more atmosphere and arrives warm, soft and from the side, stretching the shadows. How long it lasts depends on latitude and time of year: in summer at mid latitudes, the best light may last only 30 to 45 minutes.
Blue hour comes just after sunset, and also before sunrise: the sky turns a deep blue that balances with artificial lights. It's the best time for urban night photography and almost always needs a tripod.
Color temperature
Every light source has a color, measured in kelvin (K). White balance tells the camera what kind of light is illuminating the scene so it can offset that color cast and whites look white. Notice the paradox: the higher the temperature in kelvin, the cooler, bluer the light.
| Light source | Temperature | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Candle | 1900 K | Very orange |
| Warm household bulb | 2700 K | Orange |
| Sunrise and sunset | 3000 to 4000 K | Golden |
| Fluorescent | 4000 K | Neutral, sometimes with a green cast |
| Midday sun and flash | 5500 K | Neutral |
| Cloudy day | 6500 K | Slightly blue |
| Shade under a clear sky | 7500 K | Bluish |
| Blue sky with no direct sun | 10,000 K | Very blue |
The same midday photo with two white balance settings.
Auto, presets or kelvin
Auto white balance gets it right in most situations, but it tends to neutralize exactly what makes a scene beautiful: the gold of a sunset or the warm atmosphere of a candlelit dinner. In those cases, set a preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Shade) or a kelvin value.
Remember the logic: if you tell the camera a higher temperature than the real one, the photo gets warmer; if it's lower, it gets cooler. If you shoot RAW, you can adjust it later without any loss of quality.
White balance also has a second axis, tint, which corrects the green or magenta casts typical of some fluorescents and cheap LED lights.
When color has to be exact, as in product photography, professionals use custom white balance: they photograph a neutral gray card in the same light as the scene and the camera calculates the exact correction. When editing, the white balance eyedropper does the same with any neutral area of the photo.
To keep the color of a sunset, use Daylight or Cloudy, not auto.
Your turn: chase the light
With a person or an object next to a window.
- Place your model facing the window and take a photo: front light.
- Turn them ninety degrees so the light hits them from the side: side light.
- Put them with their back to the window and meter on the face: backlight.
- Repeat the series at midday and at golden hour, and compare the six photos for hardness, direction and color.