Professional photographers know the importance of light to create a good picture. They follow the rule of thumb of having the key, fill and rim light for the subject to stand out from the background and to highlight it as well. But that doesn’t mean having a single source of lighting can get in the way of producing that perfect picture moment. They’ll go outside of the box and use a single light. You’ll be surprised that there are shots that have been taken using three or more lights yet it looks like it is taken using one light.
Those who are new in photography would be baffled when faced with only having one light. But don’t panic. It’s all about mixing and matching the following:
It’s All about the Angles, Position and Distance
A big source of light is enough to create a good picture all you need to do is be adventurous and experiment the position, distance and angles of the light, subject and shot.
By placing the light near the subject, the fill light is unnecessary. It will be able to create needed fill to highlight the subject. The spill serves as the background light creating a bright surrounding your subject. From the angle of your camera, it is good to place it high and on one side. This way it looks more natural yet dramatic and still shows small details of the subject.
Boxes for Modifiers
Soft boxes come in varying sizes, so with this be mindful of your subjects that can either be small or big. By having a bigger modifier it allows you to cover more of the background. Also, by placing the soft box near the subject, it gives you a soft light but if it is placed far from the subject then you’ll get a hard light.
Using Ambient Light and Flash
When inside a room and taking a picture of its interior, it is best if you only have a one source of light which can be your camera’s flash as not to disrupt the area. Instead, utilize the ambient light which is the source of light in the room.
To do this you need to adjust the ratio of the ambient and the flash so to get your desired lighting. Through this you can fill in the shadows on your subject. Then angle and positioning follow.
Use a White Sheet
A simple white sheet can help you a lot when you only have one source of lighting. It is a good form of reflector. It is able to bounce off hard lights to create soft light. This is best used if you have a smaller lighting.
Overall, you really don’t need more light when taking that perfect shot. It’s all about learning the lights which can achieve by mixing and matching the materials around you from a box with a simple white sheet. Don’t be afraid to explore, you’ll be surprised how your picture will turn out in the end.
About the Author:
This is a guest post of JV White, a music and photography enthusiast and currently working as a writer for WePrintDiscs.com, a disc duplication, printing, and replication company. They also provide photography CD duplication, replication and printing. Follow him on Twitter @jvwhite1980
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