Here lays the whole difficulty!
Let's take it slowly.
In the previous article we observed the light available in our space and found out that :
light is changeable,
it looks differently on our subject depending on the latter's position in relation to the light
the distance between the subject and the light source is essential .
These concepts sound logical and easy, but are they really? ;)
Often, to obtain a desired atmosphere and suitably illuminate our subject, we have to modify the existing light.
I will discuss two main concepts that can help us create our images : diffusion and fill light. Are you ready? Great!
Light diffusion
The most common method to modify our light aspect is to interpose a diffuser between our main light source and our subject.
This diffuser will help us achieve a more homogeneous light, sometimes more pleasant, more balanced mood.
Diffusion material will then become our main source of light.
A diffuser is also an extra layer between our subject and the natural light, so it will have an impact on the exposure of the scene. Often we need to change the settings of our camera to fix this.
The size of this diffuser is important:
• it must fit the size of our scene
• for food photography, a small diffuser may suffice, however a large one can often be useful and versatile (minimum 100cm)
Image created using a diffuser on the window on the right
How do these light diffusers look?
The most common come in a round or octogone shape and are easily found on the Internet or specialized stores.
Homemade diffusers can be handy to begin with, made from white bed sheets or white baking paper, but I didn’t try any and won’t be able to tell you more. Try it !
Fill light
Quite often, our key light will not be sufficient to properly light our subject.
This is where fill light comes in handy, which is in simple terms a secondary source of light, which complements the primary source.
In artificial light, this will be a second flash or lamp, for example.
In natural light, the use of a white reflector can play this role.
To create this image I placed a white reflector on the right side of the subject, very close, yet not visible on the scene.
By interposing a reflector close to the subject we "fill" the respective side with light, bringing more light to our scene in a very simple way without changing any of our camera settings.
This can also reduce part of the shadows to achieve the desired mood.
Under certain conditions, especially for creating chiaroscuro atmospheres, a black reflector will be useful. This reflector will bring power to the shadows or create new ones.
Simple, yet very effective, foam boards from art stores work well at first. Vary small and large size for different needs.
Let's recap:
a diffuser brings harmony to our scene
the size of this diffuser has an impact on the ambience of our scene (in general, the larger it is, the softer the atmosphere)
we talked about the two types of light: key light which is our primary source of lighting and fill light which is a secondary lighting
fill light can be obtained by adding a white reflector close to our subject of a size proportional to our subject
In a next post we will tackle a somewhat technical but very important subject: the distance of our subject from the light source.
Until then, stay creative!