Changing the light
by eNoBlog on Jun.06, 2010, under Story-telling, Techniques
By now you’ve probably heard the old advice: shoot during the “golden hours,” and keep the camera in the bag the rest of the day. There are several reasons why I disagree with applying this guideline as an inviolate “rule,” but in some cases, harsh or otherwise inappropriate lighting does kill a photo. As photographer’s, we need to keep the “photo” part of our efforts in mind: seek the light.
Today, I went out to shoot a subject I have previously photographed under muted lighting. I would agree that for this particular photograph, my intention of portraying the subject as delicate benefits from soft focus (shallow depth of field), and complementary soft lighting. But what if the best shot I have is in “bad” light?
Bloom 1, in full sunlight
Nikon D300 & AI-S 55mm micro @f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 200
Though the resulting image is compelling, the high contrast that mid-morning lighting creates detracts from it in a couple of ways. The delicate nature of the photo is overwhelmed by the high contrast, and in particular, the bright background draws the eye away from the subject. What if we added artificial shading? I tried this with one of those semi-translucent folding car shades, and achieved the following image.
Bloom 1, shaded
Nikon D300 & AI-S 55mm micro @f/5.6, 1/160 sec, ISO 200
This version came closer to what I was after, but now, the lack of contrast flattened the image too much. I considered adding flash and/or a reflector to replenish a little of the contrast. Instead, I chose to address the issue in post-processing, through a minor Levels adjustment. The result has a tad more contrast, while preserving more of the delicate feeling I was trying to capture.
Bloom 1, shaded and added contrast
Nikon D300 & AI-S 55mm micro @f/5.6, 1/160 sec, ISO 200
Finally, here is another attempt with more aggressive contrast added through a combination of Level and Curve adjustments in post-processing. Note how the result begins to approach the first full light version: some of the highlights brighten up, and the shadows in the heart of the bloom deepen. Thanks to the use of artificial shading, the colors are warmer and arguably more complementary. Notice also how one can add contrast to an image, whereas it would be more difficult to take it away from the first photo.
Bloom 1, shaded and added high contrast
Nikon D300 & AI-S 55mm micro @f/5.6, 1/160 sec, ISO 200
Which version works best? That’s a somewhat subjective decision. In some situations, even the first version might suit the goal of the shot (e.g., portrayal of a garden in full sun). Whichever you pick as the “best,” don’t forget that “bad” light need not be so if you creatively work with and around it through a variety of techniques, such as shading, reflecting and flash.
