Active and Passive Light

Due Wednesday 9/5

Read: Chapters 1, 2, and 5 (only pages 85-108). Be ready for discussion.

Shoot:

Which of the images above displays active light? Passive? Why?

Find 2-3 special objects that lend themselves to photographic intrigue. Can be anything... antiques, personal sacred objects, books, shoes, articles of clothing, or even the human form or parts thereof (hands, for instance). For now, stick to non-reflective objects.

Create an appealing still life arrangement. Remember that the background is part of your scene—how will you deal with it so it supports your subject? Shoot on flat background, or distant/diffuse.

For a single subject explore the following. For all, use a single light source and reflector as required. Shoot at least 36 exposures—keep pushing for new variations.

Consider the 4 factors of light when building your shots, and in particular:

• Relative size of the light source. Smaller light=more contrast, harder shadows. Larger light=lower contrast, softer shadows. Try different size lights... studio hot light, flash light, desk lamp, etc. Relative size can also be controlled with distance—to make a light source "larger", just move it closer to the subject.
• Diffusion. Tracing paper can be used to soften the light. Don't let the paper get too close to the light and catch fire. That wouldn't be good.
• Diffusing the light can also have the effect of making your light source larger. A small light illuminating a sheet of tracing paper becomes a large soft-box.

Explore the following:

1. Create a lighting scenario that is active—where the light itself becomes a "lead character" in the drama
2. Create a passive lighting design—where the light simply reveals the subject and doesn't draw attention to itself.
3. See what you get with natural light. Use gobos ("go-betweens". window blinds, foam core, mat board, or even a dark cloth/sheet) to partially block windows and control the light....we can control natural light almost as much as we can artificial light.

Factors of Light

Shooting:

This exercise will explore some of the important factors of light. Generally, there are four: Color, Angle, Intensity and Character/Contrast. We will be concentrating on Angle and Character/Contrast for now.

Find an interesting subject that can be photographed on a table-top. Should be solid (relatively) non-glossy/shiny object. The images may be shot at home or the lighting studio (if available).

• Create a flat background to shoot upon. Use paper (distressed, painted on, etc.), wood, sheet metal, ceramics, or any kind of interesting material that will compliment your subject. Most likely, you will be shooting down on your subject. Use a single hot light and reflector. Create a series of still life images that show a variation of:

1. Angle of Light
2. Character/Contrast (Explore hard vs. soft light for now)

• For one of the above arrangements, shoot with natural light. Try to vary the factors of light—to what degree is this possible with natural light?

The four factors, in some combination or another, contribute to all possible lighting designs. Is this true? How do your choices create volume/presence in your object? What brings it to life? What creates depth?

Due: Wednesday 8/29. Bring images to class, ready to view on screen.

Warm-Up

For 8/27

Shooting:

Find instances of natural light that are truly unique events. Go beyond just recording subject matter. Look for interesting effects of light on surface, reflections, shadows, etc. Make pictures that isolate these things. Keep distractions out of the frame. Go on an adventure with it. Morning and late afternoon ("golden hour") can be nice times to do this. Prepare to discuss what you've found. Shoot many images (50+), plan to show 5-10.

Welcome!

The course will present foundational skills in photographic studio lighting. Both natural and artificial light sources will be explored for producing aesthetically and conceptually engaging artworks. A wide range of applications will be explored including still life, portraiture, classic lighting problems, and open creative projects. Experimentation and improvisation are highly encouraged. Topics will reference both historical precedents and contemporary practices. The course will culminate with a portfolio of work.

Examples of student work from recent years: