As technology changes, it’s a good idea to brush up on some of the most popular, versatile, and commonly used lighting–whether you’re brand new to photography or have been at it for years
There is no universally perfect light for every different scenario. When you’re deciding what type of light works for your project, it’s going to come down to your subject and the concept and mood you are attempting to execute. We’ve created this handy guide about the different types of natural and artificial lighting, so you can determine which one will work best for your specific shoot and subject.
The Importance of Light in Photography
Lighting is one of the most important elements of any photo. Without some source of light–natural or artificial–there’s no image.
The position and quality of light will determine so much in the final photo, from clarity and sharpness to mood and emotion. Paying attention to how light plays off of the angles and curves of your subject, and which parts of the subject are illuminated and which are in darkness will make you a stronger photographer. You’ll begin to intuitively understand how to effectively harness your light source for any given project.
Como a luz afeta sua fotografia
Whether it’s portrait photography, still life, or landscape, your lighting choices will depend on the features of your subject and how you want them to be portrayed. For example, hard light is more severe and will emphasize angles and any surface that isn’t perfectly flat, like the waves at a beach or a model with wrinkles or acne, while soft light will smooth over these textures.
If you’re doing a beauty shoot where the focus is flawless features, the type of lighting that you use will likely be very different than a photoshoot to emphasize the details of a beautifully crafted textile. Understanding how to make the best use of natural and artificial lighting in each situation will be a huge step forward in your journey to becoming the best photographer that you can.
Diferentes tipos de iluminação
There are two main kinds of light: natural and artificial. Natural light is anything that occurs without human intervention, either outdoors or through a window; the direct light of the sun on a bright day, the diffused light created by a cloudy or foggy day, or even the light of the moon at night.
Artificial light can often be created, moved around and adjusted to fit your situation. It is easier to position artificial light in relation to your subject than with natural lighting, where you would have to move the subject and camera according to the lighting technique that you want to use. Both artificial and natural lighting can be manipulated to create any number of styles, as long as you know how to use them.
Luz natural
If you want to use natural light in your photography, it’s important to understand the angle of the sun and how that will affect your composition. For example, for most of the day, the sun is directly overhead so your subject will be lit from above. In portraiture, this can cause shadows under the eyes–filling in the shadows with a reflector can be helpful during the hours when the sun is directly overhead. A sunny day without clouds will result in more intense shadows, while a sky full of clouds will diffuse the sunlight so that the contrast of light on your subject is less harsh.
For natural lighting that is softer, you may want to make use of the hours closest to sunrise and sunset, when the sun will be off to a slight angle as opposed to directly above your subject, and the brightness of the sun may be less extreme. These hours are referred to as “golden hour” as the quality of light is warmer, and can naturally bathe a subject with the most flattering light.
Luz frontal (ou luz plana)
A luz frontal ocorre quando a fonte de luz está diretamente na frente do objeto. Como a luz não está em um ângulo, isso pode resultar em uma quantidade limitada de sombras. A luz será distribuída uniformemente pela foto, sem nenhuma seção mais ou menos exposta do que as demais.
Flat light can be good for portraits, especially if your subject has any feature such as texture that they want to de-emphasize. However, if you are attempting to create a portrait that shows a lot of personality, front lighting will not provide the detail you need in order to bring the subject’s character to life.
Outra vantagem de usar a iluminação frontal é se você estiver explorando a fotografia de simetria, pois a falta de sombras ajuda a fazer com que os dois lados do rosto pareçam mais simétricos.
Luz de fundo
Placing the light source behind the subject, with the subject in between the light and your camera, will create a backlit effect. This can be a great opportunity to play with silhueta and long shadows in your photography. The potential downside to backlit photos is that if the exposure is off, you’ll be left with a sad lack of detail in your subject or a blown out light source. This works well for silhouettes, but if you still want to see some detail on your subject, this is the time to pull out your light diffuser to reflect some of the light from the background onto the front of the subject, or fill it in with a flash.
Luz suave
With your light source diffused, either by bouncing or screening light, the effect is more subtle than it would be with a direct source of light. By using soft light, you will end up with less intense shadows, if any at all, and a lower contrast between the darks and lights in your photo.
If you’re working in a photography studio, you can use a diffusion panel between the light source and your subject. This could even be a light-colored curtain over the window to diffuse the natural sunlight coming in. If you’re shooting outside, soft light will occur naturally on an overcast day, as the clouds in the sky diffuse the direct light from the sun. By keeping the light soft, you can achieve a gentle appearance in your portrait photography.
Luz dura
O oposto da luz suave ou difusa, a iluminação dura é quando a fonte de luz é apontada diretamente para o objeto. Ela resulta em alto contraste e intensidade, brancos brilhantes e sombras escuras, e geralmente é criada com o uso do sol do meio-dia. Você também pode produzir esse tipo de luz em seu estúdio usando um holofote ou outra fonte de luz que não seja difusa.
Luz de aro
A luz de borda pode ser criada usando uma forma de luz de fundo, em que a luz está em um ângulo vindo de trás ou de cima. A luz atingirá o objeto de forma a criar um contorno brilhante ou um destaque ao redor dele, dependendo da direção de onde a luz está vindo. Essa técnica é útil para distinguir o tema do plano de fundo, fornecendo definição.
Position your light source above and behind your subject and adjust until you see the light rim appear. A higher contrast will bring out the rim light while a low contrast will dull the overall effect. If you’re not getting enough of the detail on the front of your subject, pull out a reflector to bring sufficient lighting to their features.
Iluminação em loop
Loop lighting is a specific technique used for portraits. The name refers to a “loop” of shadow from the nose on the cheek. It is generally considered a less dramatic and intense option for portraits than some of the other options listed.
A iluminação de loop é universalmente lisonjeira, portanto, se você tiver vários compromissos de retrato ou mini sessões in one day, this is a great trick to pull out of your pocket. Position your light slightly higher than the model’s eye level and at a 45-degree angle. You can experiment with a more or less defined loop by moving the light up and down, and can adjust the intensity of the shadow by moving the light closer or farther away from the subject.
Iluminação ampla
Often used for graduation photos, broad light for photography is a type of side lighting where the side of the model closest to the camera is lit, and the side farther away is in shadow. This technique can be useful for a subject with a thinner face, as the side with the light on it will appear larger than the side in shadow, resulting in a fuller face. Position your model’s face at an angle, turned slightly away from the camera, to achieve this look.
Iluminação curta
The exact opposite of broad lighting. In this case, the side of the face that is closest to the camera is in shadow, whereas the farthest side is in the light. Instead of creating a fuller face shape, short lighting will thin out the face, so be cautious of how and when you make use of both of these techniques.
Iluminação Butterfly
Like loop lighting, butterfly lighting is named after the specific type of shadow that is created on your model’s face. Position your light in front and above your subject to create a butterfly-shaped shadow under their nose. This lighting is often seen in glamour shots and headshots. It will also serve to highlight the other facial features with the same level of severity, which can be great for accentuating high cheekbones, but may not be useful if your model has deep-set eyes as it can result in too much shadow under the eyes.
Iluminação dividida
When the light hits your subject at a 90-degree angle, that is called split lighting. This results in a straight line down the center of your subject’s face, with one side entirely lit and the other side completely in shadow. This is a great option for a dramatic portrait, particularly if you are using a hard light as opposed to soft.
Iluminação Rembrandt
Esse estilo de iluminação recebeu esse nome devido à maneira como Rembrandt usava a luz em suas pinturas de retrato. É um tipo de iluminação lateral, semelhante à iluminação dividida, exceto pelo fato de que o lado do rosto que está na sombra tem um triângulo de luz sob o olho. Isso pode ser altamente eficaz para fazer com que uma imagem bidimensional pareça tridimensional.
Escolhendo o melhor tipo de iluminação para suas fotografias
Nenhum método de iluminação será eficaz em todos os cenários. Por exemplo, você precisará de uma configuração de iluminação muito diferente se estiver fotografando a via láctea as opposed to doing a portrait shoot with artificial lights in your photography studio. À medida que você pratica e se torna mais confiante na identificação de quais tipos de luz são melhores para quais situações, você poderá determinar rapidamente qual iluminação usar com base no assunto, na configuração e no conceito geral.
Iluminação para fotografia em ambientes internos
While there are many types of artificial light that you can invest in for your studio, natural light is a great option for portraits, even when you are shooting inside. Set up your model near a window, and see how the color of light changes throughout the day and alters the effect of your photo. If you do use outdoor light while indoors, make sure to turn off your indoor lights, as they may be two different colors and can create an uneven tone–known as cross or mixed lighting. Use a light-colored backdrop or lightbox so that the light will reflect off of it, brightening up the overall composition.
Iluminação para retratos
The lighting you choose will depend on your subject’s face. While options like butterfly and loop lighting are considered universally flattering, every model is different, so be open to changing things up at the last minute if you aren’t getting your desired effect.
If you want to play up the personality in your subject’s face, you might want to experiment with more severe lighting options, like Rembrandt and split lighting, although you can lessen the drama if you use a light reflector to balance the other side of their face.
Broad lighting can make your subject appear to have a wider face, and short lighting results in a thinner face, so it is not always useful for creating flattering photos. Carefully consider your subject’s face shape and what they and you want to evoke in the final image when selecting your lighting style for a photo shoot.
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Now that you have a solid understanding of the different types of light, what they do and when to use them, it’s time to get out there and start practicing your new skills! Make sure to keep your portfólio on-line updated along the way so that potential clients and collaborators can see all of the awesome stuff you’ve been working on.
