Experimental Lighting

  A continuous  light such as a torch or candle can be mixed with flash light to create a composite negative with two exposures. How to get this effect: 1.  Set the camera to multiple exposure. 2.  Use the camera on a tripod with a cable release. 3.  Meter for the flash light (or overhead/daylight in the case of the Picasso or Dance Hall images) and make the 1st exposure. 4.  Then in a darkened space where the torch is the only light source use a long exposure to record the movement of the torch (this could be about 20 seconds for example). 5.  The torch Read more

The Kelvin Temperature Scale

  The following table shows the correlated colour temperature of common light sources: Color Temperature Light Source 1000-2000 K Candlelight 2500-3500 K Tungsten Bulb (household variety) 3000-4000 K Sunrise/Sunset (clear sky) 4000-5000 K Fluorescent Lamps 5000-5500 K Electronic Flash 5000-6500 K Daylight with Clear Sky (sun overhead) 6500-8000 K Moderately Overcast Sky 9000-10000 K    Shade or Heavily Overcast Sky    Here is a visual representation of the Kelvin temperature scale. Notice how lower temperatures are very warm, and following the color spectrum, increase in numeric value as they become cooler. PDF: The Kelvin Temperature Scale  

Light

  Visible light is a stream of energy radiating from a light source (the sun or a lamp). There are four main characteristics of light: … PDF: Light  

The Main Light, The Strongest Source of Light

  The most realistic and usually most pleasing lighting resembles daylight, the light we see most often: one main source of light from above creating a single set of shadows. Lighting seems unrealistic (though there may be times when you will want that) if it comes from below or if it comes from two or more equally strong sources that produce shadows going in different directions. PDF: The Main Light, The Strongest Source of Light  

More About Flash, How to Position It

  Light from any source – a window, a continuously burning lamp, a flash – foltows the same general rule: The light falls off (gets dimmer) the farther the light source is from an object. But light from a flash comes and goes so fast that you can’t see the effect of the flash on a scene at the time you are taking the picture. Special exposure meters are designed for use with flash; you can’t use an ordinary exposure meter to meas. PDF: More About Flash, How to Position It