The single largest factor in image quality.
WHAT LIGHT DETERMINES
Whether a subject is visible How the image feels Whether the camera can produce a clean picture
WHAT DIRECTION DOES
Front light flattens Side light reveals texture and shape Back light separates subject from background
WHAT SOFT LIGHT IS
Light from a large source relative to the subject, producing gradual shadows.
WHAT HARD LIGHT IS
Light from a small or distant source, producing sharp shadows.
WHAT MAKES LIGHT SOFTER
Making the source larger, or bringing it closer Diffusing it through fabric Bouncing it off a wall or ceiling
WHY THAT MATTERS PRACTICALLY
A window with a curtain is a large soft source, available free.
WHAT THE THREE-POINT ARRANGEMENT IS
A key light, the main source A fill light, softening shadows A back light, separating the subject
WHAT COLOUR TEMPERATURE IS
Whether light is warm or cool, measured in degrees.
WHY MIXING SOURCES CAUSES PROBLEMS
Daylight and indoor bulbs differ, and a subject lit by both cannot be corrected cleanly.
WHAT TO DO
Use one kind of light, or match them.
WHAT TO AVOID
Overhead lighting alone, which casts shadows in eye sockets Fluorescent tubes, which shift colour Backlit subjects with no fill, which become silhouettes
