Light manipulation: An essential skill for good photography
With rapid advancement in smartphone cameras and picture quality, there is no longer a need for expensive professional camera sets to try our hand at photography. This ease of access has made photography a very popular hobby for adults and kids alike. Learning the techniques that distinguishes pros from amateurs has also become a realisable dream now. One of these technical skills is light manipulation. Being able to control and adjust the lighting of a shot makes a huge difference in the end product. There are two ways in which subject lighting can be manipulated: By using external equipment like diffusers and reflectors, and by adjusting and tinkering with the camera features. Here is a guide to both of these techniques for your child to up the skill level.
Light manipulation with accessories
One way of ensuring that the light falls onto the subject according to the shot is to use external equipment or accessories that can block or filter harsh lighting or reflect and make up for uneven exposure.
Diffuser: Natural lighting can be very harsh, over exposing the subject and making strong shadows. In order to soften the light reflecting off the subject, diffusers come in handy. They eliminate the unattractive contrast by creating a more even lighting effect just like the clouds covering up the sun. Help your child make a diffuser at home using a plain muslin sheet or bed sheet. The changes in the tonality and saturation of the end product are easily noticeable.
Reflector: Many times, we only have one unidirectional light source at our disposal. This can make one half of the subject fall into the shadows. When the subject needs more light from an angle and can’t get it naturally, reflectors are a good way to make up for it. Remember, the colour of the reflector will affect the colour of the light falling on the subject. Encourage your child to use make-shift reflectors that can be easily made at home like a piece of cardboard with tin foil wrapped around it, a slab of thermocol, etc.
Light manipulation with camera features and techniques
A lot of the times, there are opportunities to take amazing pictures when we don’t have access to equipment that can help set up the shot. In such situations, there are many features available even in smartphone cameras that help be a work around. Familiarize your youngster with the following camera techniques.
Camera Flash: When taking pictures in environments that don’t have a very good light source, we have to find a way to create light. Most cameras come with a built-in flash which provide momentary lighting at the time the picture is clicked. There are many add-ons that can be used to make the use of flash more versatile. For example, your shutterbug can make a filter out of translucent coloured candy wrappers, or use a cardboard funnel to adjust how the light bounces off to the subject.
ISO: It is a changeable setting on most professional as well as mobile phone cameras which manipulates the film sensitivity. In low light settings, increasing the ISO increases your camera device’s sensitivity to light. However, graininess is a side effect that comes as a package deal. The higher we crank up the ISO, the grainier the image will be.
White Balance: White balance helps the camera read light in the way we want it to. The white balance of a camera can be adjusted, and whichever shade of white you point it at while adjusting, it becomes the “true white” according to which the camera reads all the rest of the colours. It helps in adjusting the temperature of the colours in the picture.
Aperture/Shutter Speed: The aperture is the hole through which the light enters the lens of the camera and the shutter speed decides how quickly the aperture opens and closes when taking a picture. If the aperture is wide open, more light enters the camera. Similarly, the slower the shutter speed, the longer the hole stays open. This allows more light to enter the lens. These two can also be used in a bunch of creative ways for light manipulation