Play With the Light

It is the lighting of the photo which can set the mood that is perceived. A soft lighting can give a sense of innocence, or everyday life. In contrast a photo with shadows and dark spots can accomplish the opposite."Light is the photographer's palette and toolbox, a kind of visual thesaurus that offers a thousand ways to portray the same scene or subject" (98). It is this simple advice that allows you to control what your picture tells the viewer about the moment.

One thing to remember is that there is almost always enough light for a picture. As Mowbray suggests in The Unforgettable Photograph, even the glow of an phone or candle can be enough to produce a quality photo (100). Therefore, try turning off the flash and allowing the moment itself to provide the picture. This was new for me since i almost always use the flash; I found that in the situation where my friend was reading in the light of a plug in candle the flash was not needed, and when used it made the picture look unrealistic to the situation.

A fun idea that Lange and Mowbray also suggest in their writing is to find a spotlight that focuses in on the subject. One way to do this is by using the headlights of a car in the street or a flashlight in a dark room (106). It allows for the photo to have a "fun and slightly sinister"(106) type of look.

My friend in the headlights of a car outside her house

How have you guys played with light in pictures? Do you have any fun ideas you think i should try?

Citation: 

Lange, George. The Unforgettable Photograph. New York, NY: Workman Publishing Company, 2013.