Characteristics of Light
Light is the raw material we work with.
Light to photographers is like clay to a potter or words to a writer.
A writer uses a pen to write words to communicate what they see, think, or feel.
A photographer uses a camera to record light to photograph what they see, think, or
feel.
Light has characteristics that we can describe. We can see and think of these light sources on a base level in two ways. The first is transmitting or illuminating, and the second is reflective.
We see reflective light sources only because an illuminating/transmitting light affects it. Think of the sun lighting our part of the planet and illuminating, or making visible, all the reflective
light sources we get to see and photograph.
And learning to describe the characteristics of the light we're seeing is good practice.
This is important because when we understand the light we're seeing, we'll know what to do with camera operation to get the best picture possible to communicate what we'd like to express intentionally.
Characteristics of Light: Distribution
Hello ,
Distribution is the angle of the output of a transmitting light source.
We can also think of it as the size of the area that a transmitting light source
illuminates. And we can think of distribution as being relatively wide or narrow.
Maglite is a brand of flashlight with a unique feature that allows the adjustment of the beam's area by turning the front of the flashlight.
When we point it towards a wall in a dark room, we can see a circle of light we can adjust to become wider or
narrower.
And adjusting the size of the light's area of coverage adjusts the distribution of the light.
We can also think of distribution as a spotlight on a stage. We can make the spotlight bigger or smaller to include more or less of the stage. We can isolate one performer by making the spotlight small or have more performers by making the
spotlight bigger.
Lampshades are another way to control light distribution, especially solid ones that reflect the light.
This characteristic of distribution is something that we can observe in rooms with multiple lamps.
Each lamp is a transmitting light source
that covers a limited area. That area is the distribution.
And we describe lampshade distribution in inches.
For example, a 10" diameter solid stainless steel lampshade has a more narrow distribution than a 15-inch one.
When it comes to photography, we describe
the angle of the output of a transmitting light source in millimeters (mm) which is the same as we describe the focal length of our lenses.
Understanding distribution is handy, especially when working with a flash. And many flash units have adjustable flash heads to vary the distribution of the emitted light.
For example, a flash with a 55mm
distribution is narrower than a flash with a 28mm distribution.
And remember, we learn and improve by doing, so practice making at least one picture today.
That's all for now; thanks for reading!
Sam
I'll help you be a better photographer. Study and practice photography with me.
And if the timing doesn't work
for you in any of my scheduled group classes. In that case, we can schedule a one-time lesson or a series of in-person or online one-on-one private instruction that covers the same things as my group classes.
Ways to work with me are listed below.
