The Right Light For Digital Photography
Posted on October 16, 2008
Filed Under Camera Problems, Canon Problems | Leave a Comment
In any type of photography, the lighting is very important to capture a good image.Pictures with different amounts of light have greatly different looks, and even the emotional appeal is different.If the picture is well lighted, it has a happier feel to it, whereas darkness promotes an air of mystery or even gloom.
Traditional photography captured the light by impressions on chemicals, while digital photography uses pixels to capture light.If you can use natural lighting, that's good. However, it's not always available.When there's not enough available light for a good picture, it's time to use artificial lighting.
How Much Light Is There?
While you can see for yourself to some extent how much light is available, to get precise measurements you need a light meter.A light meter doesn't do the same job a flash does.A light meter's job is to tell you how much light is being reflected off the subject of your picture, not to provide light.
A handheld light meter will measure the light and was once a standard part of any serious photographer’s equipment.Digital cameras now days have a built-in light meter, so you can look through the eyepiece and see how bright the picture will be wihout having to use a light meter.When it's too dark for a good picture, the camera's light meter will set off the automatic flash.
Histograms Instead of Light Meters
Also, with digital cameras, it’s not so important to have a light meter because most have a histogram.Histograms can be used in a similar fashion since a histogram shows how light or dark a picture is.
If you don’t have a histogram on your camera, or just don’t want to fuss with it, the simplest method is to take a picture and review it to see how it looks, and if it’s too dark or light, adjust by adding more light or lowering the amount of light.
The perfect lighting is there. Just practice lots, have patience, and you'll find it.
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