White surfaces like cardboard are also good reflection materials, giving a softer and less contrasted reflection than aluminum foil. While materials like aluminum foil create a broader reflection that can be scattered if you crumple the foil making it reflect light in different directions. A mirror like the one used in this image gives a narrow and intense reflection. These kinds of reflections can be created with different types of materials. That small spot reflection from the mirror on the left side of the image was enough to create the right volume, and give the image depth and ambiance. So we will add a mirror reflection on the opposite side of the main light for better definition of the object. Another light spot would really help to get the right image volume. Take a look at this example of an old pocket watch photographed with side natural sunlight.Įven though the light on the watch’s face is good, the rest just fades to black, making it flat. ![]() Here is a good example of a macro shot of a quarter dollar coin with direct side natural light and with tracing paper sheet diffuser.Įven though sunlight is only one light spot it is easy to simulate additional spots with reflectors. Light diffusion materials range from nylon to translucent paper, plastic or acrylic. Just cut them to the size and shape that best suits your needs. Tracing or baking paper and aluminum foil are great materials for building custom diffusers and reflectors. Even though there are a lot of macro photography dedicated gear options available, if you don’t want to spend your hard earned money on them, you can just build your own with things you probably already have around the house. Reflected light is achieved by bouncing the incident light off a reflecting surface onto the subject resulting in a change of direction and intensity of the light.īasic tools like reflectors and diffusers are fundamental resources for natural light photography. #2 – Weather which affects contrast and color of light mainly by the presence of clouds which act like a huge diffuser resulting in less contrast and a blue color cast.Įven though you cannot control sunlight, it doesn’t mean you cannot modify it to suit your needs.ĭiffused light is achieved by sending a beam of light thru a semi-transparent surface resulting in lower contrast and feathered edge shadows. Closer to high noon the higher the contrast and less color variation it has because the sun is further away from the horizon. This phenomenon happens mainly because sunlight has to cross more atmosphere which gives less contrast and filters the blue light resulting in a yellowish tonal effect. ![]() The closer the sun is to the horizon, the less contrast and warmer is the light. #1 – Time of day affects the position of the sun. The color of light, or white balance, and contrast in natural light is mainly affected by two factors: Side lighting accentuates the texture of the subject as it casts side shadows creating the sense of dimension and volume.īacklighting creates an outlining effect on the subject separating it from the background, making it more dominant. This means that sunlight gets softer closer to sunrise and sunset and harder closer to midday, due to the changes of distance between the sun and the earth during the day (and the angle at which it enters the atmosphere). The basic principle is: The larger the light source, the softer the light. Soft light produces smooth transitions, while hard light produces abrupt transitions between the tonal areas, therefore giving the image less or more contrast. This quality is determined by the way a given light source produces the transitions between the highlights and shadows. Quality of light is a term usually used by photographers to refer to the “hardness” or “softness” of a light source. ![]() In this article, we will explore the way natural light works and how to apply it in macro photography work. Time of the day, the season of the year, weather conditions and various other circumstances may influence the way sunlight reaches the earth and can be captured in a photograph.Īs photographers, it is our job to understand the way it works and make the best out of it. This, as opposed to artificial light that is usually created by the transformation of electricity into light through the use of light bulbs.Įven though natural light has the sun as a starting point, it can look very different depending on many factors. Natural light is the term we use in photography to refer the light of the sun. ![]() When I was a kid I remember laying on the floor looking at the sky, watching the sun changing its position during the day and casting different types of shadows and reflections. I have to admit that the sun is one of those things in life that intrigues and fascinates me.
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