Looking at an image, the experience is flat and 2d. The viewer can only see what the cameraman chooses to shoot and can often make an inaccurate assessment about the image. Many elements affect the image: size, distance, depth comparing tone, light, line, and colour.
Techniques with using light can create illusions which are influenced by distance and space.
Light needs to be controlled, as its intensity can be very strong there are many differences between what we think we are seeing and what is actually there.
Intensity:
Low slight tonal differences can be detected. High progressively greater variations in light are needed to be able to see increase.
Surface:
The surface can make a great difference to the image in a photo or in a film. There can be a considerable change with the surfaces actual tone and the effect it has from the camera.
‘The Surface’s reflectance is the proportion of the incident light it reflects.’
- White and Cream reflects 58%
- Orange reflects 35%
- Mushroom reflects 25%
- Dark gray reflects 7%
- Black reflects 3%
The Surface finish:
The nature of the surface can change the way the light reacts, whether its rough, shiny, matt or smooth. A rough surface looks equally bright no matter which angle it is observed from. A glossy surface is shiny and a light shining on the surface is very apparent. It can vary depending on what angle it is viewed from. If a light is shining on a surface from behind the viewer the surface appears quite dark, if the light is shining in front then the light will reflect and appear fairly bright.
The brightness of a light hitting a surface will always vary slightly unless the surface is ‘perfectly matte’. To create the brightest light, it should hit the surface perpendicularly near where the camera is. As the light hits the surface at different angles then the intensity of the light reduces: it follows the cosine law.
Light can determine the form in which it is reflected off. For example, if the light is bright in the centre and then it gradually falls away at the edges then it’s likely to a curved surface. If the tone is even from the light then it is probably a flat plane. Light and dark can also help with forms, light tends to be raised and the dark areas tend to fall back.
The distance at which light is reflected plays an important role. The close the light is to the surface then the brighter its intensity, the further away, the less intense it is and the more wide spread it can be.
The surfaces clarity can affect the light, a clean atmosphere creates a brighter sharp light and a dusty or misty atmosphere creates a dimmer and even out of focus light.
Polarising can also change the effect of the lighting, reflections of shiny surfaces can increase the light being used and even can be forced into different directions.
Light is always reflected at the same angle it hits the surface. Light can bounce off of different materials in different ways, or in some cases such as a dark material it can be absorbed. The less light absorbed by the surface, the greater the proportion of the illuminated effect and obviously the lighter the surface is. The light can be measured using a meter but also using a grey scale to determine the level of monochrome being shot. The scale usually has 10 levels but can vary depending on what is being shot. TV used the 10 step grey scale for years until colour and digital methods were introduced.
Darker tones seem to give weight to the image whereas lighter tones create a sharp emphasis creating an effect on the balance of the picture. High contrasts images can look harsh if not used properly, but they can be powerful and look very effective.
Low key effects can be quite mysterious and high key effects can be light and delicate
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