The Fundamental of Lighting and Color in Photography

Hakimi bin Halim

Diffuse and Direct/ Contrast Lighting

The direction of light in photography is important: different angles of light produce different shadows, changing the appearance of your subject.

Light in photography may be diffuse or direct. Direct light, such as light from the noon sun, hits the subject from one direction. If you’re looking for high contrast between light and shadows, direct light is a good choice.

Diffuse and Direct/ Contrast Lighting

On the other hand, diffuse light hits the subject from several directions. Florescent lighting is one example of diffuse light in photography. The loss of contrast that diffuse light produces mutes colors and softens the image.

Contrast Lighting

Direct Lighting

Diffuse Lighting

Diffuse Lighting

Umbra and Penumbra

The shadow volume behind an object lit by an area light source (in contrast to a point light source) doesn't have sharp boundaries. This is caused by the fact that each point in the boundary area is only partially shadowed. The area (volume) in full shadow is the umbra, the boundary area the penumbra.

Umbra and Penumbra

Umbra and Penumbra

Umbra and Penumbra

Umbra and Penumbra

Umbra and Penumbra

Antumbra

Antumbra

Inverse Square Law

It's useful to know a little about the inverse square law especially when using flash or studio lights.

Basically all the inverse square law says is that an object that is twice the distance from a point source of light will receive a quarter of the illumination.

Inverse Square Law

What it means to us photographers is that if you move your subject from 3 meters away to six meters away, you will need four times the amount of light for the same exposure.

Inverse Square Law

The reason why the power of the light diminishes so rapidly is not because it 'runs out of energy' or anything like that, but because it spreads and so a smaller and smaller proportion of the light hits the object. Here's a little diagram to illustrate the point.

Inverse Square Law

The Formula of ISL

Inverse Square Law = 1/Distance2

ISL = 1/D2

Light Theory

The Color SpectrumBoth the natural light of the sun and artificial incandescent light appear white to the naked eye. However, if you shine light through a prism, it splits into a rainbow of colors. This effect shows how the “color” white contains every shade in the color spectrum.

The Color Spectrum

Color can only exist when three components are present: a viewer, an object, and light. Although pure white light is perceived as colorless, it actually contains all colors in the visible spectrum.

When white light hits an object, it selectively blocks some colors and reflects others; only the reflected colors contribute to the viewer's perception of color.

Visible Spectrum

Isaac Newton Discovered Visual Spectrum

Electromagnetic Wavelength Naked human eyes can only see the small

magnitude of electromagnetic wavelength. Our eyes only can see the electromagnetic distance from 400nanometer to 700 nanometer

(1 nanometer (nm) = 1/1,000,000nm or 1 nm = 10 Angstrom)

Human eyes interprets 400nm to 700 nm as white light.

Electromagnetic Wavelength

The white light as interpret by our eyes divided into a range of distance

400nm to 450 nm = Violet 450 nm to 500 nm = Indigo / Blue 500nm to 580 nm = Blue / Green 580 nm – 600nm = Yellow 600nm – 650 nm = Orange 700nm = Red

Electromagnetic Wavelength

Electromagnetic Wavelength

Electromagnetic Wavelength

However, besides 400nm – 700nm, human eyes can also sense Ultraviolet (100nm) wave and Inflared (1 micron) wavelength.

Tips = The short wavelength interpret by human eyes is Violet (400nm) while the longest wavelength is Red (700nm)

Electromagnetic Wavelength

Electromagnetic Wavelength

It also travel in a straight lines.

Electromagnetic Wavelength

Electromagnetic Wavelength

The radiation also brought the quantum energy known as Photons

Color Mixture in Photography

Primary color Involve Blue, Green and Red. (RGB) The mixture RGB colors with the

same quantity will produce white color.

Color Mixture in Photography

Secondary Color It engage Yellow, Magenta and Cyan

(CMY) The mixture of CMY with the same

composition/amount will produce Black Color

Color Mixture in Photography

Complimentary Color complementary colors tend to look

balanced and are colors opposite to each other on the color wheel

Additive and Subtractive Color Virtually all our visible colors can be produced

by utilizing some combination of the three primary colors, either by additive or subtractive processes.

Additive processes create color by adding light to a dark background, whereas subtractive processes use pigments or dyes to selectively block white light. A proper understanding of each of these processes creates the basis for understanding color reproduction.

Additive Color

Subtractive Color

Additive Color Mixing(RGB Color)

Red + Green → Yellow Green + Blue → Cyan Blue + Red → Magenta Red + Green + Blue → White

Subtractive Color Mixing(CMYK Color)

Cyan + Magenta → Blue Magenta + Yellow → Red Yellow + Cyan → Green Cyan + Magenta + Yellow → Black

Complimentary Color

Opposite site of each color can be identify as a complimentary color. For example : Magenta is complementary to green color