Jeff Jacobson Photography

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The Last Roll Book Sale

Start by analyzing your clients’ needs. You need to know the important factors for shooting in a particular location. A client might need an outdoor location with […]

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How To Photograph Food

Food Photography quick simple Tips. You may learn so many quality Tips. Quality and creative content. https://www.jeffjacobsonphotography.com

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Camera Basics Anatomy Of Camera

In this article, you may learn the anatomy of Camera. The purpose of Camera is to capture light and record the Image. In order to capture an […]

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Books And Prints

The photo paper can be divided into two types: coated and uncoated. The coated one is the most favorable type because it has better image quality, higher […]

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Melting Point

The world of photography is changing. The traditional rules and ways we take photos are being redefined by technology and innovation. Photography has become a medium that […]

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Workshops

Start your own workshop for photographers. This will be a recurring event on the calendar of your city. Therefore it is important to be local. Launching a […]

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Camera Basic

Understand important thing about Photography



Camera Basics Shutter Speed

Learn the basic concept of shutter speed, from the actual shutter actuation process to the different effects that shutter speeds can produce. You may able to learn […]

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How to Reinvigorate Your Photography Skills

If photography is your major source of income, you may not be able to address losing that photography mojo since you need to cover expenses, but I’m certain you’ll be familiar with the symptoms.

So, how do you resurrect it? Here are some suggestions that might help you. But keep in mind one thing: it will return if you just trust it and don’t keep forcing it.

Ways to Reinvigorate Your Photography

Purchase a New Camera

Yes, it will answer everything; you will feel compelled to go out and snap fresh photos, and they will be fantastic.

Because of your decent camera and lens combination, it suddenly has become a work of art; your mojo has returned, and your life is complete.

Sort Through Your Equipment Bag

It’s a more transformative experience, but it still involves photography. Clean the bag by vacuuming it and wiping it down. Sort through your filtering sets and see which items you use most frequently.

When you’re organizing your filters, your memory will recall when and why you used them.

Review Your Previous Work

Delete every image. If you believe your photography is poor today, consider how bad it was when you won’t realize more than you do now, and then delete every single one of them.

Give a Photobook to Your Employees as a Gift

Photobooks are a type of photo album that is typically made with hardcover and paper pages. They are meant to be a visual representation of your life or memories.

Photobooks are becoming more popular among employees as they provide an opportunity to express themselves creatively. This is especially true for employees who have been working in the same company for 10 years or more and want to document their time in the company.

While some companies use photobooks as a way to motivate their employees, others use them as an employee recognition tool.

Wondering about other gifts for employees (מתנות לעובדים) to give? Continue browsing at Zeev for more.

How to Create a Photobook: the Perfect Employee Gift

Here are some of the most important things that you need to consider when creating a photo book for your employees.

  1. Research and find a photographer who can provide you with high-quality photos
  2. Make sure that your photographer has experience in shooting events or photoshoots
  3. Discuss with your photographer what type of photo book style they would like to create for your company
  4. Consider adding a personal touch to the book by including photos from the company’s CEO and other VIPs
  5. Create a unique cover for the book

Read also: Why You Must Hire A Professional Product Photographer?

Photobook Apps to make Compilation Easy

Photobook apps are a great way to make a compilation album of your best photos. There are loads of options in the app store and you can find one that fits your needs. and tastes.

Some of the options even have a function that allows you to turn your phone into a tripod for self-timed photos, which is perfect if you prefer to do your own timelapse shots.If you need help finding an app that works for your needs, here are some of the most popular apps:

Wish Upon a Star

This app is perfect if you want to make a scrapbook of your adventures. It allows you to add photos and videos, as well as audio. You can also choose the themes for each album or create your own through widgets.

All Around Me: Scrapbook with TimeLapse and Video Collage

This app offers a variety of photo options, including photo collages and timelapse videos. It also has a function that allows you to choose photos from your phone and place them in the arrangement. You can even add drawings or text before saving.

#LiveWhileYouCan

This popular app is perfect for capturing memories with friends or family. It allows you to take photos with friends and family, add captions and tags, and share as well. It also has a function that allows you to create photo collages with shared photos in one go.

Canva

Canva offers a variety of photo options, such as a collage maker. You can also select photos from your phone and upload them to the app.

Family Photos

This app offers a variety of photo options, including photo collages and timelapse videos. It also has a function that allows you to choose photos from your phone and place them in the arrangement.

How to Pick the Right Photobook for Your Employees

You might be wondering what type of photo book to give your employees as a gift. It can be a daunting task to choose the right one.

There are different factors that you should consider when picking the right book for your employees. The first thing that you need to do is decide whether you want to use a traditional or digital photo book. Once you’ve decided on either of these options, it’s time to think about how many pages and how big the photos will be on each page.

After thinking about all these factors, it’s time for you to take a look at some of the best photography books for an employee gift!

The Importance of Managing Your Photography Club or Social Media Group

A photography club is a group of people who are interested in photography. They share their experience, knowledge, and skills with each other.

The term ‘social media group’ can mean different things to different people. For some, it might be a community of like-minded individuals who share the same interests or hobbies, while for others it might be a platform for marketing their business or brand.

Online communities are sometimes referred to as social media groups because they have similar characteristics and elements to those that you find on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

Read also: 3 of the Best Photo Editing Apps of 2021

How to Manage Your Photography Club or Social Media Group with AI-based Tools

The use of AI tools in project management has become increasingly popular. The promise of these tools is to help make project management more efficient.

The best way to manage your photography club or social media group with AI-based tools is by using a pro project management software like the Club Management Software created by the Association of Campai (Vereinsverwaltung von Campai). There are many software that is available on the market, but the best software for managing your photography club or social media group is the one that fits your needs and budget.

Why Photography Clubs will Need this AI-Based Club Management Software

The club management software is designed to help clubs in whatever way possible. From memberships and events to membership dues and funding, all the data is stored with the software. It can also be used as a digital portfolio for photographers who want to showcase their work.

Professional photographers can now focus more on what’s important – capturing captivating images. With the help of Project Management Tools, administrative and marketing tasks are synchronized so that nothing is left behind.

AI-based platforms can help photography businesses in a number of ways. They can automate tasks, provide insights into data, and be more efficient than manual processes.

Automation of social media activities, content creation, and member management

Social media automation helps you focus on what’s important and ensures that you’re posting the best content for your audience. With an AI-based project management tool, creating captivating content that counts becomes easy without getting bored. It also helps you grow your social media accounts and can help you grow your brand as well.

Automation of Administrative tasks such as finances, accounting, and member communication

Automation of administrative tasks such as finance and accounting has been a long-term trend. This trend is now being accelerated by the use of AI project administration tools.

The use of these tools in the field of administrative tasks is more than just automation, it is also about transparency and data security. Automation in this case will help companies save time on their administrative tasks, reduce operational costs, and increase productivity.

What Management software is right for your photography club?

The right management software for your photography club is the one that will help you manage your members, events, and finances. There are many different types of management software out there. Some are designed for photographers and others for clubs in general. The best way to find the right software for you and your club is to look at what specific features you need and what type of workflow you want to implement.

If you have a small group of members, and you just want to manage your Instagram, Facebook Page and Events, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media accounts, then Social Media Management Software would be the right software for you.

If you are looking for cloud-based easy-to-use software that can help you manage club administration, track and record finances, team management, and recruitment, then you will need Club Management Software.

Conclusion: Start Using Project Management Tools to Manage Your Photography Club Today

Start using project management tools. There are several cloud-based free tools offered for small to medium-size businesses. Check out Trello, It’s an easy way to organize your club’s tasks and keep track of who contributed what. Use Trello’s labels and checklists at the top of your lists to help stay organized. You can also use Google Calendar for your events and to schedule the meetings for the club.

Softbox and Photography

One of the essential components in photography is perfect lighting. Aside from the proper handling of light in photography, using a softbox is the best solution with this.

Softbox: What it is?

Softboxes are far beyond a photography tool.

A softbox is just a housing unit for controlling and enhancing a light source. They exist in a variety of sizes, shapes, and even brands. Aside from that, they’re great in almost any situation where artificial light is used.

Factors to Consider in Buying a Softbox

As you consider your purchase, keep an eye out for the following:

SHAPE

Depending on the shape of the softbox, it generally identifies its performance. A huge, broad, flat softbox may serve as a canopy overhead, illuminating a large area. Meanwhile, a smaller, longer softbox would be more suited to portrait photography and other similar applications.

MATERIALS

Most softboxes in every price range are made of fabric, which is commonly canvased around some wire arms; nonetheless, hardshell softboxes and other odds exist.

ACCESSORIES

Some softboxes simply come with a uni-diffusion panel, while others offer a wide range of possibilities.

EXTRA EQUIPMENT

In most cases, the softbox will be installed on a speed ring that is placed to the light fixture itself. Additionally, if you don’t already have one, you’ll almost certainly need one.

Conducting Surveys for Photographers and Their Photography Businesses

Surveys are a great way for photographers to get feedback from their clients. They can find out what their clients like and don’t like about the photos. It also helps them figure out what kinds of photos their clients want to see in the future. A survey is a great way for photographers to stay ahead of the curve and make sure they are providing what their clients want.

Conduct surveys for your customers online through YouReviewIt, a review website that offers surveys and reviews for various products and services.

What is a survey?

A survey is a questionnaire that gathers information from a group of people. Surveys can be used for any range of purposes and are often used in marketing research, polling, and market analysis.

Surveys can be conducted over the phone, by mail or email, or through the internet. They can also be administered in person at a place of business or event.

A survey will ask respondents to answer questions and provide feedback on topics such as their opinion on an issue or product, their demographic information (age, gender), their income level and spending habits (big-ticket items like cars, vacations), what they think about an advertising campaign or social media post, etc.

How to Create Your Own Survey Questions

A survey questionnaire is a set of questions that the surveyor poses to a respondent. These questions are designed to elicit specific information from the respondent. There are 2 types of questionnaires: closed and open-ended. Closed questionnaires are typically used for quantitative data, while open-ended questionnaires are more suitable for qualitative data.

It is important to avoid mistakes when creating your own survey questions, as these mistakes can have a significant effect on the data collected in your survey questionnaire. For example, if you ask a yes or no question but do not specify which option the respondent should answer with then they will be left guessing which option they should choose; this will result in inaccurate data being collected.

How to Make Sure You Get the Right Answers From People Who Take the Survey

As you may know, it is important to be able to trust the people who are taking your surveys. This can be difficult for a couple of reasons. The first is that there are some people out there who will outright lie just to get a gift card or other thank you that you might have promised as an incentive for taking the survey. The second problem is that some people might not understand the questions, so it is important to make your questions as straightforward and as simple as possible.

Read also: Why You Must Hire A Professional Product Photographer?

Conclusion: Why Conduct Surveys For Your Photography Business?

Surveys are a great way to get feedback from your customers. They provide you with insights into what they want and how they feel about your product. This way, you’ll be able to make the necessary improvements in order to satisfy their needs.

A survey can be conducted at any point in time, but it’s always best to do it when things are going well. This way, there won’t be anything that might ruin their moods or cause them to give negative feedback.

 

The Processes of Additive Color in Photography

It was in the 1890s when the earliest photography methods had been seen. They replicated color by combining green, red, and light blue color shades. The said process is called the additive color process.

Let’s discover the different processes covered under this so-called additive color method.

Photography’s Different Processes of Additive Color

Below is the variation of the additive color process in photography.

Kromograms

Frederic Ives, an American photographer, and an inventor as well, invented a system that depends on three-color separation negatives captured using colored filters. The transparent positives were created out of these negatives, which were then viewed via a Kromskop.

The photos were placed on three-layer transparencies using the Kromskop mirrors, and the colors were restored by utilizing another set of filters. Kromograms are the set of resulting images that were highly effective yet expensive.

Joly Process

Rather than producing three different exposures with green, red, and blue filters, a more basic method was to use a filter that integrated all three basic colors in a single exposure.

Dr. John Joly invented the first technique that used this technology in 1894 in Dublin.

Autochrome

Two French brothers namely Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the first screen process that is properly usable and has been successful commercially. It was in the early twentieth century when autochrome was discovered.

The Lumières realized that keeping the separation of the filter screen from the photographic emulsion was unnecessary. So, they mixed the two on a similar glass support.

Photography: Capturing Cars

car-photography

Find a quiet place, crouch, or turn on GPS. Here are some simple tricks to make a good car photo.

What do you need for a good car photo?

To take good pictures, you need a clean vehicle and a large area with a neutral background. In addition to the location, of course, you’ll need a high-resolution camera or the latest smartphone. The special photo app is suitable for further processing of images. Many of these are paid, so try the different options of the filters and factory apps you have installed first.

Car Preparation for Photos

You need to be careful to prepare your car for photos to make it look good. This includes a thorough car wash and internal cleaning. Also, remove small items that could get in the way of your photos, such as fragrant wood, charging cables, ice scrapers, and old stickers, from your door pocket or center console. It is advisable to wash the particularly dirty floor mats after vacuuming. Next is the window time. Remove the inner and outer streaks and dirt, and don’t forget the inner and outer mirrors. Chromium, aluminum, or stainless steel parts will also look great in the photo when freshly cleaned and polished.

Great Places for Car Photography: What’s in the Background?

If your used car is clean like the earnhardt Honda, find a place where you have space and can take pictures and videos of your car or motorcycle from all directions. Tip: Neutral and large spaces, such as in front of supermarkets, DIY stores, and furniture stores, are perfect for car photography. Space is usually empty after the store is closed or on Sundays.

High-rise parking and underground parking are not bad places either. In the countryside, this can be a driveway to a large meadow or field. It is important that the background is neutral. In other words, you need to stay out of the way of other cars, people, and traffic signs. Tip: Walls, industrial halls, or concrete walls are suitable for car photography. Here you can also shoot the car from all sides outside business hours, like a professional photoshoot.

Important for Light-Time

If the location is suitable for photography, you need to pay attention to light and reflection. Tip: The more light you have from the outside, the better your photos will be, except under the scorching sun at noon. This is because it casts a strong shadow next to the car. If the sun is too bright, you should stop shooting. Early morning or evening, warm light ensures the beautiful colors and good atmosphere of the photo. Your car shows the best side in these blue hours.

 

Beware of reflections

Car paint and glass reflect all sorts of things in the environment. Make it invisible to paint. However, clouds, branches, leaves, streetlights, and other vehicles can also be reflected in the paint. Potential buyers may get the impression that the paint is damaged or dirty. It doesn’t look good in the photo.

Show the whole car

The right angle, correct viewpoint, correct image section, golden section will make the used car appear in the picture. Do not shoot him diagonally from above with the camera. However, shoot well below eye level. You can shoot flat from all sides, but it will look better if you shoot at an angle of 45 degrees back and forth. Do not use backlights and flashes as they are reflected in windows, headlights, license plates, and paint. Tip: Beautiful photos are created even in weakly diffused light, such as at sunset. This means that you can omit the external light source. The tripod ensures a stable image.

Phone Accessories for HQ Photography

One of the current use of smartphone is as primary camera. Numbers of smartphone users generally replace the conventional cameras with phones in taking photos. Because of that, investment on phone accessories is a good decision to make. In fact, these accessories for mobile photography are generally helpful in enhancing your photography experience. Aside from that, they are also beneficial in enhancing the quality of the images to be clear and crisp.

Smartphone Accessories to have High-Quality Images

In order to have a great mobile photography experience, you must need to invest on the following phone accessories:

TRIPOD

Basically, a tripod is the most essential yet cost-effective tool to invest into when it comes to mobile photography. The tabletop tripods or octopus tripod are the types of tripod that are ideal for use in this kind of photography.

CINEMA LENS

Well, smartphone cameras nowadays may already give an excellent shot. However, built-in phone cameras has a major drawback. Detailed and too complicated images may be produced by camera phones with larger lens. This is where cinema lens comes in. The primary goal of the cinema lenses is to boost the phone camera’s capabilities.

PHONE STAND

Shooting good images with great ease may be achieved by having better grip and handle. That’s why taking photos with a phone stand is a helpful way in making high-quality images.

How Website Photography Work

photography-site

The picture is worth a thousand words. That certainly applies to the photos on your website. With beautifully personalized photos, perfectly handled lighting with every image, creative and great shots, help businesses express themselves better. Two or three professional photos on your website can make a big difference!

Website Photos: Your Website Upgrades

Your website is your company’s digital business card. Many entrepreneurs invest heavily in corporate identities such as logos, color schemes, and layouts. But in the end, you’ll end up using standard photos as images. The photos you can see on other websites like link building services by using high quality content, etc. says much about you as a company, but more is better. Unfortunately, good, unique photos do a lot more!

The photos taken specifically for your website can really show who you are. They can tell your story. The website was enough to set it apart from others. Now it’s about what your website has to offer. Enhance your website with professional photos!

First impression

Often, the first contact with your company is through your website. People come to your website because they are looking for a product or they know your name. What do you see?

The first impression is very important. Beautiful visual elements such as photos and videos work well. Of course, you can combine corporate movies with website photos.

Give your company a face

Who makes up your company? Beautiful pictures of your employees can give your company a face. This helps you gain customer trust because you can see who you are. You can take beautiful portraits of men and women at work, but I can also shoot them in their work environment. The knife cuts in both directions.

For example, get an impressive portrait that you can use on the About Us page, while at the same time getting a photo of the beautiful atmosphere of your company and employees. Taking a photo with an employee can easily be combined with a photo on your website. Turn to your company!

How do photos on the website work?

The first idea is: what do you want to express? Some customers have a clear idea of ​​what they want. Others ask for input. Everything is possible. Discuss and make a plan. Arrange a photo shoot as soon as the intention is clear.

Of course, take pictures at the highest resolution, but in the end, deliver the pictures in a format suitable for your website.

 

3 of the Best Photo Editing Apps of 2021

The one thing every photographer wants when they’re out shooting pictures is for their phone to be as prepared and ready-to go. With so many apps that can help you deal with all sorts of photo issues, it’s easier than ever before!

The best part? You don’t even need an actual camera since these’ll work on any device from Smartphones up through DSLR cameras – talk about convenience!

Let’s check out these 3 of the best photo editing apps that stand out the most this 2021:

1-ACDSee Ultimate

The latest update to ACDSee’s Ultimate app permits users not just upload and edit their photos on mobile devices, but also transfer them over with ease. One thing this particular program really stands out as having? Its pixel targeting feature which gives you access into fine tuning colors or toning down exposure time if needed!

2-Canva

Take your photos to the next level with Canva. With this app, you can make marketing materials like flyers and posters from scratch!

3-ON1 Photo RAW

Moving up into the next phase, ON1 Photo RAW has developed its software to make it more useful for editing images. Sky Swap AI is one of their feature newest inclusions is which helps photo takers enhance the moody skies and incorporate some lush substitutes with just one click!

Computador For Modern Photographers – What To Consider

Obviously and without question, a camera is the primary tool used by photographers to carry out their work. For modern photographers, a professional camera isn’t necessarily what is needed to take great pictures as there are tablets and smartphones today with excellent cameras able to take quality photos. While modern photographers can make use of any of them to snap photos, their work doesn’t end there since they have to work on post-processing.

Post-processing in photography is the use of photo editing techniques to make enhancements on the original photograph taken by the photographer. To efficiently carry out this process, a reliable computer and a good photo editing software are necessary.

Computador for Modern Photographers – Desktop or Laptop

When it comes to choosing a computador for post-processing photographs, you need to choose between a desktop computer and a laptop. Both have their own set of advantages and of course disadvantages as well.

If you are a photographer who travels from one place to another to capture photos, you want a computer that is compact, light and portable so you can carry it with you during your travels. For this reason, a laptop is more practical. However, one of the major downside is that you have to make certain your laptop is always charged and to ensure that there is always a power outlet available for charging your device. You don’t want your laptop to suddenly switch off because of empty battery while working on your photos.

On the other hand, a desktop computer, such as those on Atual Center, is best if you have a fixed or stationary workspace. While portability is a downside, you get more power as well as more reliable hardware in exchange. In addition, a lot of individuals find it more convenient and manageable to make use of an external keyboard and a mouse compared with the keyboard and track pad of a laptop.

Because a desktop computador offers more power as well as better performance and are built for heavier tasks and regular use, many find desktops more ideal than laptops. There is a wide range of computador in the market so you are bound to find one that will suit your computador needs and budget.

Atual Center, for instance, has a line of desktop computers perfect for home use or for business use. They too offer desktops built for gaming if you are looking for something that would improve your gaming experience. Check out their site as you might find a computador that will match your every computer need.

Computador for Post-Processing and Photo Editing

With the extensive array of computers available in the market, shopping for one can be overwhelming at times. As a photographer, there are things that you need to take into consideration to ensure that your post-processing and photo editing software and programs run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

  • PROCESSOR. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) helps the computer run as fast as possible giving it a better performance. The faster your processor, the better it will be for your post-processing demands. Also, a computer with a multi-core processor allows users to simultaneously work on numerous tasks without worrying about lags and/or freezes.
  • MEMORY. The Random Access Memory, or RAM, is the amount of memory of your computer. This is frequently mixed up with the hard drive space. The RAM works conjointly with the processor and also creates a significant difference with the performance and the speed of the computer. The more amount of RAM you have, the better for your editing and post-processing needs.
  • GRAPHICS CARD. The graphics card of the computer is responsible for optimizing the images as well as videos on the computer. Just like the RAM, it works together with the processor. The graphics card has its own memory (RAM) that it utilizes to carry out all calculations and rendering related to graphics. Moreover, a good graphics card also helps improve the speed of the computer.
  • MONITOR. When it comes to photo editing and post-processing, you want to have the biggest computer monitor that your budget can afford. They come in various styles such as ultra widescreen, touchscreen, and curved. Go for a monitor that you are most comfortable with and one that you can tilt to get the right position. Make certain your monitor is also compatible with your graphics card for a good response time. Furthermore, it is best to get a monitor with a range of color, more than just RGB, for more accurate color. The greater the resolution of your monitor, the better for your work.
  • HARD DISK DRIVE SPACE. Getting adequate hard disk drive (HDD) space will ensure that the programs and applications in your computer would run smoothly and quickly. Do note that the type of hard drive that you select can have an effect on the speed og your computer. For fastest speed, choose a solid state hard drive (SSD). But you also have the option to have both HDD and SDD in your computer.

Why You Must Hire A Professional Product Photographer?

While there are many different ways on how a website and other online stores are taking product photos. Among the best option is by hiring a professional photographer. Professional photographers have the right equipment, knowledge, and expertise for taking top-quality images of your products. Here are four reasons why you should hire a professional product photographer:

  1. Image quality
  2. Camera angles
  3. Professionalism
  4. Cost-effectiveness

Image Quality

Image quality is one of the most important considerations when it comes to product photography. Pixels are what make up your image files. You want to make sure that the pixel density is high enough for you to see all the details in your product. If there are any flaws in your products, they will be much more noticeable in a low-resolution photo.

This is where professional photographers come in. They use expensive equipment and techniques to get professional quality images, which ensures that all the details of your product are visible and everything looks great. This is especially important if you plan on selling online or through social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram.

Camera angles

Having a professional take your product images will result in high-quality images. Professionals have the knowledge and expertise to determine the best camera angles for capturing your products. You’ll also be able to save time editing photos to make sure they’re perfect.

Professionalism

One of the best reasons why you should hire a professional product photographer is professionalism. When we think of professionalism, we’re not just thinking about how you look in your suit and tie. We’re also talking about how you behave and conduct yourself when interacting with others. Professionals are knowledgeable and skilled in their fields, and will likely get the job done faster than someone who has less experience or expertise.

Cost-effectiveness

The cost of hiring a professional photographer is significantly less than the cost of doing it yourself. Professional photographers will take photos for you, edit them, and then return them. You only need to pay for one round of photography. If you hire a professional, you won’t have to invest in expensive equipment or other supplies like lights, backgrounds, etc.

Handling Light In Photography

Not banal, on the other hand: the sensitive handling of the available light, the detection of unusual light situations, the optimal exposure, and coping with contrasts.

For photographers, dealing with available light has two sides: the creative design and the technical implementation.

On the one hand, the lighting of a subject can no longer be changed afterward, on the other hand, the most beautiful light is of no use if the tonal values ​​in the image are not correct, if shadows have closed or lights have been eroded.

The following applies:

The more complex or spectacular the photo light, the more it depends on the photographer’s technical ability, from the photo to the image processing.

Designing with light begins with developing sensitivity for unusual lighting situations. There are those magical moments when the light enchants the environment and you as a photographer hold your breath. Such lighting moods often only last a few seconds or minutes, for example when a storm is approaching the door. When the day turns into the blue hour and the bluish cold ambient light is in beautiful complementary color contrast to artificial light sources.

Or in backlit situations just before sunset.

Such moments cannot be forced, they are given for free. However, this does not mean that the photographer is simply at the mercy of the available light: By choosing the location, for example, you can influence how the sun hits the subject in order to work out its shape or surface. Or you can brighten up if there is too much shadow over against the light.

Position & direction of light

If directed light hits an object, the decisive factor is the direction from which the light comes in relation to the direction of exposure. Basically, the following four variants can be distinguished:

1. Front light
The light shines in the direction of recording (also called frontal light), the photographer has the light source at his back. Shadows can hardly be seen because they are behind the subject. Black and white pictures often appear dull with this light, while flat motifs with strong colors develop their effect optimally. Example: graffiti on a wall, colorful shutters, flowers, and plants. If the sun is very high, the front light turns into incident light.

2. Sidelight
If the light comes from the side, for example at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees to the direction of exposure, a shadow is created on the side facing away from the light. Sidelight has a modeling effect, it works out the forms and structures of a motif – an important stylistic device in architecture and landscape. For portraits, it is advisable to brighten the side of the face facing away from the sun with a flash or – which often looks more natural – with a folding reflector.

3. Sidelight
So-called because it hits the motif at a very acute angle and in doing so works out surface structures in a three-dimensional manner. Examples: wooden surfaces or walls. Grazing light can come from the side as well as from above, so it is an extreme form of side or incident light.

4. Backlight
It represents a great challenge for the photographer and at the same time offers many design options. Light fringes on hair and contours are typical design elements – but also foreground motifs that become silhouettes without detailed drawings. Transparent motifs such as foliage come into their own in the backlight because they develop a self-luminous effect.

Tip: When taking backlit photos, choose the position so that the light source is covered (e.g. by a branch), so the sun does not shine directly into the lens – otherwise the contrasts are difficult to control, stray light effects, and cloud the image.

 

© 2021 Jeff Jacobson Photography™