PHOTOGRAPHY AND LIGHTING
image a desired color cast
Composition – the putting together of elements
in one shot
The Rule of Thirds
Rule of thirds – a basic principle in picture
composition
Framing the Body and Headroom
Headroom – when framing a person or a face,
we usually put a little space on top of the head
Looking space – put adequate space in the
direction where your subject is looking
Walking space – put more some in the direction
towards where your subject is moving
Leveling – if you are shooting spaces with a lot
of horizontal areas or objects with strong
vertical lines, make sure that the frame is
leveled
Background-Foreground Relationship
-composition involves emphasizing important
details and leaving out unimportant ones. One
effective way to achieve this is by taking note of
the relationship between the foreground,
middle ground, and background.
-your foreground and background should not be
of the same color
-your background should not be too cluttered
to avoid overwhelming your subject in the
foreground
Using Color Creatively
-conscious and creative use of color can help
you tell your stories better. Color can be
emphasize certain details or draw the eyes
towards an object
-color can also be used to achieve certain
effects as with intentionally setting the “wrong”
color balance (or color temperature) to give the
Reframing
-be conscious of your composition even when
your subjectis moving
Video controls – the digital video camera has
several features for manipulating images
Exposure and Brightness
-digital still and video cameras has an auto
exposure function. This is, your camera’s image
sensor makes some calculations and decides
how much light it will allow in
-another exposure tool that most digital
cameras have is the back light compensation
control. This is particularly useful in instances
when your subject is standing in front of a
bright area, say a sunny window
Focus
-the auto focus function is sufficient for most
shooting conditions
-using the manual focus mode gives you greater
control over your image
White balance
-different kinds of light give off different colors
-to make sure that colors are rendered correctly
in each light condition, we have to “teach” the
camera to see white by setting the white
balance
-most digital camera have preset white balance
options: tungsten (indoor), daylight (outdoor),
fluorescent, cloud, etc.
Lighting
-light creates images. Without enough light, the
most that will come out of your camera are
muddy pools of black
Natural Light Source
-the sun is the best light source you can get. If
you plan to shoot with natural light, it is best to
shoot around 8 a.m. or 3 p.m.
-you can use reflector to direct sunlight at your
subject’s face to lessen this problem. Reflectors
are usually smooth and silvered
and then, at the appropriate moment, restores
the focus
HMI (Hydro Mercuric Iodide) – an artificial light
that simulates the light temperature of the
noontime sun
Image sensor – silicon chip that digitally records
information about an image for reproduction

-you can make a simple reflector by covering a Overexposed – describes an image that has
Styrofoam board with a sheet of aluminum been lighted too strongly or an image shot with
a camera opening that allowed too much light
Artificial Light Sources
to come in
-the most accessible light source is the regular
household incandescent bulb. Fluorescent
lamps may be also used, although they give off
instable color temperature and may cause your
images to shift colors all the time

-other artificial light sources such as HMIs are

made to have the same color temperature as
the sun. they are said to be “daylight-balanced.”

Directionality

-the direction of your light source determines

how your subject would appear on the screen.
The front light has light hitting your target from
the direction of the camera

Full side light – produces shadows that are clear

across the frame

Back light – comes from behind and outlines the

subject and sets it apart from the background

Top light – shines light down directly from

above the subject. Makes deep shadows in the
eye sockets

Underlighting – has a light source from below

the subject and casts shadows upward

Color temperature – measured in Kelvin

degrees; refers to a light source’s relative
redness or blueness

Defocus – this process, or effect, occurs when

the camera operator zooms in, alters the focus,