1. 1
Lighting

2. The Principles of Lighting
 Preoccupied with daily life, most of us
give only half an eye to the world around
us.
 We respond to its influences but seldom
scrutinize its effects all that closely.
 You recognize the effects, even if you
have not considered their cause.

4. Lighting a figure
from below
creates a spooky
and unfamiliar
look, even the
highlights in the
eyes look
strange because
of their
placement.

5. Lighting a figure
from straight
above can give
a broody and
menacing
look.

7.  Soft frontal lighting smooths over form

8.  Light can also be a very effective way of
revealing translucency.

9. What is the time of the day???

10. What
about
this
one??

11.  The candle light is commonly considered
soft. But if you look around a candle-lit
room, you will find that a candle’s small
flame casts firm clear-cut shadows, and
throws texture & contours into sharp
relief.

12.  While working with light, you will
probably be surprised how many of its
features are already familiar from
everyday experience. Let us now
consciously try and appreciate some of
these features. Features Like:
 Direction
 Quality / Intensity
 Evenness
 Contrast
 Colour
 Source

13. DIRECTION
FRONT LIGHT
 Here light source is
directly behind the
viewer's point of view.
This type of lighting is
often unappealing if
the light source is hard

14. DIRECTION
FRONT LIGHT
 Hard frontal lighting has
that paparazzi look: harsh
and often unattractive.
 It doesn’t substantially
helps in revealing form or
texture since the shadows
are mostly hidden from
view, as a result it can
make things look flat.

15. DIRECTION
FRONT LIGHT
 It can help conceal
wrinkles and
blemishes.

16. DIRECTION
FRONT LIGHT
 There are exceptions
and in some situations
very attractive images
can come from soft
frontal lighting.
Soft frontal lighting smooths over form.

17. DIRECTION
SIDE LIGHT
 It is good for showing
form & texture and
lends a three-
dimensional quality to
objects. Shadows are
prominent & contrast
can be high as a result.

18. DIRECTION
SIDE LIGHT
 Side lighting is
generally attractive &
is often used to great
effect: it is the kind of
lighting encountered at
beginning & end of
the day.

19. DIRECTION
SIDE LIGHT
 Side Lighting
means long
shadows;
 The shadows
cast across this
image help to
give it a sense
of depth and
dimension.

20. DIRECTION
BACK LIGHT
 Back lighting is where
the viewer is looking
into the light source. It
is usually a high
contrast situation and
can often look very
atmospheric &
dramatic.

21. DIRECTION
BACK LIGHT
 Silhouettes are a
common feature of
backlit scenes.

22. DIRECTION
BACK LIGHT
 It is also a very effective way of revealing
translucency.

23. DIRECTION
BACK LIGHT
 Back lighting can
make most mundane
subjects look
appealing.

24. DIRECTION
TOP LIGHT
 It is slightly more
unusual situation. It
can be encountered in
sunshine at midday, in
some interiors & in
situations such as
stage lighting.

25. DIRECTION
TOP LIGHT
 In soft light it is an
effective way of
showing form. But
underneath hard lights
one will have black
holes for eyes since
their eye sockets will
be in total shadow.

26. DIRECTION
TOP LIGHT
 It is rarely used by artists.
The very fact that it's not
often seen, it can be used
to create an uncomfortable
feeling.

27. DIRECTION
BOTTOM LIGHT
 Lighting from directly
below the subject is even
more unusual, than top
lighting. In a natural
context this might happen
if someone is standing
over a campfire, or holding
a torch.

28. DIRECTION
BOTTOM LIGHT
 It would definitely lend a
strange appearance to even
the most familiar things
since what is usually seen
in light & shade would be
reversed.
 In the very rarity, this kind
of lighting can be used to
creative effect.