Different types of photography lighting can add certain effects to your pictures. Simply changing the position of the light source can improve the clarity and detail of a photograph. Poor lighting can also ruin a photograph by making it look faded or dull.
Front Lighting
Front lighting places the subject behind the light source. For outdoor photography, this is when you take the picture with the sun at your back. The drawback to this type of lighting is that it can wash out the photograph's details or make the subject squint while looking into the sun.
Side Lighting
Side lighting is used to create shadows in the photograph. Placing the light in different positions will change the depth and angle of the shadows.
Rear Lighting
Rear photography lighting is used for silhouettes or in situations where the light in front is too bright. It may be necessary to use a flash to offset the shadows created by placing the light source behind your subject.
Three Point Lighting
This type of photography lighting is a mixture of front, side and rear lighting. The intensity of each light source can be adjusted to change the appearance of the photograph.
Soft Lighting
Soft lighting is used to preserve details in your photographs that may be obscured by bright light. The light that comes through on cloudy days or in the late afternoon is a good example of this type of photography lighting. A softbox can be used with indoor lighting to give it a more diffuse look.
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