Photographic lighting - contrast and shadow fill

We used both reflectors and additional lamps to control contrast in the workshop. Photographing the take-away container lid is a good example. In this case the lid was placed on a small block on a table covered with black velvet. The camera and main light were on opposite sides of the table, looking down at about 45 degrees on the subject.

Before bringing in any shadow fill, some parts of the edge of the lid were dark and virtually invisible. Similarly, some of the wrinkles in the crushed metal foil were very dark.

1 Before fill lighting

Nikon D300 18-70mm lens at 56mm: Iso 250 f29 at 1/50th

We had the choice of shiny silver, matte silver and white reflectors. We used a matte silver card, and placed this to the right hand side of the subject on a stand to throw light onto the edge and dark shadow areas nearest to the camera. We took photographs with the reflector at various distances and angles. This method was succesful at lighting the bottom edge of the lid, but it's effect on the shadows in the folds of the lid was only partially succesful. The best version after use of the reflector was as follows.

2. Lid after use of reflector to fill in shadow areas

We also tried using a second lamp to fill in the shadows. Following the steps Richard used in the group session, we switched off the main illumination, and placed the secondary lamp at the side of the camera and directed it to lighten the shadow areas. We took a sequence of photographs adjusting the power and position of the secondary lamp until the fill lighting was about right. We then switched on the main lamp, and took another sequence of photos fine tuning the strength of the two lights together. The end result was as follows:-

3. Lid after use of second lamp to fill in the shadows

The second lamp produces a higher key photograph. The contrast is reduced as many of the shadow areas become mid-tone rather than dark in tone. On balance I prefer the more nuanced photograph produced using the lamp to fill the shadows.

Conclusions

We used in-fill lighting in all of the exercises on the course, sometimes using a reflector and sometimes using a second lamp. Richard also demonstrated the use of a third light from above to create highlights in the hair for a photograph of a live model.

I appreciated from the workshop that the use of fill lighting is equal in importance to setting the main light appropriately.

I also noted how subtle lighting adjustments, in particular in photographing a wig stand, enhanced the visual impression of the smooth forms of the head and shoulders.