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Ambient light photography3/21/2023 ![]() ![]() He used image-editing software after the shoot to balance the conflicting color temperatures of the two different light sources.Ĭary Norton’s editorial and fine-art photography is suffused with an edgy realism. The photographer handheld his Canon EOS 5D Mark II (C), and was able to capture sharp images, in part, because of the high ISO he set. Instead, he went with two available light sources: a fluorescent bank in the background (A) and three overhead incandscent bulbs in shades (B). To lend his rock-singer subject Mathew Mayfield some Southern street cred, photographer Cary Norton brought the musician to a gritty Birmingham, AL, dive bar and eschewed adding his own lighting. “I tend to shoot from the hip and I like finding new ways to use different available light sources-it always turns into something rewarding.” “I like working with ambient light,” says Norton. Later, in Adobe Photoshop CS5, he used layers and layer masks to alter the color balance of the fluorescent-lit areas until they also appeared white. He synched the two sources by first setting the capture white balance on his camera to 3200K, rendering the pool table lights near-white. The lights over the foreground pool table were tungsten incandescents, while those behind his subject were fluorescent tubes. While shooting, Norton hit another common trap: conflicting color temperatures. (Norton saw the potential in these cones when Mayfield lit a cigarette and the smoke gave them shape.) Many photographers would have walked right by this pool table, unaware that between the overhead fixtures and the table top-invisible against background shadows-three cones of potentially dramatic light waited to be exploited. Of course, working with available light can be just as difficult as setting up your own-you will need to develop an eye for it. The goal was to capture a gritty feeling, and adding lights would have undermined that.” But the bar’s own lighting had the right atmosphere to complement Mayfield’s music-anything more would have ruined the ambience.Īs Norton puts it, “shooting straightforward suits Matthew’s style. Norton could have rolled in with a dolly full of strobes, snoots, and umbrellas. He took it during a daylong photo shoot in which he and Mayfield explored colorful locations in and around Birmingham, AL, including this local dive bar and its dramatically lit billiards table. For example - shooting subjects that are further than six feet from you, as is often the case. In some instances you have little choice than to exclusively or primarily use ambient light. It sure worked for Norton’s portrait of rocker Matthew Mayfield, shown here. Shooting in ambient light without strobes requires adherence to certain guidelines in order to produce good images. The available-light strategy makes a lot of sense for many photographers for several reasons: Good light is usually easy to find, it comes in all varieties (flat, contrasty, bright, or dim), and, when you’re lucky enough to find it, costs nothing. There are lots of ways to get around it in dark environments but it’s usually gets more technical and requires more expensive gear (which we’ll cover in a future lesson.“I enjoy finding good light, instead of making it,” says Alabama-based pro Cary Norton. In tougher ambient lighting situations, it will make you work more for the shot, which may or may not be worth the effort depending on the situation. In great ambient lighting situations, you’ll never miss it. There are several technical lighting reasons that make it the fastest way to make your image look very flat and very average. That’s right…I’m telling you to turn off your camera’s automatic flash. I personally avoid both of these at all costs, unless there’s a very specific effect I’m going for…or if there is no other choice. The most common sources of this are direct sunlight and those tiny, automatic on-camera flashes that sit on most cameras today. This is opposed to a light source that is small and further away from the subject, which can create very harsh and unflattering shadows. The most common ambient sources for soft light are window light and shady spots on a bright, sunny day. This is referred to as “soft light” and it works really well for portraits and lifestyle shots. Key rule: The larger the light source AND the closer it is to the subject, the less harsh the shadows will be. ![]()
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