Light basics and vocabulary

Butterfly - A nice shadow underneath the nose

Loop - A light that shadows on her side

Rembrandt - the light moves around to the right a single light placement and causes a triangle shadow

Split - The lighting gives you a dramatic split look

Broad and short - bigger potion of your face is light

Fill light - Fill is used to lighten shadows and control Contrast and Lighting Ratios

Key light (main light)

Background light - Reveals the character of the background and helps separate it from the subject

Hair light - limited to the top of the head background light

Shadowless- every angle is evenly light 

Hard light - A relatively small, direct, usually focusable source, with or without lens, that produces strong High-lights and dark shadows

Soft light- Diffused, Bounced, indirect light; the opposite of Hard Light

Grey card

Reflector- Variously shaped "bowls"  that shape and intensify a lamp's Beam

Diffuser- A Translucent material placed in front of a Light to soften Highlights and Shadows, reduce Contrast and increase Beam Angle.

Intensity- The "strength" of the Incident Light



Direction: A loose term for light that is not loose, and does not spill

Intensity: The "strength" of the Incident Light

Color: Color plays a role in affecting viewer's moods and appetites. 

Contrast: The difference between one tone and another or between the darkest and lightest parts of a scene or processed film

Hardness: A relatively small, direct, usually focusable source, with or without lens, that produces strong High-lights and dark shadows

Flash Photography Basic Concepts

- Every flash photograph is two exposures in one

- Fill flash can be used when subject is backlit or sidelit to eliminate silhouettes or shadows

- Flash exposure is not affected by shutter speed

- Flash illumination is dramatically affected by distance

- Your camera measures ambient light and flash illumination separately

- With automatic flash metering, the flash illumination is measured after the shutter button is pressed, and the flash output is adjusted accordingly

- Every SLR camera with a mechanical shutter box has a maximum flash sync shutter speed

- Harsh lighting, washed out subject and red eye can be eliminated by using diffusers and light bouncing

- It is possible to change the order of when the flash fries using " Rear Curtain Sync "

- Removing the flash from the top of the camera helps eliminate red eye and unflattering shadows

1. Name of Tutorial?

shoot christmas with festive bokeh


2. Save and post an example of the type of photograph this tutorial produces?

3. What equipment do you need? (Make a list. Be specific.) 

camera, black paper, christmas tree, rubber band, lens cap

4. List of important things to do to prepare for shoot? (Make a numbered list.)


Set up your foreground subject and position it and the camera a good distance from the fairy lights in the background

5. List of important tips during shoot. (Make a numbered list.)


If you use AF your DSLR may struggle if the card is in front of the lens; focus without the card, then switch to MF to lock the focus.

6. List of important tips on how to process in Lightroom (or other software) after shoot?

Best 2015 Photos

This picture is a portrait giving a rule of thirds composition