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Different Qualities of Light

Lesson 5 from: The Art of Seeing: On Location

Frans Lanting

Different Qualities of Light

Lesson 5 from: The Art of Seeing: On Location

Frans Lanting

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Lesson Info

5. Different Qualities of Light

Lesson Info

Different Qualities of Light

The essential ingredient in any photograph is light there's different kinds of light to be aware off, what we have right now is in direct light there is a sun above the farc but the fog acts as a layer that scatters the light. Some photographers may not like that too much, but I actually think it's beautiful it's a really gorgeous dispersed light and it resolves a lot of potential problems that you might get the direct light. There isn't a lot of contrast no matter where I point my camera there isn't so much contract that I have to be too careful about calibrating my exposure. Another kind of indirect light is what happens before sunrise and right after sunset and that is what many photographers to refer to as magic light you get these gorgeous colors in the sky and that reflects back on to the scene. Now if you have direct light, that means that the sun is hitting your subject and it's good to be aware of where the sun hits the subject relative to where you are when the sun is behind ...

you, you've got front light now I use front light especially when I want to emphasize colors when the sun hits the subject at a ninety degree angle it emphasizes texture, so if you have a situation where there's a lot of interesting things at the surface of things, whether it's rocks that are covered with moss or veteran is a gorgeous force team that ferns that is when you want to think about cross light or sidelight when the sound is in front of you in other words you looking into the son what I do is I try to be aware of how the light changes when I walk onto a beach it's like here in the morning I'm orienting myself towards where the most light occurs so I look into the sun then when the sun rises above the horizon for the first ten to fifteen minutes you get that really warm glow on the scene so I orient myself looking where the sun hits the subject after awhile then the sun rises in the sky and you're losing that really nice warm light I often end up orienting myself towards cross light and ultimately than the sun is really high and there's no color left in a scene I often use back light when there is no color you might as well simplify a scene and go for silhouettes analyzing the light helps me decide where I should be I look at a scene and I start to think whether I want to emphasize color or texture or shapes and depending on what I come up it that is when I decide where I put myself he's evita son so depending on what you want to emphasize color keep the son in your back text here orient yourself at a ninety degree angle to the sum you want to simplify a scene. Orient yourself looking straight into the sun. So keep that in the back of your head when you're walking into a situation. And you're not quite sure how tow optimize your position. Visa vida son.

Class Materials

Bonus Video: Wildlife Photography Shoot with Seagulls

cL-1507-LANTINGLOC-D1-BONUS-Seagulls-HD.mp4
cL-1507-LANTINGLOC-D1-BONUS-Seagulls-Low.mp4

Ratings and Reviews

user-2468da
 

Loved this course with Frans Lanting. His explanations were awesome. I learned to "see" things in a way I have not seen before. I also was inspired to go back to my own safe haven at St. Marks Wildlife Refuge and "create." So much to practice but love that I can always come back to review this class/course for more inspiration. I would love to join one of his workshops.

MizUniverse
 

a really excellent class with a very humble Frans Lansing. Good explanations of EVERYTHING; composition, light and equipment. REALLY want to take one of Frans courses in person. Such a lovely person it seems. Thank you Frans!! I have posted some of my work and I am now inspired to do some of the gorgeous water shots you took WOW!!!

user-456dfb
 

I really, really, really enjoyed this course. I watched it when I was forced indoors by 100+ degree weather, and the constant sound of the surf cooled my brain. Frans is very easy to like and learn from. After spending this much time with him, I feel he should know me if I walked up and shook his hand--his personality extends so easily through the screen. He both reinforced my own sense of how to approach seeing a location and encourage me to see in different ways. His review of tech was mouthwatering as those look like some pretty high end cameras, but he finished the whole day by recommending his iPhone as the best camera he ever had. I was sorry when I finished this class; I wanted to go with Frans to a new location and do the same thing all over again. Thanks for a terrific value from CreativeLive.com!

Student Work

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