Let there be light | Feature

Source of light explains how people, objects or landscape are lit. If there is zero light, a photo image will be plain black. Sun acts as the natural source for millions of candid photos taken around the world, but the time of day a photo is taken, usually defines the ambience of that image.

A picture taken in the morning will show the effects of vivid blue skies on people, architecture or landscapes that are being photographed. It's the same with evening light at dusk, but the colour tones and contrast will be different. Afternoon sun, from about 10 am to 4 pm will create dark shadows all around, making portraits or landscapes look rather harsh.

The 10 to 4 window is best suited for commercial and fashion photography, because such shoots usually use strobes (studio lights), reflectors and diffusers to create artificial light. With artificial lights, photographers can easily manipulate natural sun light to suit their needs.

DSLR Cameras are best for all types of photography because they allow a photographer to change lens, thus making every genre of photography possible, unlike a point and shoot camera where settings and focal range are limited. A good DSLR with one general purpose lens costs above Rs 35,000.

Generally, all camera settings must take into account available light, and the shutter speed (S) needs to be fast enough to avoid hand-shaken images. While photographing people, the speed should be at least 1/50 seconds for still shots, a little higher at 1/125 for action shots and it'll get even better at 1/250. Above 1/500, helps capture quick movements with more sharp images to choose from in the end.

Most of the time, just click and look at the photo on the screen. If it looks fine, then click away in busy situations like birthdays, events and parties. Point and shoot cameras are excellent as long as there is enough light. In-camera flash light is used at common events and functions, but they often make images look artificial, the kind one sees on Facebook of 'bright' friends at an evening party.

For night photography, using stands allows for sharp images at really slow shutter speed settings. ISO between 100-400 will take in less light but give clear images while ISO between 800-3200 will take in more light, which helps in low light but leads to grainy images. Again, both are great depending on what exposure and composition the image holds.

Before going ahead and splurging on the latest camera, it's essential to do a little research on the camera and lens so that you end up with an equipment that is best suited for your profession or for the types of photography you are interested in.

Source of light, lens (mm), shutter speed @ aperture
PICS: ARVIN SHARMA
Rear view mirror:
car travelling at 60kmph, 30mm, 1/800@F20