Light plays an important role in photography. This can bring a photo to life, creating effects including striking shadows or silhouettes, or it can have a significant negative impact by creating unwanted glare and reflections.

This is a quick guide to introducing beginners to one of the most important aspects of professional photo lighting. This guide consists of three parts. Part 1 deals with hard and soft light, part 2 with natural and artificial light and part 3 with light intensity and depth of field. You can also avail the benefits of best pro photography lighting kit.

Image source: Google

This first section covers one of the most important topics: the difference between hard and soft light shooting.

In general, the size of a light source is inversely proportional to the intensity of the light, meaning that a smaller light source produces a louder light. Gentle charisma, on the other hand, can be created by:

Reflector: The effect of reflected light basically makes the reflector a secondary light source. Anything can be used as a reflector, both indoor and outdoor shooting. This includes a professional reflector or just a piece of paper.

Diffusers: In natural light, clouds are a great example of a diffuser. Under artificial lighting conditions, any translucent material that diffuses or softens light can be used. Lampshades are a great example of light diffusion. Even a bright white cloth can be used to take photos.

Both types of lamps have their advantages and disadvantages. Light can still be used to create images with sharp contrasts and accents, emphasizing shape and texture. It can be used to enhance the 3D effect of an image and create a dramatic overall effect. However, strong light is difficult to adjust and is generally considered unsuitable for many, if not most, situations, especially when photographing people.