characteristics of light
Diffusion
A light source can be diffused by placing certain materials between the light source and the
subject. This has the affect of diffusing and spreading the light over a greater area by artificially
increasing the size of the source. Relative to its size, the further the diffusion material from the
light source the larger the light appears to be. This softens the shadows, increases shadow detail
and decreases the measured amount of light falling on the subject.
Reflection
Light is reflected off surfaces to varying degrees. More light will be reflected off silver than off
black. Reflection is a simple way of changing the quality of light. The amount of light reflected off
a surface is directly related to subject contrast. A point source of light will give hard shadows to the
left side of a subject when lit from the right. This is called high contrast as there are only highlights
and shadows. A reflector used to reflect the light passing the subject back onto the left'side would
reduce the contrast by raising the detail in the shadows to a level closer to the highlights.
Activity 4
Illuminate a subject with a range of tones (another person) under many varied light sources.
Include daylight, domestic lighting, street lighting, commercial and industrial lighting and
light sources in your studio.
Observe how the quality of the light varies from light source to light source and the
differences in the reflective levels of elements in the photographs.
Modify the quality of a light source by placing a diffusing material between the light source
and the subject. Observe the differences in the highlights and shadows‘