Light is the great catalyst for any photograph, and having a thorough working knowledge of lighting is the single most important thing when learning photography, along with composition and colour theory. Great photos have great lighting, a quality of light which fits the subject perfectly, and conveys the message behind the image. The course focuses on all the different types of lighting conditions, focusing on the colour of light, the intensity of light, the direction of light, whether light is direct or reflected light; and reveals how the lighting has a fundamental influence on the look and feel and mood of the image. This will help you answer a key question when photographing, namely ‘What is the best lighting for my subject?’
Taking amazing photos requires you to decide the best lighting for your subject before you pick up a camera, and you also need to understand how to respond when the lighting conditions are less than ideal in case the ‘decisive moment’ presents itself. Do you want direct sunlight, or soft diffused light, or even reflected light? How intense do you want the light to be – for example strong overhead lighting or soft diffused lighting? What direction do you want your lighting to be - side-lit, front-lit or back-lit? The course will also explain how understanding lighting informs the photographer about shadows and the amount of contrast in an image, so the photographer learns to think about both light and shade.
The course is packed full of examples of all the different lighting conditions along with discussion about how the quality of light supports the message behind each image; photographers can keep these slides and use them as a reference.