Weekly Assignment: Manipulating the Light

[PWS-Staff]

Experiment using a single window to light your subject or try using rim lighting to separate your subject from the background. Just try one of them and focus all your attention on the lighting and how it is falling on your subject. Walk all the way around the child you are photographing, taking photographs from different directions and documenting how the light falls from different angles. Examine the results once you are finished and determine which lighting patterns most reflect your individual style. In this image, I chose to use late afternoon sun at an angle, creating a halo effect on my grandson’s hair. This light really adds to the mood of the photograph. Taken at ISO 400, f/5.6, and 1/320 second.

From "Photographing Children," by Ginny Felch

[valerie]

I used a black background with light only from a window and used a gold reflector below my "'model"  .  Any comments welcomed, good or bad.  This is my first post.
Valerie

[goldcoastgolfer]

The lighting again in this one looks really good but there's some visible noise in this photo - easily fixed with some post processing.  Do you do any PP at all?

[valerie]

Malcolm,  I have PhotoShop Elements 8 and am struggling to learn on my own.  I can do some basics.  What suggestions do you have to fix this?  Eager to learn..Valerie

[goldcoastgolfer]

I use Lightroom so I can't help too much on specifics.  However if you go to http://tv.adobe.com - I've found the Adobe video tutorials very, very good.  That would be my first port of call.

I can also suggest another forum - Cambridge in Colour - http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/forums as a place with a strong learning community.  There's a lot more people that will comment on your photos and a number of them use Photoshop Elements as well so if you get stuck they'll be able to offer you some good advice.

[valerie]

Malcolm,  You have been so very helpful.  I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I will certainly check out Adobe and Cambridge in Colour.  I am excited to get started.
Valerie