The Effect of Lighting in Photography

• A light meter measures available light."Sekonic L358 wireless light meter" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: geishaboy500 (THOR) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

Basic Concept

• A simple camera"The first ever autofocus SLR available to consumers" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Silvio Tanaka (Silvio Tanaka) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  At its most basic, a camera consists of a light-proof box, a lens through which light is admitted and focused and a shutter to control the amount of light that comes through the lens. A photograph is the record of the light that has been manipulated by the lens and shutter.
  
  

Sources of Light

• Without light, there is no photo. Luckily, the sources of light are virtually limitless. Sometimes the light is adequate at the venue, like outdoor daytime light or artificially providers like light bulbs or firelight. In very dark or totally dark places, the photographer brings his own light in the form of lamps or flash.
  
  

Affecting Photography

• The effect of lighting on photography varies according to what message the photographer wants to convey. Just a little change in the quality of light on the subject, or the way it is manipulated inside the camera, can make a big difference. Some photographs that may be blurred, or under- or overexposed may have been taken for artistic purposes. Other photos, like portraits, for instance, may not be the most interesting artistically, but serve well the purpose of illustrating a subject.
  
  

Lighting for Realism

• The famous Hindenburg crash was caught on film."Hindenburg Disaster" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: e-strategyblog.com (David Erickson) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  Sometimes the intention is to capture a subject exactly how it appears. This is usually the work of photojournalists, whose job it is to reproduce images--an accident, the President giving a speech, etc.--exactly how they appeared in real life. For this purpose, adjusting the camera to capture the appropriate amount of light, and using flashes and lamps to compensate for light inadequacies is essential.
  
  Those who photograph products for catalogs, online stores or for real estate may also employ lighting to depict the subject in a way that gives the potential buyer as much information about it as possible.
  
  

Lighting for Art

• An image of city lights made abstract."If the bright lights don't receive you [EXPLORED]" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: slc304 (Sam Collins) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  Sometimes mood or ambiance is just as, or more, important than visibility of the subject. In that case, the photographer might take more liberty with the light by allowing darkness, blurring or different exposures, just to name a few techniques. Sometimes the photographer will add different kinds of light that change the color or the quality of the photograph.