Page 39 - Amateur Photographer - August 5, 2017

Fairy lights

MOST fairy lights only ever
come out at Christmas, but for
photographers they can be a
great way to light images, or
create highlights and abstract
bokeh shots. If shooting
indoors, the standard plug-in
variety will work perfectly, but if
you’d like to use them on
location you can get versions
that run on AA batteries.

Lightbox
BACKLIT fl owers and sliced
fruit are a classic still-life
subject, and one that can be
recreated easily at home
using a lightbox. For this type
of shot simply position
the fl owers or fruit on the lightbox with your camera
attached to a tripod and aimed straight down. You’ll need
to use exposure compensation to avoid underexposure
because the backlight will fool the camera’s metering
system. A lightbox can also be used to light a subject
from the side, front or top.

Tablet/phone

SMARTPHONES and tablets can be
used to light subjects either by using
the LED light on the back as a
continuous light, or using the screen
itself for a softer light source. This type
of lighting is generally best suited to
shooting small individual objects, but
some photographers have shot
portraits lit by a tablet or phone screen
using high ISO settings.

Torch
A TORCH is a great way to create light trails
and to light a subject with interesting results.
For painting with light you’ll need to attach
your camera to a tripod and shoot with a
shutter speed of 15-30secs – the darkness
of the location will dictate this. Then, after
fi ring the shutter with a cable release, bathe
every part of the subject in torchlight using a
painting motion. The result is uneven yet
dynamic lighting.

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