What are the light positions in photography? How to use it?

The so-called light position is the specific direction of the light source illuminating the subject. That is, the position of the light source relative to the subject and the camera. Divided by light position, there are mainly forward light, side light, backlight, top light, and foot light. The light position is in terms of the position of the light source, the front light, side light, and back light are in the horizontal direction, and the top light and foot light are in the vertical direction. If the horizontal and vertical directions are changed at the same time, the light level is ever-changing and countless. The same subject, with different light positions, has different modeling effects. The photographer can arrange the artificial light position, but cannot change the natural light position, and can only choose or adapt. Light bit involves light perception.

Shunguang, also known as frontal light and flat light. The light irradiated from the front of the subject, that is, the light whose light source is irradiated in the same direction as the camera. Due to the difference in height, there are high straight light, middle straight light, and low straight light, and the effects are different. Downlight shooting, uniform light reception, little projection, low contrast between light and dark, low spatial, three-dimensional, and weak texture, low tonal levels, high color saturation, and the ability to reproduce the inherent color of the object. When shooting with light, it is advisable to choose subjects with contrasts between the subject and the background, the subject and the set off, and the subject and the environment in terms of tone and color. Shunguang is more suitable for showing the smoothness of women and children's skin. For standard images indoors, or for ID photos, use the central light as the main light.

Side light. The so-called side light is the light shining from the side of the subject. In the horizontal direction, the side light is divided into front side light, front side light, and back side light due to the different angles of front, rear, left and right. The overall effect of side-light shooting is that the object receives uneven light, the projection is many and long, and obvious, the contrast between light and dark is large, the sense of space, three-dimensionality, texture, and color are more vivid. Sidelight shooting has a wide range of applications, except for ID photos, documents, diagrams, landscapes, architecture, portraits, still lifes, flowers and other subjects. Photographers like to use side light. Side light can achieve midtone effect.

Front side light. The front side light is the light irradiated from the front side of the subject. In addition to the general function of the side light, shooting with the front side light is conducive to expressing the three-dimensional sense of the facial features of the portrait. Under the same light source conditions, compared with the forward light, 0.5-level exposure compensation is required. Indoors, use two front side lights, called front fork lighting, to prevent the subject from being projected on the background.

Positive side light. Also known as full side light. Full metering is the light shining from the front side of the subject. Except for the general function of side light, when shooting with front side light, the area of ​​the light-receiving bright part is almost equal to the area of ​​the dark part of the shadow. The front side has a strong contrast between light and dark, which is suitable for expressing the masculinity of mature men and the vicissitudes of the elderly. Under the same light source conditions, 1 level of exposure compensation is required compared with forward light.

Backlight, also known as side backlight, is the light shining from the back of the subject. In addition to the general function of the side light, when shooting with the back side light, the subject has a partial contour line, which has a semi-backlight effect and a light perception. Under the same light source conditions, 1.5-level exposure compensation is required compared with forward light. Indoors, use two rear side lights, called rear cross lighting, to make the subject out of the background.

Backlight, also known as backlight. The light shining from the back of the subject is called backlight. According to the position of the light source, there are full backlight and side backlight. Indoors, according to the number of light sources, there are single backlight and double backlight; in terms of luminosity, there are strong backlight and weak backlight; in terms of light quality, there are soft backlight (soft light) and hard backlight. The main features of backlight imaging: under backlight, the subject can form a beautiful contour line, forming artistic beauty; enhance the depth of perspective effect. Under backlighting, the subject is dark, the background is bright, and the outline of the subject is clear, separating the subject from the background. Show air perspective effect;

Top light. The fixed light is the light from above the subject. For top-light shooting, the horizontal plane of the subject is brighter than the vertical plane, and the contrast between the two is large. The tone has few levels and is overly blunt.

Foot light is the light below the purple subject. Footlight shooting, the vertical surface of the subject forms a bottom-up projection, which is opposite to the projection direction of the noon sun; it violates people's daily visual habits and is unsightly.