Lighting Assignment 1: Magic Light and Silhouette

After seeing examples shown in class, make photographs using at-home lighting. Find a "studio" in your home that you can construct an area with a light background and lighting arrangement. See the notes in the class handout for advice regarding doing this assignment.

Set A:

1. In the first pictures, use an object with an interesting contour shape. Set up a bright light to show a bright background so that the object in front of it will be a black or near-black silhouette. Make several images of different angles and exposures.
2. In your studio, light your interesting object with the shutter open (use a middle ƒ/stop setting) by "painting" with a flashlight or other small directed light source. Experiment and take several photos with several settings. Also see this site about painting with light.

Set B:

1. Photograph a setting outside that has a dark area and a light area in the background and use your flashlight (you can add colored gels to add color to your picture) to paint objects in the foreground. You're encouraged to use models or other identifiable elements in your photograph. Students who have taken Art 175 can use your flash to illuminate larger areas of your night scene. I encourage you to use models or interesting foreground elements in these settings.

Those who are repeating advanced and may have done similar assignments before, you may skip Set A and spend that time developing your final project but do Set B and add a different twist to your images this time; use a sunset or other interesting background and add atmosphere to your image (take more than simply a technical approach).

Photo by Tochka.jp on Flickr and by Doug Smith