Introduction and Understanding Light

Before you can work effectively with studio lighting, you have to understand light itself.

This opening chapter of our Lighting Theory and Equipment course covers the fundamentals of light, equipping you with the knowledge you need to work confidently with studio lighting.

In a series of easy-to-follow visual demonstrations, Karl takes you through the practicalities of light, exploring the effect hard and soft light has on shadows, texture and three-dimensionality. He also shows you how to achieve precise control over reflections, shadows and highlights.

Karl’s explanation and practical demonstration of the inverse square law, as well as of the colour spectrum of light, will equip you with crucial knowledge that will serve you throughout your career as a photographer.

In this photography class:

  • Different light sources and their effects
  • Hard light vs soft light
  • Careful control of light and shadows
  • Using reflectors and negative fill
  • Revealing texture
  • Inverse square law
  • Colour spectrum of light

Questions or comments? Please post them below.

Comments

  1. David

    Hi Karl,

    I bought 2 flashes but they turned out to be too strong for a small studio like mine in some cases. I don’t want to sell them, but don’t want to buy new flashes either 🙂 Is it possible to use ND filters in front of flashes? I think I saw you so that in some of your videos, but I can’t remember where. Also if possible what product should I look for. (Couldn’t find anything by ‘ND filter for flash’)

    Thanks

    David

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