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Existing Light - 14209_136
Pictures Outdoors at Night

Photography (Basic) - Introduction to photography and other graphic techniques
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extra  lighting  equipment  is  not  required.  Subject distance,  when  not  using  flash,  has  no  effect  on exposure; therefore, you can easily photograph distant subjects that could not otherwise be photographed using flash or some other means of auxiliary lighting. With existing light, you can make pictures that could not be taken with other types of lighting; for example, flash may not be appropriate during a change of command ceremony or chapel service. Not only can the flash disturb the proceedings, but it may not carry far enough to  light  the  subject  adequately. For existing light pictures, your camera should be equipped with a fast lens-at least f/2.8, but preferably about f/1.4. The camera shutter should have a B or T setting, and for exposures longer than about 1/60 second, you need a tripod or other means of supporting the  camera. Because  the  level  of  illumination  for  many  existing light scenes is quite low, you may want to consider using a high-speed film. When making pictures with plenty of existing light or when you particularly want long exposures for special effect, you can use a slower film; however, the advantages of high-speed film are as follows: Allows  you  to  get  adequate  exposure  for hand-held  shots. Allows you to use faster shutter speeds to reduce camera and image motion. Permits the use of longer focal-length lenses when the camera is hand-held. Allows the use of smaller f/stops for greater depth of field. Try not to pose your subject in a position where too much of the facial features are in shadow, unless you are trying for a special effect, such as a silhouette. When you photograph your subject in direct nondiffused sunlight coming through a window, you have more light to work with, but the light is contrasty and your subject has a tendency  to  squint. Indoor existing light, artificial or otherwise, may be quite contrasty; for example, when your subjects are close to the source of light and well-illuminated, while other areas of the scene are comparatively dark. By turning on all the lights in the room, you can make the illumination  more  even  and  provide  additional  light  for exposure and at the same time reduce the scene contrast. The  contrast  created  by  some  artificial  lighting  can  also be reduced in an average size room by bouncing auxiliary light off the ceiling or by using reflectors. Adding auxiliary bounce lighting or reflectors means you are not making true existing light pictures, but this extra  light  helps  to  reduce  contrast  without  spoiling  the natural  appearance  of  the  scene. 5-29 When you are making existing-light color pictures indoors of scenes illuminated by tungsten light, use a tungsten type of film. When the light for your indoor color pictures is daylight from a window or skylight, use a daylight type of color film or use tungsten film with a No.  85B  filter.  Always  use  an  exposure  meter  to calculate your indoor existing light exposure. When a bright window is included in the background, take a closeup meter reading of the subject to prevent the meter from being overly influenced by light from the window. Pictures made indoors by existing daylight are pleasing to the viewer, because of the soft diffused light and the squint-free expression of your subjects. Open all the window drapes in the room to get the highest level of  illumination  possible.  Pose  your  subject  to  allow diffused daylight to fall on the front or side of their face. Fluorescent   Lighting Indoor  scenes  illuminated  by  fluorescent  lights usually appear pleasing and natural in real life; however, color pictures of these same scenes often have an overall color  cast  that  makes  them  appear  unnatural. Fluorescent light emits blue and green light primarily and is deficient in red light. Most color pictures made without a filter under fluorescent light are also deficient in red and have an overall greenish appearance. Used correctly, fluorescent light has some advantages over other types of available light. A room illuminated by fluorescent lamps is usually brighter and more evenly lighted than a room illuminated by tungsten lamps. This higher level of light makes it easier to get enough exposure  for  your  existing  light  photography  and  helps record detail that may have been lost in the shadow areas with  other  types  of  existing  light.  When  photographing people,  however,  fluorescent  lighting  often  causes  dark shadows  under  the  subject's  eyes.  These  shadows  cause the eyes to appear dark and sunk in. For  making  color  pictures  under  fluorescent lighting, a negative color film with the appropriate filter is most often your best bet. Color negative film has a wide exposure latitude that permits, to some extent, a variation in exposure without detracting from the quality of  the  finished  print.  The  greenish  effect  caused  by fluorescent  lighting  can  be  partially  corrected  when  the color  negatives  are  printed.







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