In this first exercise. we are looking at tungsten and fluorescent lighting. For the first part, we are asked to find a room fairly brightly lit by tungsten lamps just after sunset when there is only a little daylight left and to look out of the window for a moment until our eyes become adjusted. Then to turn and look at the room light and see what colour it is. The lighting seems more warm but only marginally as my eyes adjust quickly. Looking out of the window again the light seems lighter or perhaps more grey. Thus, there is a difference between these two different types of lighting, but our eyes adjust. Measuring the light around the room it varies greatly, but our eyes adjust.
We are asked to compose a photograph in which the interior is lit by both tungsten ligting and the exterior lighting at dusk and to take three photos of the scene as follows - auto white balance, daylight WB, and tungsten WB and to compare the results. The three images are below and can be enlarged by clicking on them. The first one on auto WB is warm, as it the next one on daylight WB. But the third image is the best where the camera WB has been set to tungsten.
We are asked to compose a photograph in which the interior is lit by both tungsten ligting and the exterior lighting at dusk and to take three photos of the scene as follows - auto white balance, daylight WB, and tungsten WB and to compare the results. The three images are below and can be enlarged by clicking on them. The first one on auto WB is warm, as it the next one on daylight WB. But the third image is the best where the camera WB has been set to tungsten.
For the second part of this exercise of looking at tungsten and fluorescent lighting, we are asked to find two different interiors lit by fluorescent lamps and take two or three photos with white balance set on auto, fluorescent and if possible, alternative fluorescent and compare the quality and differences in them. The course manual tells us that the overall colour quality in all the images will look in some way unsatisfactory and fluorescent lamps do not emit a full colour spectrum. For the first set of photographs we have chosen to shoot some tea, coffee and sugar holders under the fluorescent strip lighting in the kitchen units. None of the images produce a good result but probably the first image on auto WB is the best.
Our second set is taken in the inside of the tourist information centre in the Old Library in Cardiff's shopping area. The first image in taken on auto WB, the second on fluorescent cool white and the third on fluorescent warm white. The set of images above are more close up and we have chosen this set to show a wider environment. Again, the auto WB does a good job. The second image on fluorescent cool WB I find a litle too cool and blue, whilst I feel the third image on fluorescent warm WB I find too warm.
This exercise illustartes how different lighting situtations need the photographer to be aware of how colour balance is affected by dirrerent sorts of lighting and the need to be aware of experimenting and trying several different settings when shooting in these sorts of environments. I am please at how my Nikon has handled the first set of images on auto WB in the first set of images and similarly how the Sony has handled the second set on auto WB. These six images are all straight out of camera. Normally, I would not be taking time out to adjust the camera white balance in shoots likes theses, particularly where people are involved or where there is a time factor, and I would shoot in Raw and adjust accordingly in post-production. But doing this exercise has been useful in getting to understand different types of artificial light more and also the camera's functions and performance.
The second and final exercise in available light is outdoors at night and the aim is to explore the variety of lighting effects and the colour in artificial light. For this exercise we are using the Nikon DSLR on a tripod with a cable release. We are asked to take between 12 and 20 photographs shooting the following -
• a floodlit building (look for a viewpoint from where the lights themselves are hidden)
• a brightly-lit store-front
• a large interior with many people, such as a shopping centre (but check to make
sure that photography is specifically prohibited, as it might be on private property).
Do not use a tripod for this setting.
• a raised view looking along a busy road, such as from a pedestrian overpass. The
idea in this shot is to catch the headlights and tail-lights of traffic as streaks. The
longer the exposure time, the more dramatic will be the effect.
The course manual advises that if the view is an exterior that includes any kind of skyline, it will usually look much better if the sky is not completely black. Dusk is often the best time, when there is
just a hint of light in the sky, and the buildings appear more clearly.
Night/dusk photography has been one of my areas of interest since the 1960s so I am looking forward to this exercise. Dusk is currently at 9pm and the end of twilight at 9.40pm during this time in this summer period.
The first of the four parts of this exercise is to photograph a floodlight building (from a viewpoint where the lights are hidden). We have chosen the National Museum & Galleries of Wales building in Cardiff's wonderful civic centre. From this shoot two imges have been selected. In the second image a homeless person has already settled down for the night between the white Portland stone columns. There is still light in the twilight and the outline of the building can be seen. This building is typical of the many public buildings in Wales lit by floodlights at night. The sodium floodlighting gives a strong yellow cast. All the images below can be enlarged by clicking on them.
The colour temperature is 7,200 and exposure f2.8 @1/30 iso1600 18mm lens.
The second part of this four part exercise is to photograph a brightly lit store front. Our shoot has encompassed a number of shopfronts during twilight and we are showing three images. First is Primark, a brand new relocation to one of the main shopping areas to a site formally occupied by British Home Stores. The second is the (in)famous Ann Summers Shop. Several people are passing by but tonight they are not stopping to look in the window. The third photograph is not a straight on shoot like the other two but an angled shot from the side and is clothers retailer Look. The shop front lighting is internal, unlike the Museum, and is fluorescent giving a blue cast.
CT 5000 f4@1/60 iso400 18mm CT 4750 [email protected] iso400 27mm CT 4000 f2.8@1/20 iso400 24mm
CT 5000 f4@1/60 iso400 18mm CT 4750 [email protected] iso400 27mm CT 4000 f2.8@1/20 iso400 24mm
The third part of this four part exercise is to photograph a large interior such as a shopping centre, with many people. It has to be done without a tripod. This a summer shoot at the end of twilight which is around 9.45pm. Most shopping and retail units were closed many hours ago and most people have left the city centre retail area long ago. From the shoot we have selected three images. The first image is looking down Eastside of the St. David's Dewi Sant shopping centre where there is still some access to the restaurant area. The second and third images are in the Wales Millennium Centre, (again, virtually people-less at this time). These are all modern developments where the architecture and lighting is amonst the best in the world.
CT 3150 f2.8@1/30 iso400 20mm CT3050 f2.8@1/20 iso800 18mm CT4650 f2.8@1/30 iso800 18mm
CT 3150 f2.8@1/30 iso400 20mm CT3050 f2.8@1/20 iso800 18mm CT4650 f2.8@1/30 iso800 18mm
The final part of this exercise is to look along a busy road from a raised view to catch the lights of traffic. The first image is of Eastern Avenue in Cardiff at twilight from a pedestrain bridge at the University Hospital of Wales where we get a nice curvature in the carriageway. The street ligting above the Gabalfa flyover stands against the deepening blue sky. We are using an f8 aperture in oder that these lights do not produce a starburst effect which would distract the eye from the traffic trails. We are noting the speed limits and distance from the traffic in relation to the desired camera shutter speed. At the lowest iso of 100 on the Nikon we find that f8 needs a four second exposure. But we need a minimum of 8 seconds to get the long length of trails going through the whole of the length of the visibale carriageway. No neutral density filters in the bag but we add a polarising filter which doubles the exoposure to the required 8 seconds. The second and third images are at Cardiff Castle. We have broken the Velbon tripod at the previous location so we are placing the camera on some convenient nearby street furniture to steady the camera. The f22 aperture at 20 seconds is giving us a big starburst on the sreet lights which add balance to the silhuette of Cardiff Castle opposite. In the third image we capture a bus going past and near the camera lens at one third second which gives us light trails not from the front and rear lights but from the lights within the bus.
CT 3200 f8@8secs iso100 40mm CT 4450 f22@20secs iso100 18mm CT 5350 f2.8@1/3 iso100 18mm
CT 3200 f8@8secs iso100 40mm CT 4450 f22@20secs iso100 18mm CT 5350 f2.8@1/3 iso100 18mm
This has been a very interesting series of exercise in an area of photography - dusk - that has been one of my areas of photographic specialism since the 1960s and the task of undertaking these specific and structured exercises has helped me benchmark and further develop my photographic skills by contrasting and comparing different situations. I have become much more aware of the different effects from different types of light, rather than just thinking of it all as artificial lighting. I have become more aware of the colour temperature measurements. I have become more aware of how shooting in Raw and using Photoshop to manipulate these images can help me achieve better images. For example, tweaking the National Museum image to 2850 colour temperature from 7200 creates a much more realistic and pleasing image.
I am looking forward to the photographic lighting exercises which is next in the course as this is another area of interest I have in terms of studio lighting.
I am looking forward to the photographic lighting exercises which is next in the course as this is another area of interest I have in terms of studio lighting.