Photography has the ability to influence our emotions. If an image does not move us in some way, we often pass over it without giving it much attention. In my previous article, I wrote about the direction of light and how it can change the mood of a photograph. As you are about to see, the quality of light is just as important.
Think about the feeling of a bright morning: warm colours, breakfast in the garden and the smell of coffee. Winter darkness has a very different effect. It can feel cold, quiet and a little sinister. Then think about the light from a fireplace, with soft illumination and shadows flickering across the room. We have a strong emotional relationship with light. It influences how we experience the world, and it is difficult to separate that from the way we respond to photographs.
Before we start, a small warning: my illustrations are not exactly works of art. I hope they make the point, though.
Hard and soft light
We often describe the quality of light using two broad categories: hard and soft. It can be more useful to think about the size of the light source relative to the subject, and the contrast between the illuminated and shadowed areas, but hard and soft provide a good starting point.
Hard light is directional and creates strong shadows with clearly defined edges. It is what we often experience in bright sunshine. I took the panorama below during a drive through Mount Rainier National Park. It is a wonderful route, but the strong sunlight and deep shadows make it clear that timing matters. I will return to that later.
Soft light is often flattering for portrait photography because it produces gentler shadows and smoother transitions between light and dark. Overcast skies and large areas of open shade are useful sources. Clouds act as a large diffuser, spreading the light over a wider area.
Lighting ratios
A more technical way of describing the contrast in a scene is through lighting ratios. In portrait photography, a ratio can describe the difference between the light falling on the illuminated side of the face and the shadow side. A 2:1 ratio means one side receives approximately twice as much light as the other, although the exact interpretation depends on how the measurements are taken.
There are different ways to measure light. Incident metering measures the light falling on the subject, while reflected metering measures the light coming back from it. Incident readings can be useful when comparing the illumination at different positions, while reflected readings are more practical in many landscapes and scenes where it is not possible to place a meter at the subject.
How lighting ratios influence a photograph
In portraiture, lighting ratios help describe the difference in illumination between the highlight side of the face and the shadow side. A low ratio produces a more even, gentle appearance. A higher ratio creates stronger contrast and can make the portrait feel more dramatic.
The diagram below is a simplified reference to illustrate how the relationship changes. The numbers are not a universal recipe; the result depends on the light sources, their distance, modifiers and the subject’s position.
Time it, or adapt
I am not suggesting that hard light is unsuitable for portraits. On the contrary, it can produce very rewarding images when used deliberately. Soft light can also become bland if there is no direction or shape to it. Directional light, particularly when used from the side or behind, can give a photograph much more character.
But there are situations where timing is the most important factor. No amount of adjustment can always reproduce the quality of light available at a particular moment. One example is the golden hour, around sunrise and sunset. Landscape photographers value this period because the light is often softer, warmer and more directional than the harsher light around midday.
Learn to recognise the quality of light, not just its direction. Sometimes the best thing you can do is wait for the light to change. At other times, move yourself or your subject and make the light work for you.
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