Curious Creative: How to Use a Shred of Light

As film photographers, light is the most crucial element for us. The amount and quality of light dictate the mood and aesthetic we're to imprint on our images. Ideally, we often prefer a massive portion of light (particularly daylight) for most of our photoshoots. However, you can explore the potential of extremely low light or singular light source environments too! When there's darkness, there's always light -- even the littlest shred. Here are a few examples of how you can practice analogue photography in almost total darkness.

Light in Dark

Use your camera flash, flashlight or a bulb to create dramatic (and even horror) portraits! Experiment with the angles. You can either direct the light straight to the subject's face for a full-blown portrait using a flash, or use your smartphone's flashlight and angle it underneath or overhead -- see where those shadows will fall to place. If you happen to stumble upon a single-lit household or building, take advantage of capturing a gothic shot.

Windows, Holes, Openings

A dark, empty room is another potential environment for expressionist compositions. Make sure to have a single opening for a light source -- a window, a hole in the wall, the gap on the door or a peaking line through the curtain. The bottom-left photo by Lomographer fancholland2 below in the photo set is actually just an illusion of a moonlit sea, where a light hole and a surface was captured. Honestly, go crazy with illusions!

Play with Fire

For the responsible Lomographers, you may want to take a little risk of lighting up a match stick or a candle to create a natural vignetted effect on portraits. We love how the flame's light is selectively distributed, naturally falling on to surfaces and angles while obscuring everything else in total darkness. If you're in to chiaroscuro, this might be the tipster for you.

Tunnel Vision

Lost your way? Remember, there's always light at the end of the tunnel. Pass through an underground bridge of walkway, or visit an abandoned tunnel during one of your photowalks to create your own contrasting tunnel shot. The dimmer the tunnel, the more impact the light will have. This is great for taking silhouette shots too!

Enjoyed this quick tipster? Make sure to share your own 'shred of light' photographs by uploading them to your LomoHome!

2019-11-26 #tutorials #light #film-photography #low-light-photography