SIDELIGHTING MADE EASY

Lighting your subject effectively is the best thing you can do for a composition – and sidelighting is an excellent starting point

Whether you’re framing your subject using the rule of thirds or placing it deadpan in the centre, these considerations are often not as important as how the subject itself is lit and exposed. A review of your favourite photographs should reveal that while subject position and placement can be incredibly varied, it’s the light that makes the photograph so successful. When using sidelighting, care is needed to ensure you’re not overexposing the highlights. We are more accepting of dark shadows than detail-less whites, so keep an eye on your histogram during both capture and post-production.

1 LOOK FOR THE LIGHT When shooting in a studio environment, ask your subject to move around and watch how the light falls. In the landscape, turn and walk around, looking for how the light reveals texture and shape.

2 WATCH THE SHADOWS With sidelighting, just as important as the subject are the shadows. When framing your photograph, if shadows are present, do you crop them or include them in full? It’s something to think about.

3 LIGHT VS SUBJECT Light is usually used to highlight a subject, as seen in the photographs of the Bhutanese shopkeeper and the penguins. Think about whether your subject should be facing towards or away from the light.

4 SOFT OR HARSH Sidelighting can be inherently contrast, meaning the shadows can be very dark. Is this in keeping with the desired mood or emotion, or do you need to soften contrast in post?

5 CAN TONAL CONTROL Sidelighting lighten up areas in your image that can be distracting for a simple composition. Can you darken these areas on location, or perhaps later in post-production?

6 WATCH THE DETAIL Very slight changes in the angle of your camera or the angle of your subject can hide or reveal texture and shape. In the landscape, you may need to wait for the best light.