best digital camera will be lost, as that is what a camera is. It is a device for
capturing light and converting it onto a 2D plate such as a CCD or celluloid.
The chart above represents the approximate colour and temperature values
for the visible spectrum of light. The red end of the spectrum has the longer
wavelengths; conversely the blue end has the shorter wavelengths. Colour
temperatures are worked out on the basis of the colour metal acquires at a
certain temperature. The values are approximate. The key colour
temperature is noon daylight, which is –5,400K.
The light you will use for photography comes in many flavours Fluorescent
light is hard to pin on the colour chart as it gives out many wavelength.
Flash photography, mostly will have a narrow white band of even
wavelength, daylight can produce light of almost infinite wavelengths.
Daylight is what most photographers take pictures in Fig (1.0) represents
dawn, which is a very good time to shoot because of the light quality.
At Dawn the light from the sun has to pass through a large area of
atmosphere, which essentially scatters the wavelengths of light. This is also
influenced by pollution in the earth’s atmosphere which colours the light.
When Light reaches its azimuth in the sky at 12 mid-day the lights angle
approaches that of 90 degrees to the earths surface, as a result the light
travels through less atmosphere, and is purer. It usually produces washed
out pictures with little shadow detail. The light appears bluer and hotter.
Reflections tend towards blue.
Sunset is essentially the same as sunrise with the sun at a shallow angle to
the earth, as we view it. If you were to shoot a highly reflective surface
such as a lake at this time the colours appear muted, and contrast increased
to silhouette level.
Of course this all relies on the weather conditions while shooting the scene,
you are always at the mercy of cloud formations, or rain to diffuse or reflect
the light before it reaches the camera.
When taking pictures outside several problems may occur
This opening shot (alternative) from the sound of music shows that the
background is lit correctly but a shadow falls across the subjects face, if
exposure is taken correctly either the subject is dark or the background is
too light.
Conversely if the sun is behind the camera you get a better fall of light on
the character but the image may be ‘washed out’ and the background may
be darkened to compensate for an image that compensates for too bright a
foreground.
The best situation is where the light falls to the side or to the front/side of
your subject so that you get an all round exposure from the available light,
nice shadows on one side of the object or the other (which gives good
contrast), generally a pleasing image.
So to reiterate, try to take photos in the morning or afternoon out of the
mid-day sun as it generally very harsh and gives a flattening effect to the
pictures, try to get a good contrast of shadows in the image.
Diffusion
I wanted to say a small piece about diffusing light, this passing of light
through a translucent object breaks it up and so it isn’t as harsh. Clouds are
very good for this they diffuse the light wonderfully, softening shadows and
giving a gentler feathered edge to light.
Indoor lighting (using available light)
Windows are ideal for portrait photography, especially if there are dust
motes in the air, as you get a volumetric effect, like light breaking through
a cloud you get a shaft of light. Watch for over-exposing the light itself
rather than the subject.
Reference:
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