Start here · Essential guide
Lighting Basics for Photography: Direction, Quality and Colour
Learn the basics of photography lighting: how light quality, direction, colour and contrast shape an image, plus simple ways to practise with any light.
Lighting
8 guides, starting with Lighting Basics for Photography: Direction, Quality and Colour.
Start here · Essential guide
Learn the basics of photography lighting: how light quality, direction, colour and contrast shape an image, plus simple ways to practise with any light.
Clamshell lighting places a key light above and a fill or reflector below the face. Learn the setup, settings, one-light version and common fixes.
Learn how colour temperature, white balance, gels and RGB lights affect photos, and how to use colour lighting for mood and subject separation.
Understand contrast lighting in photography: how light shapes tonal contrast, what lighting ratios mean, and how to control high-contrast scenes.
Direct lighting is uninterrupted light with no diffusion. Learn how it looks, how to expose it, and how to use or soften direct sun and direct flash.
Fill light brightens shadows and lowers contrast without overpowering the key light. Learn sources, ratios, fill flash and common mistakes.
Simple top-down photography lighting setup diagrams for one, two and three lights, showing where to place the light, subject and camera for common looks.
A clear guide to photography lighting types, grouped by source, quality, direction, pattern and colour, so you can choose the right light for each shoot.
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