Chapter 5
Light

Without light there would be no photography. In this chapter, I will cover some of the following aspects in regard to light that are most important to you as a photographer:

Soft versus hard light: Understanding the difference between soft light and harsh light is an essential skill for photographers, so there is something of a conventional wisdom in photography that soft lighting is desirable, and harsh lighting should be avoided. These types of light have very different properties, but both have their place in photography.

Equipment: Lighting equipment designed for photographers is very expensive; however, much cheaper alternatives can be created or obtained.

Color temperature: Mixing different types of lighting, otherwise referred to as color temperature, can cause problems.

Here a wide aperture is used to blur everything beyond the window and create bokeh from car lights and streetlights. There is a large element of luck involved with this type of abstract photography because the exact positioning or color of the circles cannot be predicted.