Active, Passive and Supportive Light

DUE: 1/30

3-5 edited down, strong, examples that show the variations

Which of the images above displays active light? Passive? Why?

Find 2-3 special objects that lend themselves to photographic intrigue. Can be anything... antiques, personal sacred objects, books, shoes, articles of clothing, or even the human form or parts thereof (hands, for instance). For now, stick to non-reflective objects.

Create an appealing still life arrangement. Remember that the background is part of your scene—how will you deal with it so it supports your subject? Shoot on flat background, or distant/diffuse.

For a single subject explore the following. For all, use a single light source and reflector as required. Shoot at least 72 exposures—keep pushing for new variations.

Consider the 4 factors of light when building your shots, and in particular:

• Relative size of the light source. Smaller light=more contrast, harder shadows. Larger light=lower contrast, softer shadows. Try different size lights... studio hot light, flash light, desk lamp, etc. Relative size can also be controlled with distance—to make a light source "larger", just move it closer to the subject.
• Diffusion. Tracing paper can be used to soften the light. Don't let the paper get too close to the light and catch fire. That wouldn't be good.
• Diffusing the light can also have the effect of making your light source larger. A small light illuminating a sheet of tracing paper becomes a large soft-box.

Explore the following:

1. Create a lighting scenario that is active—where the light itself becomes the "lead character".
2. Create a passive lighting design—where the light simply reveals the subject and doesn't draw attention to itself.
3. Create a supportive lighting design, where the light plays an active, but ultimately supportive role. An example would be strong mood lighting, or atmospheric effect that embraces your subject. Hint: Diffusing the light variably can help. Shine your light through artificial blinds (as in class), dirty glass, or even a plant—something to break up the uniformity and imply a sense of setting. 
4. See what you get with natural light. Use your gobos (window blinds, foam core, mat board, or even dark sheet) to partially block windows and control the light....we can control natural light almost as much as we can artificial light.

Reading: Review reading from last week. Be prepared to discuss in class 1/30