Okay, so I’ve been messing around with lighting for my little home photo studio, and I thought I’d try some side lighting. The idea seemed simple enough, but man, did I run into some unexpected snags.
Getting Started
First, I grabbed my main light – just a simple speedlight with a softbox. I positioned it to the side of my subject, a very patient houseplant. My initial thought was, “Boom, instant drama!”
The First Hiccups
Well, not quite. The first few shots were… rough. One side of the plant was totally lit, sure, but the other side? Vanished into complete darkness. It looked less “dramatic” and more “half-missing plant.”
- Problem 1: Way too much contrast.
- Problem 2: The shadows were super harsh, like a knife edge.
Experimenting (and Failing a Bit More)
So, I started experimenting. I moved the light further away, thinking that would soften things. Nope. Still too harsh. Then I tried bouncing the light off a reflector on the opposite side. A little better, but it still wasn’t quite right. The shadows were still there, just… fainter and kind of muddy.
I even tired to use the natural from my room’s windows to do the lighting, but it turns out to be dark.
Finding a Solution (Finally!)
After a lot of trial and error (and some serious frustration), I finally figured out a few things:
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Distance matters:
I can find the “sweet spot” for the light source.
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Reflectors are your friend:
They’re crucial for filling in those harsh shadows. A white foam board, or even a large sheet of white paper.
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Feathering is key:
Instead of pointing the light directly at the subject, I angled it slightly so that only the edge of the light beam hit the plant. This created a much softer, more gradual transition from light to shadow.
The Results
It’s really a lot of testing to get this effect!
The side lighting really stands out, but it is subtle enough to be very pleasing to the eye.
It took some work, but I finally got some decent side-lit shots. It’s definitely not as easy as it looks, but with a bit of patience and a lot of tweaking, you can get some really cool results. Side lighting can be difficult, for sure, but it’s a challenge worth tackling!
