9 creative lighting methods for street photography

Street photographyThe charm of photography lies in the ever-changing and unpredictable. For ordinary photographers,Street photography

It is also the lowest cost to implement photography, and almost everyone can participate in it, especially the office workers who work from nine to five, even if they stay in the office for a whole day, they can create their own works whenever and wherever they walk on the way home.

Street photography is not only a documentary, but also a fashion, a portrait, and a city light. In other words, street photography is a perspective to see the world. Today, we will teach you 9 ways to use the street light to shoot your creative street works in a low-light environment!

Photography is a game of light from a certain point of view. Light and shadow will bring you unique visual experience, and then create an atmosphere to arouse the resonance of your heart. The tool you have is your camera! When you understand the mystery, your city is your theater, in which you can create unique works!

1、 High-post street lamp

When walking on the street at night, the most common light source is the headlight on the road. From the light point of view, this is a typical top point light source. The light emitted will have different effects depending on the light type. But generally, this street light is a relatively bright light source, so you are also allowed to use lower ISO to improve the image quality.

You can stand parallel to the high-pole lamp, use the continuity of the light to create a deep visual traction, and then wait for key people to pass under the lamp to complete the composition.

You can also stand on the side of the street lamp or shoot at a low angle instead of parallel to the street lamp, and use the street lamp as the background element.

The best match with high pole street lamps is rainy and foggy weather. The combination of the two can soften the light and create a hazy light atmosphere.

2、 Floor lamp

In addition to the common high-post street lamp as the light source, we can also use low-angle light. The advantage of this kind of light source is that it is low in height. Through the appropriate viewing angle, you can use it to illuminate people’s faces from low to high, such as the hidden floor lamp, the flower bed floor lamp, and so on. Of course, you can also use the flash lamp, but it is difficult to get such a natural effect.

It is worth mentioning that mobile phones can also light up the face as light sources. This technique is very useful in night shooting!

3、 Morning light

In street photography, we can use not only artificial light, but also natural light. The golden law of photography circle – the best time to take pictures is around dawn and dusk. The rising sun and the morning fog will make the light very soft, uniform and textured. If you are lucky, you may encounter the Tindal effect.

At the same time, low-angle light can lengthen the shadow of objects and make the light and shadow more charming.

4、 Backlight

Backlight can be used in the golden hour, or with the help of large artificial light sources. The biggest feature of backlight is that the atmosphere is particularly strong, as if you can feel the warm light sprinkled to the reader through the screen.

It is worth mentioning that if you go out to shoot in cold weather, the lens will be foggy if you move indoors or outdoors. At this time, you can often get unexpected results with the help of backlight photography.

5、 Window lighting

The window light is also a very good light source. The commodity display cabinet and the bus stop sign are actually window lights. This kind of light is characterized by a large area of uniform intensity of lighting, which is very suitable for the shooting of environmental portraits or silhouettes.

The contrast between light and dark is really interesting. A large area of light source acts as a background, as if it matched the main body like a picture frame.

6、 Use of shaped light

We know that light can be shaped, which can be fully used in urban street photography. The street lights at night form mottled shadows through the park trees, the lights at the end of the tunnel extend along the stone wall, the contrast between light and dark at the end of the corridor is like a picture frame, and so on.

This is also a great way to create fun.

7、 Marginal light

Strictly speaking, edge light is also a kind of backlight. The difference is that it uses artificial light sources, especially car lights, because the lights are very strong point light sources. Through the arrangement of elements, the light source is located at the edge of the main element, which can produce the star effect!

If you are shooting on the road with the help of lights, you need to pay attention to safety!

8、 Use water surface reflection

Many people are used to thinking that rain is not suitable for taking pictures. Even if it is necessary to take pictures after the rain stops. In fact, rainy days have their own charm. Especially, the water on the ground forms a natural mirror, and with the light of the street at night, a variety of strange pictures come into sight.

The light rain falling in the air, under the neon light, is like the stars falling into the city, flickering and disappearing. A different atmosphere.

9、 Pay attention to artificial light sources

Lights are everywhere in the city at night. Like the old lady who took a flashlight when walking at night, you can also use this coincidence to capture wonderful light.

There are a variety of urban light sources, and some of the special arrangement and shape of the lights are just the most suitable background. Where it is, it is like a stage that has been prepared for a long time. Just press the shutter when people go up to “perform”!

After understanding the above nine points, I hope you can not only learn how to use the light in the street, but also cultivate your observation ability – whether you have a camera or not, whether it is day or night, learn to use your eyes to find the unique flash point in the street!