Beecher's Handouts /

Light / 5.6 - Take Pictures of a Newspaper

In the last exercise, you're asked to use daylight.

In this exercise, you'll use artificial light.

Simply walk around photographing a newspaper with different types of artificial lights—incandescent, florescent, and so forth.

The newspaper will look the same to you—white.

On film, or with a digital camera (with the white balance on the sun icon), your newspaper will change colors:

The light on a scene may appear differently when photographed.

If you're doing a portrait of a friend, for example, the green light from florescent lights probably won't be appropriate.

You have to change the white balance setting of your camera to the florescent icon.

Similarly, use the light bulb icon for track lighting, and for floor and table lamps.

These light sources are called tungsten lighting in photography.