Slow Connection or JavaScript Disabled? Go to the Site Maps.
Change Your Composition
Before going into changing the lighting, you may be able to reframe your photograph.
If you don't need the bright area, or the dark shadow area, crop one or the other.
Now, let's look at how contrast can be changed by modifying the lighting in a scene.
Come Back at Another Time
There may be less contrast at a different time of day, or on a cloudy day.
Use Bounce Flash, Indoors
When taking pictures indoors, use bounce flash if you have a flash that can be tilted toward the ceiling.
The light from the flash will illuminate the entire scene, rather than just the objects near the camera.
Use the Night Portrait Icon with Flash, Indoors
When you set your camera to the Night Portrait exposure mode, the flash will illuminate the scene near the camera.
The camera will also select a shutter speed so that the background will also be recorded.
Movement may be blurred due to the selection of a slow shutter speed.
Use Fill Flash, Outdoors
Use fill flash to add light to the shadows on a sunny day.
On most cameras, simply pop the flash up, and photograph.
You have to be close to your subject.
Some cameras allow you to adjust the brightness of the flash with flash exposure compensation.
Use a Reflector, Outdoors
A reflector is held near your subject, and is aimed at the shadow area.
Light reflects off of the reflector, and fills in the shadow with more light.
A reflector can be improvised, such as the sunlight bouncing off of a red brick wall, or a newspaper held just off camera by your model.
Circular fabric reflectors are convenient, such as those made by Photoflex.
Use a Filter, Outdoors
Use a graduated neutral density filter, or a Polarizing filter, to reduce contrast in landscapes.
The next two sections describe these filters.
| Back | 6.7 | Next |