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The Inverse Square Law of Light, Explained in the Simplest Way Possible

Jul 2, 2014 by Maaz Khan 3 Comments

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Let’s face it; we’re not scientists and the name of this law could frighten many of us. The reality is that this is a very basic concept with a very technical name: the inverse square law of light.

When it comes to lighting subjects, whether you’re a wedding photographer of a feature film cinematographer, the possibilities given to you are endless. Sometimes you don’t know how you want to photograph something just because you might not know whether you’re doing it in the best way possible. With so many different ways to light something, it’s pretty easy to start doubting yourself, and it happens to us all the time.

A more technical look at the concept.

A more technical look at the concept.

This video can do a lot to help out with that. By learning exactly what this concept is, you can narrow down your choices to what’s best suited for your subjects; the best part is it’ll require only about ten minutes of your time. Photographer Karl Taylor puts this tutorial together in the most simple way possible to give you an idea of how the inverse square law of light affects your photography. The first clip gives an overview of how the lighting affects the subjects in a photo the farther the source of light is placed, and the second one goes over how the background of the picture comes in relation. Without wasting any time at all, the guy behind this video gives you a quick and easy way to understand a simple concept; no matter what kind of photographer you are, you can benefit from what he’s got to say.

[Via Fstoppers]

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Related posts:

Lighting Design the Easy Way – Secrets of the Inverse-Square Law of Light These Two Photos Will Make You Instantly Understand How The Inverse Square Law Works A visual approach to the Inverse Square Law and how it affects photographers One way or another, this video will help you understand the Inverse Square Law

Filed Under: Tutorials Tagged With: characteristics of light, characteristics of light for photography, how to use studio lights, light, lighting, photo techniques, Quality of Light, studio lighting, video tutorial

Maaz Khan: from diyphotography.net

About Maaz Khan

Maaz Khan started off teaching himself photography with a disposable Kodak camera he got for his 7th birthday. His main weapons of choice are now the 5D Mark II, and an LG G2 when mobility calls.

You can find some of his work at his website, twitter Twitter @drcon and Instagam @maazcon

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