The Role & Types of Lighting in Photography

The legendary American Photographer Alfred Stieglitz once rightly said “Wherever there is light, one can photograph”. Lighting, amongst other things, is one of the most important prerequisites to a good photograph or video. Interestingly, the word "photography" derived from the Greek languages literally translates to "drawing with light”.

So how important is lighting in Photography (& Virtual Tours)? Extremely important. The primary source of light can be either natural, created, or added based on the goal of your photography project. A simple change in lighting can alter the entire mood of a photograph giving it a completely different sentiment. Concepts such as clarity, tone, saturation, contrast and much more can elevate a simple picture into a story with emotion, but it ALL starts with the light.

Natural lighting can do wonders in capturing the ideal final product and is often the perfect choice. One of the first things to consider when it comes to lighting is its basic characteristics such as brightness, contrast, temperature, and color. Moreover, even the time of day is an important factor to consider. These concepts ascertain the type of lighting that a person, location, or object requires. A professional photographer is highly trained to determine the need for and type of the “perfect” light.

The choice of lighting for a project is based, first and foremost, on the client’s goal, the location of the shoot, the time of day. Then the concept and mood are to be discussed with the client in depth. Does natural light work best for outdoor shots? Or does there have to be additional lighting to enhance the subject? Let’s find out!

There are three most basic types of lighting - Ambient lighting which incorporates the light around us, Accent lighting that focuses on enhancing a particular feature or effect, and lastly Modified lighting. Each of these brings out a different result in a photograph. 

There is no ideal lighting or no perfect way to click a picture. Grasping the importance of lighting is a constant exploration and learning experience. However, with practice and experimentation, one can polish their technique in order to create a very wonderful and amazing picture. Our lives are always in pursuit of the perfect picture. There is no such thing. But, we can try!