Light plays an essential role in composition for both photography and videography. Understanding light and how to use shadows is important, as they go hand in hand. Different lighting conditions like time of day, positioning of the light source, and use of natural versus artificial lighting can impact contrasts and tones to add drama or reveal texture. Shadows should not be neglected and can be used to enhance the subject and create a sense of depth when layered with light.

1. ROLE OF LIGHT IN
COMPOSITION
By
Pradeep Kumar Gupta
Deptt of Animation CCSIT, TMU
College of Journalism and Mass Communicatio
Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad

2. ROLE OF LIGHT IN COMPOSITION
Videography and photography are interlinked since video is a
sequence of Images we may deal with composition in photography to
understand composition in video.
Photography literally means ‘writing with light’ – that immediately
tells you how important lighting is in photography. Understanding light is
a priority in photography. Without that knowledge you will not be able to
continuously produce great photos.

3. ROLE OF LIGHT IN COMPOSITION
As light is with everything in life, where there is light, there must be
shadow – they go hand in hand. The importance of shadows in
photography should not be neglected. Learn to use them both together,
and you may be on to something. With the use of good light you can
take great videos but you need to understand some basic concepts of
lighting before moving ahead:

4. ROLE OF LIGHT IN COMPOSITION
CONTRAST:
Direct lighting that produces strong, sharp shadows emphasizes the
contrast between them. Attention will be pulled to the parts of the image
where there are large contrasts in tones and it will add drama to a
photograph. These kinds of contrasts cannot be achieved by using only
light, you have to incorporate shadows. Backlights typically work well
when you are trying to shoot silhouettes and the tonal contrast is
stronger.

5. ROLE OF LIGHT IN COMPOSITION
Time of day
Depending on which time of day you are shooting in or which season,
the shadows will be cast differently. It has to do with the angle of the sun
and how it cast light on the earth. Midday sun is strongest, which results
in sharp shadows and high tonal contrasts. Early morning light and
sunset light fall at a sharper angle, so the shadows are not as strong,
but they can reveal the beauty and texture of the surroundings.
.

6. ROLE OF LIGHT IN COMPOSITION
Positioning
No matter what or where you are shooting, positioning has a lot to do
with understanding photography lighting. Always be aware of where your
light source is relative to your subject and where you and your camera
are relative to them. Move around as much as you can for different
effects.

7. ROLE OF LIGHT IN COMPOSITION
Natural and artificial lighting
Natural light is of course the most common and
should be used whenever possible. All artificial
studio lighting is trying to do is basically imitate
natural light. But found lighting, like street lights
or lights in a club, can produce effects that
natural lighting cannot. Combining natural and
artificial lighting in one image can be really fun
and often leads to the most striking results.

8. ROLE OF LIGHT IN COMPOSITION
SHADOW
Whatever type of lighting you are using
– remember to pay attention to the
shadows too. Compose your photograph
in a way that the play and contrast
between light and shadow becomes the
focal point of the image. You can do that
with direct shadows that make beautiful
patterns or you can focus on the more
subtle transition between different tones.
You shouldn’t shy away from shadows.
The importance of shadows in
photography is that they can be used in
a way that enhances the light source
and the subject. Layering shadow and
light brings a sense of depth to an
image, which cannot be achieved if
everything in a photograph is equally