The Psychology Of Light
by William Lulow
Like most everything else, light has a definite psychology. Dark images are “moody” or convey a sense of mystery. Light images are usually happy and convey a sense of lightness or airy-ness! It is important to keep these things in mind whenever you start to do a portrait or any other kind of photograph. First, you need to find out what the final “judge” of the picture wants. Portraits for websites and other publicity images need to be informational. They need to show what the person looks like, but at his or her best. Personal images, the shots that photographers usually do for themselves or their portfolios, can really be anything they like. I’ve often said that a personal portrait is more about the photographer than the subject. Many famous photographers have photographed the same subjects, yet they all look different. That’s because each photographer has a different “take” on how the subject looks and what that person has meant to them. When it comes to doing landscapes or still lifes, for that matter, it’s the play of light against dark that makes for interest or drama.
You have to keep the rules in mind. When you are shooting for someone else, you need to know what, exactly, they want. Publicity and advertising photographs are most often “directed” by someone other than the subject (an art director or editor, usually). So, if you want to sell those images, those are the people you need to please. If you’re doing a private commission, I would suggest finding out how the subject sees him or herself and then try to please them by making a portrait that comes close to their own self-image. If you’re doing a photograph for your own book or collection, then you are free to make whatever kind of image pleases you!
So, “light” pictures are mostly informational and must be lit accordingly. You need to fill in shadows and add highlights and keep the backgrounds light to make the image have an uplifting psychological impact. Conversely, if you’re trying to create a psychologically “down” feel, then the lighting should be shadowy, moody and the backgrounds dark.
Here is a well-lit, informational portrait designed to show the person off in the best light. In addition the expression with the big smile also adds an uplifting feeling to the image:
And here is a landscape that is also informational because there is detail in the shadows as well as the highlights:
Notice here, how even the tree in the foreground has detail, but it frames the barn and makes it stand out. There is then a nice highlight on the roof of the barn that attracts attention to the whole composition. These are obviously “informational” images. If you wanted to make a photograph that conveys a different feeling, you would have to change the relationship of light and shadow. Here is one example:
Here, the lights and darker shadows of the wood make for a bit more dramatic image. Sometimes, when you can control the light itself, you can make an even more dramatic image:
This photograph was made with lights placed on opposite sides of the face, but still kept soft by using umbrellas on the lights. If you wanted to be even more dramatic, you could use just one light:
This is called an “Edge Light” because it lights just the edge of the face. It creates a very dark, moody picture. So when you want to create this kind of feeling, this is the kind of light to use. It can be modified as needed to include more detail, but that technique is for another article. But you can just see immediately the difference in how this image makes you feel.
Here is yet another image with a psychology to it:
The shadow areas are mysterious. Where there is no information present, those areas contrast most with the light areas and add a sense of somberness to the entire image. With all this said, it is sometimes interesting to try mixing the lighting with various moods you wish to convey. Here’s are a couple of images with what is called a “Monster Lighting” but because the light was bounced and therefore soft, it made for a somewhat different kind of feeling:
Again, pictures that are mostly dark or shadowy usually make us feel somber while very light-looking pictures make us feel more happy and airy! Things to keep in mind when you are trying to evoke a mood with your imagery.
