This exercise was to illustrate the effect of the colour of light on a photograph. I was to take 3 photographs of the same subject with the cameras white balance set to daylight:
- Photo 1: in full sunlight during the middle of the day.
- Photo 2: in shade during the middle of the day.
- Photo 3 : when the sun is close to the horizon.
there are obvious colour differences in the three photos. In the first photo my skin is at its most natural given that the colour of light in the middle of the day (on a clear day) is white. in the shade my skin appears more blue-grey and at the sunset i am almost umpa lumpa orange.
When I was taking these shots I don't remember my skin colour changing to this extent. This because our eyes adapt to the colour of light and things appear to be lit neutrally. it would be more correct to say that our brain adapts to the messages being sent to it by the eye and so we perceive colours in shade (or in some cases in artificial light) somewhat closer to how they would look if they were lit by a white light.
the skin colour in photo 1 is a little more yellow than I expected to see and this could be down to several factors.
- The photos were taken in winter sun which is lower than summer sun
- The camera's "Daylight" white balance is not perfect
- The monitor on which I am viewing the photos is displaying the photos with a slightly yellow hue (I do regularly calibrate my monitor)
- I am actually yellower than I think I am
- a combination of the first four factors.
By using a single white balance setting this meant that any changes in colour between the photos was based on the quality of the light.
(Freeman:2013) tells us that, on a cloudless day, light is made up of around 85% direct sunlight. The remaining 15% is made up of diffuse sky radiation which comes from the sky reflecting the blue wavelengths of sunlight. Therefore by standing in shade (ie cutting out the direct sunlight) I am lit by the blue light and some light reflected bu my surroundings.
Reflection
I am back in my comfort zone with these technical exercises. they do force me to ask questions and research the answers. I had no idea why there was a blue hue to photos taken in shade for instance. I have covered the colour of light before on different courses and thought I knew all about it but this exercise has proved me wrong. Many of the tasks on this course are deceptively simple yet guide you to a way of thinking more deeply about the subject.