Light : Raw Material of Photography

Learning about light is learning the very basic of photography. Somebody might think that this is not necessary for Point and Shoot digital cameras or Canon PowerShot users. That may be be a true claim. However, we believe that if you are or really want to be a serious photographer, understanding light is so crucial.

Without light, you see nothing so as your camera. The behavior of light changes according to substances it incident. We called that behavior a reflection.

For mirror-like materials, it causes specular reflection. This also occurs at the surface of transparent media, such as water or glass. The reflected light of the specular reflection not only has about the same quality as the original light, but also forms image.
For a rough or granular surface, so-called diffuse reflection occurs. Light bounces off in every direction so that an image is not formed. The reflected light is less intense and softer.

See also
ISO, Aperture, and Light Condition part 1/2
ISO, Aperture, and Light Condition part 2/2

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