Flat Light.

jwbryson1 · Aug 16, 2011

I keep seeing C&C with "lighting is flat" or "flat light" comments and it struck me that I'm not sure what this means. Can somebody enLIGHTen me? Thanks.

g-fi · Aug 16, 2011

Flat lighting usually means low contrast lighting, or lighting that eliminates the range of shadows that help define what you are shooting. Sometimes it's what people are after, but I think it's viewed as bad because it's often a rookie mistake to try and light a scene so evenly that you've taken all the dynamics out of it. I think there is a time and a place for flat lighting though, so it's not necessarily a bad thing to know or be aware of how to do.

tirediron · Aug 16, 2011

^^That! Look at your passport picture; if that's done right it should be a perfect example of flat lighting.

BekahAura · Aug 16, 2011

You also get flat lighting outside on a cloudy day.

The_Traveler · Aug 16, 2011

or when someone uses an on-camera flash.

clanthar · Aug 16, 2011

jwbryson1 said:
I keep seeing C&C with "lighting is flat" or "flat light" comments and it struck me that I'm not sure what this means. Can somebody enLIGHTen me? Thanks.

Often when you see that comment here the lighting isn't flat, the photo is flat. Both conditions of course can occur. Flat lighting can be very appropriate given the subject. Here's an illustration:

Joe

deepakaa · Aug 17, 2011

Hello...i am also struggling with exactly the same question.......could some one put some more examples of flat light photo or flat photo (not sure to have understood the difference completely)...and also mention how to fix flat light problem....

Thanks..

clanthar · Aug 17, 2011

deepakaa said:
Hello...i am also struggling with exactly the same question.......could some one put some more examples of flat light photo or flat photo (not sure to have understood the difference completely)...and also mention how to fix flat light problem....

Thanks..

Lighting contrast is primarily a function of the size of the light source. Small light = high contrast and large light = low contrast or "flat light." There's nothing wrong with flat light, it can often be the best choice given the subject. A softbox and/or umbrella are used in studios to flatten the light. High contrast light can also be very appropriate for certain subjects.

A flat photo has a compressed tonal range. This is typically the result of exposure and/or processing errors.

A flat photo is corrected in post processing with a Levels adjustment. I'll see about posting an example.

Joe

KmH · Aug 17, 2011

In the 2 examples of houses Joe posted notice how sharp the shadow edges are in the one in direct sunlight.
The Sun is an apparently small light source, because it is 93 million miles away. A built-in flash unit is also apparently small, as is a shoe flash unit.
Apparently small light sources produce harsh light, and sharp shadow edges that don't 'wrap' around the edges.

Notice in the other, overcast shot, the light and the shadow edges are much softer. It's kind of hard to even see the shadows, becuase they 'wrap' around the shadows a lot.
That's because the small Sun is lighting a larger layer of clouds making he clouds an apparently larger light source. In fact massively larger, but there is not as much light, becuase it has been diffused by the clouds.

So photographers often use diffusion panels, light tents, umbrellas, brollyboxes, and/or softboxes to make a small light apperar a lot larger. all sudtio lights are apparently small, unless the light is modifed by diffusion panels, light tents, umbrellas, brollyboxes, and/or softboxes.

Stradawhovious · Aug 17, 2011

Flat light......

Not so flat light.......

clanthar · Aug 17, 2011

Good point that Keith made -- light size is distance relative. A 1 x 1 foot softbox is a huge light for shooting a necklace, but not a family portrait.

Here's another visual example. This time the light contrast is high -- direct afternoon sun, but the photo is flat. The photo has a compressed tone range. This is the camera original JPEG completely untouched. I've inset the histogram for the photo. The graph fails to reach the right corner which means the photo does not have a full tone range.

I took the RAW file and processed it in Photoshop. It may not be an exciting image, but it's a technically fine photo. The light contrast is appropriate to the subject and it was easy enough to process to a normal tone range and white balance.

Joe