There is no doubt that light is a vital element in photography, if not the most important.
A couple of days ago I had the pleasant to interview one excellent photographer, teacher and a person who I learned to consider a friend: Edu Fuica. It was so funny and so nice I refuse to call it work! Along the hours we spent together there was lots of fun and even more tips and knowledge that are soon to become a podcast. One of the things we discussed was how can we train our eyes to see the light, task to which he suggested some tips, one of them being something I believe deeply: training the eyes to see good works.
On the podcast you will see this and other tips, but one fun and easy way to see good lighting is on movies. Last night I got surprised by one movie rented by mistake, it is called The Rite.
According to Wikipedia:The Rite is a 2011 American supernatural horror film directed by Mikael Håfström and written by Michael Petroni.[3] It is based on Matt Baglio’s book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist,[4] which itself is based on allegedly real events with Father Gary Thomas.[5] The film stars Anthony Hopkins, Colin O’Donoghue,Alice Braga and Rutger Hauer.[6] Shot in Rome and Budapest,[7] it was released on January 28, 2011.
Before you get the movie there are some disclaimers:
- This movie is not for everyone, it might get some scary or address religious issues that are not for your taste. Be aware that it got not so good ratings from critics.
- This recommendation is based only on the lighting and not because I loved the movie. I am on a love-hate relation with many things but I must confess I liked more things that I didn’t.
- Many blockbusters are amazing as entertainment but shalow on the lighting side. The good and the bad examples have their usage, as learning aids or amusement.
- I DO NOT recommend you to download or get any pirate version. Respect copyright as you would like yours respected and watch it at the highest resolution possible by your gear
Now lets “walk into the light”. Remove any distractions for your eyes and mind, grab a capuccino and enjoy this film’s lessons on lighting (if you this as I did, alone, in the dark and deep into the night this might get a little too creepy for the faint of heart! LOL). The movie is flooded of good examples of lighting and how it can affect the picture’s results and induce moods. Dark and moody shots keep the atmosphere dense and loaded with fear and emotions. Other scenes break the rhythm and put you on a simple classroom or city street, and then back into the search for the truth (and light!).
Inspect how the shadows indicate the lighting sources, giving away their number and position. Watch the film over and over again and pay attention to the details that will pass by unnoticed the first time. Pay attention to the catchlights in the eyes, they are excellent indicators to all lighting used. As you watch it, examine closely the shadows on faces, see how a half-hidden face makes you feel, the emotions it helps induce.
Of course all the good lighting is aided by a matching soundtrack to keep you creeped to your bones and compliments an job well done, at least for keeping a mood. I hope you get as good a time as I head this VERY late night, as I had the pleasure of relaxing with a movie and yet learning a lot from an excellent lit movie. But if you cannot sleep after it, I warned you 🙂
