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Week 3: Light and colour
Read and shape light's direction, quality and colour temperature to set mood, direct attention and keep a subject readable.
8 March 2027
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Light is not just something a shot needs enough of — its direction, quality and colour temperature are authorial decisions that change what a viewer feels and where they look. This lecture compares front, side and back light, breaks down hard versus soft light and Kelvin colour temperature, and connects both to the three-shot lighting exercise and Assignment 1’s light study.
Outline
We work through the three-variable framework — direction, quality, colour — with front/side/back light comparisons, three-point lighting ratios, and the golden-hour-to-blue-hour colour temperature range. The session closes with the three-shot exercise: use changing light alone to alter the meaning of a routine, then plan the location, time of day and backup light for Assignment 1’s light study.
Bring two examples of the same place photographed or filmed at different times of day.
Teaching team
- ZIMU LI — convenor