Assignment #22, North Window Light

Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 2:30 pm

Assignment #22, North Window Light for portraits or product photography.

For this assignment you are to post two (2) images using north window light. The first image should be with the north window light only. The second should be the same shot but with a white cardboard reflector to fill the shadow side.

First, what is “North Window Light”? It is a term we use to describe bright, but indirect light from a window.

With direct light the sun would shine through the window and the light source would be very small and the lighting would be harsh.

With indirect light, the light source effectively becomes the size of the window itself.

Why is it called “north window light”?

If you remember anything of High School, you should remember that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. So a window on the east side of the house would receive direct light in the morning and indirect light once the sun was directly overhead.

In the late afternoon the windows on the western side of the house would get direct light. So depending upon the time of the day you can get “north window” indirect light from a western or eastern facing window.

In the summer the sun is high in the sky and you get indirect light on both the northern and southern exposures of the house.

However in the fall through the spring the sun is lower on the horizon and the southern exposure gets direct light the entire day. The northern exposure gets indirect light the entire day. Hence, “north window light”. A north facing window will allow you to shoot with indirect light the entire day and pretty much the entire year. A north facing window is a valuable asset to a photographer.

For portraits, have the subject stand (or sit) along side the window. Have them 1 to 4 feet from the window wall. You place yourself butt up against the wall and have the subject either look at you or towards the window. And shoot.

An assistant is helpful for this part. Use a large piece of white cardboard or a white sheet and have the assistant (or light stand) hold is so that it reflects light back into the shadow side. It behaves as a marginally effective mirror and reflects just half or less of the light that hits it. This will create a very manageable lighting ratio.

You can choose to shoot a portrait or a product shot or a still life. If you shoot a product shot or still life you should choose a suitable background. White seamless paper will do well. This is an excellent light source for photos for e-bay or other simple advertising shots.

Shoot also with and without the reflector.

This photographer uses north window light for portraits: Portraits

This still life appears to be shot with north window light: still life

Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 440

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