Lighting is just as significant a factor as the right camera for photography and filming. Using the perfect amount of light for illuminating a particular area of concern is crucial in carrying out any shoot, whether it be a photoshoot or some filming. Any such setup with poor lighting can hurt the quality of your work. It is precisely why looking into the use of sufficient lighting and using appropriate techniques for lighting is extremely important.
Multiple such lighting techniques can be incorporated into the required shooting process. One such well-recognized lighting technique is that of 3D lighting. 3D lighting includes various methods that can be brought about using several tools and types of equipment generated from a computer source. Due to the development of technology and the extensive use of these newer technologies in almost every field, 3D lighting has also gained recognition. Moreover, 3D lighting is a prevalent and widely used technique in the world of shooting. With the advent of 3D lighting have come several variations to it. It includes multiple 3D lighting techniques which can be employed in your work as and when required.
Some of the 3D lighting technique you must be aware of
There are quite a few well-known 3D lighting techniques that can easily be applied to your shooting life. The various methods are used for multiple reasons and cannot be involved in any setting, which is why choosing the most appropriate lighting is essential. Each technique of 3D lighting varies in terms of strategy, execution, conduct, and application and must be selected very wisely to incorporate the best 3D lighting technique to yield the best result. Some of the most common 3D lighting techniques which one must be aware of are:
Directional Lighting
This technique of 3D lighting comprises a method that is used to create parallel beams of light from a very bright light source. The brightness and the colour of these 3D beams can be adjusted and changed according to your requirement and then applied in your shooting settings. This technique’s most common use is to use it as the primary source or point of lighting, which acts like the shining sun. Placing this light at a distance gives a more natural look to the shooting scenario. There are multiple variations to the use and incorporation of 3D lights even under this technique, each of which can be applied according to the lighting’s suitability to the shooting content or scene.
Point Lighting / Omni Lighting
The point lighting technique, also known as the Omni lighting technique, uses a tiny, point-like source that illuminates the entire area. The light beam coming from this point source moves in every required direction in the 3D space. Omni lighting or point lighting technique does not follow a specific size or shape for illumination but spreads its brightness all around in every required direction. It is very evident that Omni lighting does not provide enough light to lighten up the entire room, but can enhance the lighting effect on any omnidirectional or unidirectional object. It means that it enhances the lighting effect of one particular area. The best and most common application of this point lighting technique is on the small light sources like bulbs, lamps, lighting fixtures, and so on, which means that it enhances the lifestyle settings of a room being shot.
Volume Lighting technique
The volume light technique is a technique that is very similar to the Omni light or the point-light process. Just like the point-light technique, the volume light technique also uses a point from which the light beams are emitted. These light beams are emitted from one end but spread to all the surrounding areas. However, volume light applies to a particular place and has a specific shape too. It is called volume lighting as it aims to lighten up only those areas which fall within the set volume. In addition to this, a volume light technique is employed to take a particular shape that follows a geometric primitive, such as a cubical, cylindrical, sphere, or any other geometrical primitive. The most common application of volume light is for the creation of smoky or foggy effects.
Spotlighting technique
The spotlighting technique or spotlight is used to target a particular spot or a particular area that needs to be focused on when being shot. The light beam that comes out of this spotlight expands in a conical shape and extends from a tiny spot to a wide area, circularly spreading light when it reaches the area of concern. This fantastic yet straightforward technique of 3D lighting is used very commonly but needs to be incorporated with the accurate intensity and brightness from the light source. The setting up of these spotlights is crucial, as any mistake can lead to a poor emission of light, resulting in poor lighting and bad quality shots. The spotlight technique’s most common application is for the stimulation of any light fixtures like a street lamp or a desk lamp and any other source of light that creates a visual falloff from the top.
Ambient Lighting Technique
The ambient light technology is used to direct some soft light rays in the required area. When applied in a room, ambient light spreads in all directions and does not follow a particular path. Thus, it is not similar to Omni lighting in terms of the spreading of light or following a specific order. One of the fantastic features of using ambient light is that it does not form any shadow as the soft rays emitted run in every direction, preventing the fall of shadow. Thus, the ambient lighting technique is one of the best and most commonly used lighting techniques, which is generally paired with other unidirectional techniques like point lighting technique or spotlighting process to drive the best results. It can also add colour in a room set up, along with some other 3D lighting techniques used as the primary source of light.
Area Lighting Technique
The area lighting technique is used to cast light in the required directions in the set boundary. It is probably the only 3D lighting technique that follows a particular shape. The area light follows a flat shape that can be either rectangular or circular when it falls in the set boundary’s desired area. It means that area lights also follow a particular size limit. Since area lighting techniques allow the soft light rays to spread their illumination in all directions and initiate a diffused light with minimal shadow effect, they are instrumental in enhancing the light requirement in particular required areas of the room. Their ability to follow a specific shape and size allows them to be particularly useful in focusing on fluorescent light fixtures, backlit panels, and similar lighting panels like these. Their ability to emit photons makes them an ideal choice for architectural representation and product lighting.
Global illumination technique
The global illumination technique aims to illuminate the entire room so that the light rays that are being emitted are such that they can maintain a natural look and preserve the room’s real-life conditions. Although the global illumination technique of 3D lighting is one of the best and highly demanded lighting techniques, it is a highly complex one to handle and achieve. The global illumination technique follows an algorithm that has been calculated so that the light bounces from every surface that it hits, which is done so that the result of the lighting resembles the real-life natural environment. Global illumination lighting technique is thus well suited for shooting indoors or outdoors at any time of the day, giving the best results by creating a 100 % natural ambience for shooting.
Tips For Making Your 3D Lighting Techniques Work
- No matter how fantastic your visual memory is, make sure to collect reference materials before implementing the lighting techniques in reality.
- Try to work on the composition as it will help you control the viewer’s perspective and guide their focus according to necessity.
- Go beyond the application of usual 50 mm lenses. Rather, you can play with lenses, camera movement, angles, duration, and speed to generate a unique lighting effect.
- Adding a contrasting effect to your 3D lighting can enhance the quality of the entire image. If you aim to build a more dynamic 3D image or video, then using contrast can be an ideal choice.
Conclusion
Although there are multiple techniques for 3D lighting, it must be noted that more than just one of these techniques is employed at a time to yield the desired results. Using just one particular technique is never a good idea. As a result, it is not of high quality. Poor quality output is not what anyone would desire. Understanding the requirements of the various types of lighting and their application in carrying out your shoot is a skill you must know. Moreover, combining the correct 3D lighting techniques to derive the desired results is a crucial step that needs to be taken when executing your photoshoot or filmmaking process.
