Learning about light and lighting is best done visually and with experimentation. That’s really what the Lighting 102 series is about; learning to see lighting (or knowing when to create it). This week’s lesson on Strobist talks about the distance between subject and flash (light source). Run through the exercise that’s laid out in the lesson and you’ll learn where to place your flash for different lighting effects.

Admittedly, I did not do last week’s exercise. But I am, along with this week’s. Even though I have lots of experience there’s nothing wrong with reviewing principles learned long ago. Having a fresh look at using my camera’s flash in different ways may just cause me to create some great photos.

As a photographer, it’s a great advantage to be able to visualize what your photos will look like before you grab your equipment. You have to do the grunt work first though. Learning about light and lighting is an experiential thing. You gotta “see the light” for it to stay in your brain.

Go shoot something!

** Note: A good article on both size and distance of light sources can be found over at ShootSmarter.com, one of my favorite sites. You just need to supply an email address to sign in.