This month marks the first in a series dealing with special lighting situations and how each impacts upon bird photography. We will discuss different aspects of lighting such as the direction of lighting, background and metering. Since there are many areas to discuss, we will not run them concurrently, but will discuss other topics of interest as well. This first article will discuss side lighting.

There used to be an old photography adage about "always keep the sun over your shoulder". This kind of light is called "front lighting". We will be discussing the situation when the light is falling upon the subject from approximately 90 degrees from you.

I guess the first question to be asked is "why"? Why bother with side lighting in the first place? The reason is that side lighting is often much more dramatic than front lighting. This kind of lighting tends to give a lot of contrast because large areas of the photo will have both strong lighting and deep shadows. This kind of lighting gives a three-dimensional look to the photograph. Front lighting tends to give flat, even lighting that which often appears two-dimensional. This is great for documentary or representational type images, but often lacks a "punch". This type of lighting is ideal for identification photography. Side lighting, by contrast has an immediate visual impact. This is due in part to the fact that we don't often see images like this in publications. Side lighting is also of interest as it lends a new twist on familiar subjects. For example, consider this photo of a common House Finch. They are plentiful in southern Ontario and a typical frontlit photograph is fairly easy to come by.

The strong side lighting has a few interesting effects here. The direction of lighting casts part of the bird, and all of the background in shadow. It has a strong visual impact because there is little else to distract us in the photo. The cedar log forms an inverted "V" which leads us to the to the bird, which continues the "V" shape and the viewer's eye naturally ends at the eye of the bird. If this photo had been frontlit, there would have been background elements which would have appeared in the photo, and possibly distracted us from the main focus.

This photo of a Northern Junco further illustrates this point. The bird is lit from the side and a great deal of the bird is cast in shadow. The eye however, is sharp and highlighted. The background is once again dark with some interesting splashes of color caused by the sun striking autumn leaves. The leaves are well out of focus and serve only to add color and silhouette the birds tail which would have been lost in the dark background. If the camera had been placed inches to the right or left, the colors would not have been captured. (In Photo Tips #2, "The Setup", we discussed the need to carefully plan your camera position.)

One difficulty with this kind of photograph is getting the exposure right. Some cameras have very accurate meters and will expose side lit subjects correctly. Most often however, you will have to dial in compensation or set the exposure manually. In a future article, we will discuss exposure in greater detail, but for now the following tips will help.

Meter an "average" toned subject (Such as a rhinoceros butt , although not very common in Ontario!) or an area that is relatively free of strong highlights or dark tones. This area should be in the same light as your subject. Then, if your subject is much brighter than the area you chose, subtract one stop. (Take away light since it reflects more than 18%, see tips#5 on "Winter Photography") If the subject is much darker than the area you chose to meter, add light. (Dial in plus one stop) These are simplistic rules that will help, and bracketing your exposures will also be of benefit. Bracketing involves taking a few photos and deliberately adding or subtracting more light that you think is necessary. Shooting print film is also a benefit here as print film can successfully record a greater latitude in exposure than slide film. (See tips#4 on film selection)

In summary, sidelighting can add a new dimension to photographing birds. It can give life to an otherwise routine photograph by emphasizing texture and providing a different perspective. Next month we will begin yet another long winded series on composition.

Copyright Scott Fairbairn and John Reaume

	House Finch : Nikon F5, 500mmf4, photographed on a perch placed near my bird feeders. Taken from my living room in Ingersoll, Ontario. Scott Fairbairn
	Junco : Nikon F5, 500mmf4, photographed on a perch near an area with bird seed on the ground in Ingersoll, Ontario. Scott Fairbairn
Copyright Scott Fairbairn and John Reaume