Chapter 3

Light and The Camera

 LIGHT
⮚ Light is the very essence and the basic substance of photography. It is
important to understand how light behaves and how lenses form into
images in order to gain a broader view of the possibilities of
photography.

⮚ We tend to take light for granted even when it is light that enables us to
view the world through our eyes. Light is what enables our eyes to see,
just as sound enables our ears to hear, and flavor enables our tongue to
taste.

⮚ In Langford's Basic Photography, visible light is defined as "a

stream of energy radiating away from the sun or similar radiant source,"
with four important characteristics (Langford, Fox, & Smith, 2010)
 1. Light behaves as if it moves in waves, like ripples crossing the
surface of water. Variations in wavelengths give our eyes the
sensation of different colors.
2. Light travels in a straight line (within a uniform substance or
medium). This can be seen in light beams and shafts of sunlight, and
the way that shadows fall.
3. Light moves at great speed (approximately 300,000 kilometers
or 186,000 miles per second through the vacuum of space). It moves
less fast in air, and slightly slower still in denser substances
such as water or glass.
4. Light also behaves as if it consists of energy particles or
photons. These bleach dyes cause chemical changes in films and
electronic response in digital camera sensors. The more intense the
light, the more photons it contains.
⮚ John Hedgecoe (2005) explains the path of
light in photography by starting with the
subject and light source.
🠞Light rays reflected from the subject of
the photo are transmitted through a glass lens at
the front of the camera to form a latent image on
the film.
🠞 A lens of a convex disk of ground and
polished glass that reflects the widening light rays
traveling away from every point of the subject.
🠞 Light prevented from reaching the film
by a shutter until your chosen of exposure.
🠞 The point at which the lens focuses these
rays - plane - coincides with the position of the
film when the lens is focused.
⮚ The focal plane is where the rays of light refracted by as converge to
form a sharp, upside-down image. Light traveling different distances
from the camera needs varying degrees of refraction to focus at the
focal plane, so a focusing mechanism moves he lens toward or away
from the position of the film and focal plane coincides when the lens
is correctly focused.

⮚ The amount of exposure to light is most often controlled by a

combination of the time the shutter is open (the shutter speed) and
the diameter of the light beam passing through-the-lens (the
aperture). The shutter speed and the aperture are controls that
influence the visual result. Shutter time alters the way movement is
recorded, blurred or frozen; while lens aperture alters the depth of
subject that is shown in focus at one time (depth of field) (Langford,
Fox, & Smith, 2010). These controls will be explained further in this
chapter.
 Two main sources of LIGHT
1. Natural Light
⮚ This refers to the daylight coming from the sun, which is generally
utilized for outdoor photography, or light that comes to existence
without the intervention of man. Light produced by the sun,
including direct sunlight, the soft light in a shadow, light that
bounced off a reflective surface, moonlight reflected from the sun,
and starlight are all sources of natural light.

⮚ Daylight photography depends as much on the quality of the

daylight as its strength. The quality of daylight is a combination of
contrast and color temperature or color of the day.
⮚ Natural light can be classified according to its intensity.

a. Bright Light - a lighting condition wherein objects in open space cast a

deep on uniform shadow In bright light, the subject will produce strong
shadow because the source of light is not covered by clouds. In black and
white photography the object or subject looks contrastly.

b. Hazy Light- a lighting condition wherein the objects in open space cast
a transparent shadow In hazy sunlight, the sun is covered by the clouds and
shadow appears bluish because of the decrease of the light falling on the
subjects in open space. The shadow cast is transparent to the eye and more
details are visible under this lighting condition than in bright sunlight. When
the sunlight is obscured by light clouds, the intensity of the direct light falling
on subject in open space is decreased. In effect, the light coming from the sky
becomes stronger that the shadows appears more bluish that in bright
sunlight.
 c. Dull Light - a lighting condition wherein the objects in open
space cast no shadow. In dull sunlight, the sun is totally covered by
thick clouds. No shadows are formed due to the uniform illumination
of light around the subjects in open space.

2. Artificial light
⮚ This refers to man-made sources of light used or utilized for
indoor photography to align the adverse lighting condition. It is
also utilized to align the hazy or dull light in outdoor photography.

⮚ This includes all non-natural sources such as conditions light from

incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, electronic flashes and
studio strobes.
⮚ Sources of Artificial Light
a. Continuous Duration
• Fluorescent Lamps Types of
• Incandescent Lamps/ Tungsten Electronic Flash
Light
• Photoflood Lamps Infrared Lamp 1. Strobe cube
• Ultraviolet Lamp
2. Slave unit or slave
b. Short Duration flash
• Flash bulbs (chemical flash lamp) 3. Right light
• Flash cubes 4. Accessory flash unit
• Flash bar X-cube
• Electronic flash
⮚ Types of Accessory Flash Unit

1. Manual Flash
These flash units require you to figure out the correct exposure for
your shooting conditions.

2. Automatic Flash
These flash units use automatic sensors to control light output and
duration based on the distance from the camera to the subject. When
you set the aperture you want to use, the flash will automatically
calculate how much light is needed to illuminate a specific distance
range, such as 3 to 15 feet: the flash unit will have an electric eye that
reads the amount of light bouncing back from the subject.
3. Dedicated Light Unit
They are made to work with your camera in specific electronic
means (hence the name), They will do all the thinking for the
photographer automatically setting the correct shutter speed and
aperture, and controlling the exposure by regulating flash duration

4. Built-in Flash Unit

a flash unit built into the camera

5. Off-camera Flash
A flash unit not mounted on the camera Flash synchronization
speed is a shutter speed that can be used when working with a flash
unit to obtain evenly lit results,
 The Camera

⮚By definition, a camera is photographic apparatus used to expose

sensitized film or plates to reflected light images formed by a lens
(Brenner, 2004). It can also be considered as a light tight box with a
means of forming the image, holding sensitized materials, and
controlling the amount of light that will reach the film.

⮚A camera usually has electronic refinements and automatic features,

but underneath all that is a basic design that includes a lightproof
container with a hole at one end over which a lens is placed and a
holder opposite to accommodate either a strip of light-sensitive film,
or a light-sensitive electronic chip.
⮚ "To produce a correctly exposed image in a variety of light
intensities, the camera lens has an iris diaphragm that can be
adjusted to leave a hole of varying diameter. This is called the
aperture. On a fixed-lens compact camera, the lens also contains a
shutter mechanism, known as a between-the-lens shutter, which
opens to allow light to reach the film. The shutter allows you to
choose the precise moment of exposure, and by selecting from a
range of shutter speeds you can also control the length of exposure
The shutter mechanism on a single lens reflex (SLR) camera is
located inside the body, behind the lens, just in front of the film or
digital sensor, and is known as a focal-plane shutter" (Hedgecoe,
2005).
Camera Types

1. SLR ( Single Lens Reflex)

Cameras
Are the most popular type for
serious photography . They could be
either digital or use 35mm film. An SLR
camera’s unique features lies in the
design of its viewfinder system in which
a system of mirror shows the user the
image precisely as the lens renders it.
Thus, no matter focal length lens is
attached to the camera, the scene the
photographer sees through the
viewfinder corresponds exactly to that
seen by the lens.
2. Compact or point-and-shoot cameras
can be either digital or film cameras
and are light and easy to use. This non-
SLR camera does not support
interchangeable lenses and the view
seen through the viewfinder is not
exactly the same as that seen through
the lens, This problem can result in
framing errors and not seeing whether
the image is correctly focused. They are
called point-and-shoot because they
have controls that are either very
simplified or very automated (or both).
Such cameras are meant to be used to
record snapshots without having to
learn how to use a camera.
3. Medium format cameras
It use wide rolls of film (between
the 35mm and 4x5-inch formats)
for better image definition, Because
of the large negative size, the image
resolution is higher with medium-
format than 35mm cameras. These
cameras tend to be more expensive,
and lenses tend to be
large.
Essential Components of a Camera
A camera should have the following controls and adjustments
(Langford, Fox, & Smith, 2010):
1. A means to accurately aim the camera and compose the
picture:
2. An ability to focus precisely:
3. A shutter to control the moment of exposure and how long
light acts on the sensitive surface;
4. An aperture to control image brightness and depth of field:
5. A method of loading and removing film, without allowing
unwanted light to affect it; and
6. A meter to measure the light and indicate or set the exposure
needed for each shot.
Essential Parts of a Camera
1. Light-Tight Box or Body - part of the camera that is very
important because of its capability to exclude all the unwanted light
that might expose the film

2. Lens - a glass, plastic, or crystal optical element molded into a

curved shape that can bend and focus rays of light, responsible for
focusing the rays of light coming from the subject.

3. Film Holder - holds the film firmly inside the camera.

4. Shutter - device used to control the amount of time during

which light is allowed to enter the camera and register on the film or
image sensor; serves as the barrier of the rays of light that will enter
and affect the film inside the camera
● Setting the shutter at certain speeds enables the camera to
determine the length of time the film is exposed moving the
shutter speed dial to the next stop either doubles or halves be
exposure time.

● Shutter speed: B 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500,

1000, 2000
🠞 Number 1 stands for a whole second and the others are a
fraction of a second.
🠞 The shutter speed of 125 is capable of stopping the
movement of the subject.
🠞 The shutter speed of 60, 125 and above is advisable to use
when hand holding the camera with a 50mm lens but if your
lens is 300mm use 500/sec or higher
5. Viewfinder- an optical or electrical device used to compose and
frame a scene; shows the entire scene coverage that can be recorded
in the film inside the camera, also called a view system, a finder or a
viewing screen.
● Compact or point-and-shoot cameras have direct vision
viewfinders that do not show exactly the same image that the
lens sees. In SLR cameras, light is reflected by a mirror and
pentaprism to the viewfinder Digital cameras usually have an
LCD monitor to show the image being projected onto the
sensor.

6. Film Advancer & Lever- a mechanism for moving film from one
spool to another incrementally one frame at a time.
7. Shutter Speed - it will control the duration between the opening
and closing of the shutter.

8. Lens Aperture - an opening diaphragm in a light blocking plate

that allows light to strike the film or image sensor; the ratio
between the diameter and focal length of the lens the light
gathering power of the lens.
• The diameter of the lens diaphragm can be changed by turning
the aperture ring. This dictates the brightness of the image reaching
the film. Moving to the next f-number either halves or doubles
aperture size. Aperture size also affects depth of field. The higher
the number, the smaller the lens opening The smaller the lens
opening, the greater the depth of field.
9. Focusing Mechanism - The sharpness or clearness of the objects
being photographed will depend upon the focusing system of the
camera. The focus is the physical point at which rays of light from a
lens converge to form a properly defined image of the subject.
Focusing Control:

A. Split Image B. Microprism C. Ground Screen

Out of Focus Sharp Focus
Parts of an SLR Camera ( Back )
( Source : Hedgecoe, 2005)
Parts of an SLR Camera
( Front )
( Source : Hedgecoe, 2005)
Camera Lenses

As defined above, a lens is a glass, plastic, or crystal optical

element molded into a curved shape that can bend and focus rays of
light. It is responsible for focusing the rays of light coming from the
subject.

Simple lenses feature a single convex or concave lens. Most

photographic lenses feature multiple elements housed in a single lens
barrel that cancel out each element's weaknesses to produce a sharp
image. The size of the individual lens elements and their positions
determine the angle of view and focal length of the lens.
 Distance Scale (feet)4

Distance Scale (meter)

Depth-of field scale (f-

stops)

Aperture setting (f-stops)

Standard Camera Lenses
Standard camera lenses can be divided into the following broad groups
(Hedgecoe, 2005):
1. Standard/Normal Lens
A standard lens or normal lens has a focal length that is roughly
equivalent to the diagonal of the light-sensitive, image-recording area
within the camera. They usually have wide maximum apertures,
making them useful in low-light situations;
2. Wide Angle Lens
A wide-angle lens has a focal length shorter than the diagonal of the
film frame or image sensor. It provides a broader angle of view than a
standard lens and is therefore ideal for photographing a group of
people or when working in confined space. However, distortion may be
a problem if the lens is used too close to a subject;
 A wide-angle lens is also sometimes called a short lens.
These lenses can be rectilinear straight lines are preserved) or fisheye
(showing extreme barrel distortion);

3. Long-Focus Lens
A long focus lens has a focal length that is much greater than
the diagonal of the film or image format with which it is used.
Longer focal lengths are useful for taking large images of distant
subjects or when unable to move close enough to the subject to use
a shorter lens; and

4. Zoom Lens
A zoom lens has a variable focal length. It allows fine-tuning of
subject framing by adjusting the focal length of the lens.
1. Standard/Normal Lens

2. Wide Angle Lens

3. Long-Focus Lens

4. Zoom Lens
Special Camera Lenses and Zooms
The following are special lenses and
zooms designed for the 35mm format
(Hedgecoe, 2005).
1. Mirror Lens
🠞 A mirror lens uses a combination of
glass elements and mirrors that bounce
the light up and down the lens barrel,
manipulating the light rays to allow a
long focal length to be contained within a
physically short space. The compact
design reduces the bulk and weight
associated with extreme
long-focus lenses.
 2. Ultra Wide Angle Lens
🠞 Linearly corrected ultra wide-angle lenses have a focal length
ranging from around 21mm down to around 15mm. An example is
the fisheye lens, which has a very wide-angle lens that produces
distorted view of the world.
 3. Wide Angle Zoom
🠞 A wide-angle zoom is likely to be slower and heavier and to show
more image distortion than a wide-angle fixed focal length lens.
However, it has the advantage of being able to select intermediate focal
length settings.
 4. Shift Lens
🠞 A shift lens is also sometimes called a perspective control lens.
It can be shifted off-center in relation to the film frame, so that the
correct perspective can be achieved when photographing converging
vertical lines such as tall buildings.
 5. Macro lenses
🠞 Designed to render a subject with 1:1 or higher magnification
for very close focusing distances. They are useful in taking close-ups
of small subjects or isolating details of larger subjects because they
allow the camera to focus extremely close to a subject to record a
detailed image.
 6. Telephoto Lens
A telephoto lens has a focal length longer than the diagonal of the
film frame or image sensor. Telephoto lenses make a subject appear
larger on film than a normal lens at the same camera-to-subject
distance. They also have a shallower depth of field than wide-angle
lenses. They are usually used by sports photographers who frequently
use a monopod for support and maneuverability.
 7. Telephoto Zoom
A telephoto zoom ranging from 75-300mm encompasses about six
fixed focal length lenses. This type of zoom is popular with sports and
wildlife photographers. It is also useful for portraits and can be used
to photograph architectural and landscape details.
Classification of Lenses

1. Positive lens - a convex lens characterized by the fact that it

is thicker in the middle than the edge, and forms a real image on the
opposite side of the lens. It has a positive focal length and bends the
rays together, which makes it a converging lens.

2. Negative lens - a concave lens characterized by the fact that

it is thinner in the middle than the edge and forms a virtual image
on the same side of the lens. It does not require focusing at all, as
everything will be sharp, upright and clear, no matter how close or
far away the object. It is also known as a diverging lens because of
its power to diverge rays of light that passes through it.
Inherent Defects and Aberrations of Lenses

1. Chromatic aberration
It is an inability of the lens to focus all colors in the same plane.
It is a lens defect which has trouble bringing all the different
wavelengths of visible light into focus at the same point on the
film. This is the most difficult lens aberrations to correct.

2. Spherical aberration
A lens defect wherein the photographic rays passing through the
edges refract more sharply than those passing through the central
part of the lens. Thus, they come to focus at the edges than at the
central rays.
3. Astigmatism
The inability of the lens to focus in both horizontal and vertical
plane at the same time; or the inability of the lens to focus in both
lines running indifferent direction (e.g., a cross)

4. Distortion
Outer parts of the image produced by the lens will be magnified
either less or more than the outer image Distortion comes in two
basic forms:
a. Pincushion distortion - In pincushion distortion, there
are straight lines near the edges of the frame bow toward the
center of the frame. The curving is inward.
b. Barrel distortion - In barrel distortion, straight lines near
the edges of the of the frame bow outward from the center of the
frame.
5. Coma
This is known as lateral aberration. It is concerned with rays
entering the lens obliquely. It is a lens defect that produces a blurred
comet-like image.

6. Curvature of field
The image formed by lens comes to a sharper focus on a curved
surface than on a flat surface,

7. Chromatic difference of magnification

The inability of the lens to produce images sizes of object with
different color
Types of Lens According to their Degree of Correction

1. Achromatic or apochromatic - lens corrected for chromatic

aberration.

2. Aspherical - lens corrected for spherical aberration.

3. Anagmatism or anastigmatic - lens corrected for astigmatism.

4. Process - lens corrected for astigmatism but with higher

correction to color; a super corrected lens for astigmatism.

5. Rapid rectilinear-lens corrected for distortion; a combinat

of two achromatic lenses with almost the same focal length
Camera Accessories
The following are among the several
camera accessories that can be utilized in
photographing subjects.

1. Tripod - a stand consisting of

three legs and a mounting head for a
camera; used to support and stabilize
the camera

2. Cable release -a cable with a

button or plunger attached to a camera
to prevent accidental movement and
eliminate camera shake.
 3. Flash unit-an artificial light source
synchronized with the opening and closing
of the shutter to emit a brief but very
bright burst of illumination to a scene

4. Light Meter - a device used in

determining the intensity of light that
strikes the subjects and affects
the film.

5. Extension Tube - a tube inserted

between the lens and camera body to
provide increased magnification for
macrophotography; used in
photographing minute objects
 6. Filter - a piece of colored glass,
gelatin, plastic, or other material that
attaches to or over the camera or enlarger
lens to selectively absorb for otherwise
alter) the light passing through it; used to
enhance color or contrast, remove
reflections, reduce haze, soften focus, or
produce a variety of special effects.
● There are two general types of photographic filters, namely the non-
special effects filters which are intended to manipulate the way film
reacts to subject colors, and the special effects filters which are
intended to give special effect to pictures. Examples of special effects
filters include multi-images filter, speed filter and double exposure
filter.

Filters can also be classified into five, namely

a. Contrast filter - adjusts the tonal differences of an image
b. Correction filter - colored filter used in black & white image
capture to ensure that tones are reproduced with the same relative
brightness as perceived by the human eye
 c. Haze filter - used to filter out ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which
can cause a bluish fog and loss of detail in distant objects; also used to
protect the front lens element from dust, moisture and scratches
d. Sky filter - a graduated filter designed to darken the sky while
leaving the foreground exposure unaltered
e. Polarizing filter gray filter used over light sources or camera
lenses to reduce specular reflections on certain surfaces; also increases
saturation of colors, especially in landscapes

● Primary color filters allow only that particular primary color to pass
through that is red allows red to pass through, blue allows blue, and
green allows green. Complementary color filters work in the same
way. Yellow is a mixture of red and green, so yellow filter allows only
those two colors to pass through, and so on.
Subtractive Color Mixing
Color combination of
photographic filters:
a. Yellow and magenta -> Red
b. Cyan and magenta ->blue
c. Cyan and yellow -> green
d. Red and green ->yellow
e. Blue and red ->magenta
f. Blue and green ->cyan
 6. Camera Grip - a device used to
hold the camera firmly so as to prevent
vibration or movement.

7. Lens Hood - A plastic, metal, or

rubber device that attaches to the front of
a lens to shield it from extraneous light
and eliminate reflection that might
destroy the image cast by objects
especially when the light is coming from
the top or side portions of the camera;
also offers added physical protection
against accidental blows; also called sun
shade or lens shade
Basic Crime Scene and Evidence Photography Kit

In Crime Scene and Evidence Photographer's Guide, Robert C.

Staggs (2005) recommends the following equipment and accessories to
be used by a forensic photographer
1. Camera
2. Normal lens (a 50mm lens is considered a normal lens for a
35mm camera)
3. Wide angle lens (28mm or similar for a 35mm camera)
4. Close-up lenses or accessories (e.g., macro lens, 1:1 adapter,
extension tubes, bellows, reversing ring, or close up filters)
5. Filters (red, orange, yellow, blue, and green)
6. Electronic flash
7. Remote sync cord for electronic flash (to operate flash
when not mounted on camera)
8. Extra camera and flash batteries
9. Locking cable release
10. Tripod
11. Film (color and black and white print film)
12. Owner's manuals for camera and flash 13. Notebook
and pen
14. Scales
15. ABFO #2 scale (injury photography)
16. Gray card (to aid in getting accurate exposures)
17. Index cards and felt pen
18. Flashlight
Other equipment that should be considered.
1. Telephoto lenses (135 mm, telephoto zoom lens for
surveillance photography.)
2. Supplementary light meter for low light level readings.
3. Small tools for emergency camera repairs.
4. Block of woods, clothespins, and other devices for positioning
evidence for close-up photography
5. White handkerchief or other flash diffusion material.
6. Levels
7. Tape measure
8. Color chart or color control patches (injury photography)
Proper Handling of the Camera
Camera motion can be caused by lack of sharpness. There are two
prime causes of camera motion.
1. Vibration - usually caused by body movement including the
beating of the heart
2. Actual camera movement - caused by the improper holding
of the camera

How to Hold a Camera

Camera motion can result in blurry images. To prevent this, it is
important to hold the camera properly by considering the following.
1. Hold the camera with the right hand and place the index finger
under the shutter release. The thumb should be under the film
advance lever and the remaining three fingers against the front of the
camera.
 2. The heel of the camera must lie on the palm of the left hand.
3. The photographer's arm should be resting against the body
with the legs far enough apart to be a steady base. When taking a
photograph in a kneeling position, do not rest the elbow on the
knees as the bone-to-bone contact is unsteady and will be reflected
in the photograph.

The placement of the rest of the body while taking the photograph is
as important as holding the camera.
Care and Handling of the camera and Film

The photographer should take care of the camera between uses

by keeping it out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. The
camera should never be exposed to direct sunlight or to heat inside
glove compartments or trunks of vehicles during hot weather. The
photographer should also keep the film in an insulated chest or
wrapped in white reflective cloth. Exposed film should be
maintained in a refrigerator or processed immediately. In cold
weather, the camera should be protected by keeping it under your
jacket as the film may become brittle and tear or break. Salt water
may also damage the camera and film so make sure the camera is
fully protected. Negatives should be placed in a plastic sleeve to
avoid scratches.
 How To Handle A Camera

Vertical Position Standing Position Kneeling Position

Horizontal Prone Position
Position