Light recipes
Make a simple window-light comparison and record enough of the setup to reproduce it.
GUIDED LESSONStart here
Use this practical lesson to see what a white reflector changes. You will make your own example; no existing lighting-recipe photograph is presented as evidence here.
By the end: Compare the shadow side of a still subject while keeping camera exposure and white balance fixed.
What you need: A matte still object, indirect window light, a white card and a supported camera with exposure and white balance you can lock.
Before you begin: Photography foundations: exposure and histogram. Use a still object and indirect window light.
How to work through this lesson
- Place the object near an indirectly lit window, turn off other lamps and fix the camera position. Make a photograph without the card.
- Put the card 20 cm from the shadow side, then 60 cm away. Keep exposure and white balance fixed for each photograph.
- Compare the shadow side at the same display size. Record the distances and visible change; repeat if automatic exposure changed the whole image.
A window, a reflector and one repeatable photograph
A lighting recipe names the source, its direction, its apparent size from the subject and the surroundings that reflect or absorb it. Exposure settings alone cannot reproduce the picture. A large nearby window can light the subject from one side; a white board on the other side returns some light into the shadows.
Begin with one source so that every change has an explanation. Keep a simple top-view sketch: window to the subject’s left, camera in front, board to the right. Record distances rather than calling the light merely soft or dramatic.
Worked example
Original recipe: put a matte mug about half a metre from an indirectly lit window. Turn off room lamps. Photograph it with no board, then with a white card 20 cm from its shadow side, then 60 cm away. Keep camera position, exposure and white balance fixed. Compare the shadow side and the transition around the mug; judge the visible result rather than assuming a precise lighting ratio.
Try it yourself
Write your answer before opening the explanation. Use the worked example if you get stuck.
Question 1
The second frame is brighter everywhere because the camera used automatic exposure. Can you attribute the whole difference to the board? How should you repeat it?
Show answer and reasoning
No. Metering and reflected fill both changed. Lock exposure or use manual settings and repeat the series in stable daylight. Now the shadow-side change is easier to attribute to the board.
Watch for: Clouds change window light. Repeat a baseline frame at the end and note if it differs. Avoid mixing room lighting with daylight until you can identify each source.
Summary + next step
Compare the shadow side of a still subject while keeping camera exposure and white balance fixed.
Keep the result: Keep the photographs and a simple sketch showing window, subject, camera and reflector distances.
Sources and further reading
Read these references for the concepts used in the lesson.
Lesson updated 2026-09-14 · Guidance updated 2026-10-22
Coverage and further development
Compare the shadow side of a still subject while keeping camera exposure and white balance fixed.
Further development: Photographed recipe results, drawn lighting diagrams and flash-specific lessons.