Product test
Expensive but beautiful gaming pleasure: Razer Blade 15
by Martin Jud
Photo tip: screens as a source of light
4.2.2019
Translation: machine translated
You don't need a photo studio, reflector or spotlight to have a good light source. Smartphone, PC or TV screens diffuse enough light to create a special atmosphere.
On the advice of our chief photographer, Thomas Kunz, I photographed the Razer Blade 15 in a dark meeting room. A TV mounted on the wall served as my light source and lends a cool vibe to the photo, which is particularly fitting for a gaming notebook.
Very often, I don't think about the lighting atmosphere of my photos. And it's usually not that complicated, we're surrounded by screens that can easily be used as a light source. One day, I waited until it was dark, put a glass on my desk and did some experimenting.
I started by using only the light from my PC screen. It shows a white area and shines from the top right. As it is relatively large, the light is soft:
Next, it's my PC and phone screens that light up from the right. The smartphone screen is closer and smaller, so its lighting is more focused. This creates a bigger shadow:
This time I'm only using my smartphone, which I position on the left, so the light doesn't reflect off the glass. As my phone has a blue background, the photo comes out blue.
Once again, I'm only using my phone, but for this photo I used a yellow wallpaper.
In short, just by playing with colours and lighting angles, you can create completely different atmospheres. For low ISO shots, a tripod is essential, as the light from the monitor is very weak.
The images above are unretouched JPEGs. You can, of course, alter the colours slightly afterwards. Here's the final RAW shot with new colours.
I would therefore advise you to test different lighting angles and light sources, it all depends on the size of the screen and the distance from the subject being photographed.
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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