25. TYPE OF LIGHT: NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL

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ONE OF THE most basic distinctions when categorizing the light in a scene is whether it is natural or artificial light.

  • Natural light is light created by a natural source, such as sunlight in all its many forms: direct, diffused, reflected, and filtered (Figure 25.1). Even moonlight is just reflected sunlight. Starlight, visible in long, night exposures taken with more advanced cameras, is the light of many distant suns. The light from a fire or candles can also be considered natural light.
  • Artificial ambient light is a human-made light source that is part of the normal lighting in a scene. This can be ...

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