How Understanding the Inverse Square Law Will Make You Better at Lighting

The inverse square law is one of the most fundamental and important concepts in lighting, and as such, any photographer working with artificial light should have a good understanding of it. If you are new to it, this helpful video tutorial will show you everything you need to know, from the way the law works to the practical consequences it has on your photos. 

Coming to you from Mike Smith, this excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to know about the inverse square law. The inverse square law dictates how the intensity of light changes with distance from the source, namely that it varies as the square of the distance. Humans are generally pretty bad at estimating non-linear phenomena, which means our intuition can sometimes lead us a bit astray when dealing with this concept, which is why it is so important to understand the behavior the law dictates. Once you have mastered it and its consequences, you will find working with artificial light far easier. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Smith.

If you would like to continue learning about lighting, be sure to check out "Illuminating The Face: Lighting for Headshots and Portraits With Peter Hurley!"

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Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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