lumogeny

Know the look before you light it.

Lumogeny shows where the lights stand for 43 photographic styles, and turns the one you want into a shoot sheet for your own camera, lenses and lights.

Six set-ups, six looks

  1. Render of three objects on a table. Two large softboxes as key and fill, the white sweep lit until it clips to pure white.

    E-commerce packshot on white

    white sweepkeyfillbackgroundbackgroundcamera1.9 m50 cm

    Two large softboxes as key and fill, the white sweep lit until it clips to pure white.

  2. Render of a grey clay head. A single hard lamp from the side, raking across the head so it floats out of black.

    Surrealist photography

    black backdrop2.3 m behindlamp50 cm

    A single hard lamp from the side, raking across the head so it floats out of black.

  3. Render of a grey clay head. The sun low behind and beside the sitter, a white reflector in front, metered for the face so the background glows.

    Light and airy

    white sweep2.8 m behindsun3500 Kreflector4800 Ksunlit ground4200 K, 1.7 m away50 cm

    The sun low behind and beside the sitter, a white reflector in front, metered for the face so the background glows.

  4. Render of three objects on a table. One object square-on and close against plain grey card, lit softly from above and in front so its outline and surface read clearly.

    New Objectivity photography

    backdropsoftboxwhite card50 cm

    One object square-on and close against plain grey card, lit softly from above and in front so its outline and surface read clearly.

  5. Render of a grey clay head. Direct sun from one side raking across the face against a house wall, a reflector lifting the shadow side (the light of the courtyard, not the paper negative).

    Calotype and paper-negative photography

    backdrop1.8 m behindsun4.3 m awayreflector50 cm

    Direct sun from one side raking across the face against a house wall, a reflector lifting the shadow side (the light of the courtyard, not the paper negative).

  6. Render of a grey clay head. A top-floor studio's daylight from one tall window at the side, plain grey paper behind.

    Postwar couture fashion photography

    backdrop1.5 m behindwindow1.4 m away50 cm

    A top-floor studio's daylight from one tall window at the side, plain grey paper behind.

Renders made in Blender Cycles on a clay head or a still life of three objects: synthetic figures, not people. The grey scale under each picture marks a render. Plans are to scale and seen from above, camera at the bottom; magenta is light. Pick a set-up for its style and its shoot sheet.

Start from a style

43 styles, from the daguerreotype to the Y2K digicam, each with its photographs, its light and a shoot sheet.

All 43 styles

The light lab

Move one softbox round a clay head and watch butterfly light turn into loop, Rembrandt and split light.

Open the light lab

Try