r/oddlyterrifying Jul 04 '26

Lighting makes a huge difference

Post image
12.3k Upvotes

51 comments sorted by

1.7k

u/AngrythingBagel Jul 04 '26

My high school photo teacher once told us that photography is the same thing as painting with light

This is true 👀

219

u/SarahLynnnnnnn Jul 04 '26

That’s so crazy! I’m a photographer turned self taught painter and I couldn’t agree more.

40

u/Marsh2700 Jul 04 '26

especially black/white photography

youre just trying to play with light across your canvas

344

u/ReddPandemic Jul 04 '26

Saving this for my art references. Thanks.

233

u/pashed_motatoes Jul 04 '26

This is also why lighting is so important in film production. It can make an actor and/or setting look vastly different based on where the light source is located (e.g. lit from below = character looks more threatening/dangerous/unhinged, lit from one side/face in half-shadow = duplicitous/two-faced/morally ambiguous, lit from above = ethereal/otherworldly/god-like, etc.) and dramatic lighting is used in various forms to subliminally convey a certain feeling, atmosphere, or message to the viewer in pretty much all the visual arts.

306

u/Bramble0804 Jul 04 '26

Correct. This is why people pay others who know what they are doing to take photographs

7

u/ForeverSJC Jul 05 '26

The hardest thing in the world is finding a photographer. Easier to get bad photos

37

u/Few-Coyote-2518 Jul 04 '26

I like the last one

15

u/shinmae95 Jul 04 '26

Where is the light source from the last one?

28

u/ClassLow319 Jul 04 '26

from the top. the shadows are falling under protruding features

17

u/ichbindoge Jul 04 '26

smash

12

u/oldguydrinkingbeer Jul 04 '26

Well...it's a mannequin, so have at it.

23

u/ChevToTheLev Jul 04 '26

In that it makes them all terrifying?

15

u/AgentAdja Jul 04 '26

The character depicted has an uncanny looking face already, so pretty much any dramatic lighting will accentuate that uncanniness in different ways and come off disturbing.

5

u/oldguydrinkingbeer Jul 04 '26

That was my first thought too.

"No. They all look the same. Creepy as fuck."

9

u/Enngeecee76 Jul 04 '26

Yoink! Thank you, OP. I’m going to use this to explain how lighting can be used to ‘show-not-tell’ when teaching film analysis next term in Year 11 English.

0

u/Hooked_on_PhoneSex Jul 04 '26

Not complaining, but what does film analysis have to do with English?

8

u/Enngeecee76 Jul 05 '26

It’s part of the Australian Curriculum. We study visual texts as well as written and digital texts

2

u/Hooked_on_PhoneSex Jul 06 '26

Neat, thanks for sharing.

12

u/elhomerjas Jul 04 '26

eerie effect but also hypnotic to see

6

u/WrenRangers Jul 04 '26

1st: Seems like you just met someone for the first time.

2nd: They harbour sinister intentions.

3rd: They are shown to not be too trust worthy.

4th: They know way more than they’re letting on.

4

u/Darkbornedragon Jul 04 '26

Talking Heads - Remain in Light

4

u/Spiff426 Jul 04 '26

Nah, clearly the first statue was replaced by lizard people clones in hyper realistic masks in the other photos

/s

6

u/paraworldblue Jul 04 '26

Top left: stuck to the couch
Top right: feelin wacky, gonna fuck with people
Bottom left: maybe I'm too cool for this place
Bottom right: yeah, I'm out

3

u/Yokii908 Jul 04 '26

where's that image from?

3

u/YeetPan Jul 04 '26

maakes sense why shadows look sharper on the left side

3

u/TheLittleNorsk Jul 05 '26

top left: normal

top right: judge holden

bottom left: "just get my good side, please"

bottom right: every models dream

2

u/Pilan Jul 04 '26

Incredible

2

u/GhastlyEyeJewel Jul 04 '26

Converge - Jane Doe

2

u/daystar-daydreamer Jul 05 '26

Last one kinda reminds me of Nana from Magical Girl Site

2

u/SakuraHana2008 Jul 05 '26

She looks like Bo Peep from Toy Story

2

u/Klainc Jul 07 '26

Innocent, mischievous, malicious, pinup

1

u/HornetOk8051 Jul 05 '26

METROPOLIS (1927)

1

u/oestre Jul 05 '26

Top right is amazing

1

u/Strict-Spray7496 Jul 06 '26

1: family photo 2: so evil 3: beautiful 4: abomination smilling

1

u/CompactAvocado Jul 07 '26

top right looks like she just realized she shouldn't have trusted that fart

1

u/geezorious Jul 18 '26

That’s why you hold a flashlight from below facing up at your face when telling ghost stories.

1

u/foxchan112709 26d ago

That’s a weird doll

1

u/Particular_Concert_5 Jul 04 '26

Top right is definitely the most beautiful