Google launched new AI-powered Arts & Culture experiments this week, including Learning Light, an experiment by Google Arts & Culture Lab artist in residence Jack Wild. This interactive tool walks users through lessons and experiments to help them learn about lighting.
Although Learning Light is not specific to photographers, it offers many insights for photographers of all skill levels hoping to improve their understanding of light, an integral part of capturing great photos, no matter the subject.
Within Learning Light, users have two primary options. They can work through the course program, all free, of course, and learn specific lighting styles and skills with the aid of example images and a built-in AI chatbot. Users can also take the guardrails off and experiment with the virtual studio space on their own, controlling light intensity, angle, color, and more. There are different props available, including a posable modeling figure, and various backdrops.
The eight available lighting lessons cover topics like lighting intensity, color, shape, position and direction, focus, setting, and mood. Photographers can learn how light angle and closeness to the subject affect light falloff and shadows, for example, or how to utilize different colored lights behind a subject to create dynamic rim light. Control over penumbra is mainly instrumental in learning more about hard versus soft light.
Beyond the basic lessons about lighting, there are also four specialized lessons that teach the user about the lighting setup and style of four famous pieces of artwork, including Edward Hopper’s famous 1942 painting, “Nighthawks.”
As DPReview notes in its coverage of Google’s Learning Light, the tool has some limitations. There are not too many props to choose from, and it is not currently possible to change the actual position of the light, only the position of the subject relative to these lights (and users can entirely turn off individual lights). There is also no option to put a softbox or umbrella on a light, which can drastically impact light quality.
However, while limited in scope, Learning Light is still a fascinating free tool for photographers and other visual artists to experiment with and, hopefully, learn something about light. Learning Light is available to try on the web now.
Image credits: Google
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