One mug. Three moods.
Watch how the direction of window light changes a simple subject. Then try it with your phone.
55 seconds · English captions · Pause anytime
AI-generated teaching illustrations and synthetic narration. These are lighting examples, not competition photographs or a controlled camera experiment.
Try it in ten minutes
You need a mug, a window and a phone or camera. Place the mug on a steady table. Keep a similar height and framing for all three photos.
- Front light: stand with the window behind your camera. Photograph the side of the mug facing the light.
- Side light: move so the window is beside the mug. Notice where the light turns into shadow.
- Back light: put the mug between your camera and the window. Try a darker outline, then tap the mug on your phone screen to compare a brighter version.
Compare the three photographs at the same size. Which mood do you prefer? Your results will depend on the window, surroundings and exposure; there is no single best choice.
Read the video transcript
- 0:00: One mug. Three moods. Try it with your phone.
- 0:09: Front light: window behind the camera.
- 0:21: Side light: window beside the subject.
- 0:34: Back light: window behind the subject.
- 0:46: Your turn. Make all three. beatai.co.uk.
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