Inverse Square Law
What is the Inverse Square Law and how does it affect lighting?
GLOSSARY
The Inverse Square Law in physics and photography indicates that light intensity diminishes in proportion to the square of the distance from the source. This principle is vital in motion graphics for creating realistic lighting effects, ensuring that the fall-off of light over distance mimics how we perceive light in the real world, adding depth and dimensionality to scenes.
The image graphically represents the Inverse Square Law in lighting, showing how light intensity decreases with distance. A sphere casts a shadow with varying degrees of brightness, illustrating the rapid diminution of light as it moves away from the source. The percentage figures indicate the light's intensity at different distances, quantifying how brightness diminishes as the square of the distance from the light source, an essential principle for creating realistic lighting in visual arts and physics.
Videobolt’s Light Logo Reveal and Rising Shadows templates creatively interpret the Inverse Square Law to enhance their visual storytelling. Light Logo Reveal mimics a sunrise and sunset, with light moving across the screen, illustrating how light intensity changes, ultimately highlighting the logo as it transitions from darkness to light. Rising Shadows employs the Inverse Square Law to dramatic effect, simulating a low sun casting extended shadows. This effect naturally draws the viewer’s focus to the text, demonstrating the law’s implications in light and shadow manipulation within a scene.
Inverse Square Law on Videobolt
Technical definition
To simulate this effect, lighting settings in 3D animation and motion graphics software can be adjusted to reflect the inverse square law, where the intensity control and falloff rate are calibrated to match physical reality.