This first article will discuss side lighting. We will be discussing the situation when the light is falling upon the subject from approximately 90 degrees from you. The reason is that side lighting is often much more dramatic than front lighting. This kind of lighting tends to give a lot of contrast because large areas of the photo will have both strong lighting and deep shadows. This kind of lighting gives a three-dimensional look to the photograph.
Front lighting tends to give flat, even lighting that which often appears two-dimensional.
This type of lighting is ideal for identification photography. Side lighting, by contrast has an immediate visual impact. This is due in part to the fact that we don't often see images like this in publications. Side lighting is also of interest as it lends a new twist on familiar subjects. For example, consider this photo of a common House Finch.