Lights?

Exchange the techniques and skills needed to walk the shadows. Post your guides and how-tos here.
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Sicarius
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Lights?

Post by Sicarius » Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:29 am

I am using all of you in a subtle way to further my work and research by asking a question...

Lights and stealth? How do they affect your visibility, someone else's visibility, just everything you know please. If you have sources that would be great, but I can do without.

My knowledge of it is you want to be in the dark, light behind you is bad, light in front of you is good, you can see into the light from the dark, you can not see from the light into the dark, orange/yellow light is best to move through as the warm colors blend in with your gear more so than harsh white light(and orange light wakes people less)
Thank you
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Xanatos
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Re: Lights?

Post by Xanatos » Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:27 pm

Phototransitional environments are what I encounter most - not quite in the dark, but not fully lit either:
Image

Shadows are really good to hide in from a distance, but they lose their effectiveness the closer to an observer you are. Multiple light sources (streetlights, neon signs, billboards, etc) project overlapping shadows making it more difficult to find true darkness. Most objects project 2 shadows - the 'umbra' (the darkest part where shadows overlap) and one or two 'penumbras' where one shadow is partially illuminated by an opposing light source.

Positioning is key in blending into shadows and not silhouetting yourself -even if you're in the deepest darkest shadow, if you're standing upright against a bright surface you'll still stand out like dog's balls. Pressing yourself up against an object or lying prone will make your silhouette stick out less.

Position yourself according to where the most likely observers can see you from; doorways, windows, balconies, vehicles, etc. When moving from one shadow to another, note how deep & dark they look from a distance - if anyone tries to spot you in there from the same distance, you'll have a general idea of how visible you'll be. That being said, even up close in the right conditions you'll still be very hard to make out. I recall a moment on our first op during NOPCON 1 where we were moving along a street, dashing from shadow to shadow wearing a mix of woodland camouflage & solid black. Ghost was wearing solid black and jumped into the shadow of a shrub - the darkness hid him so well that I damn near jumped right into him. If it weren't for the eye slit in his balaclava, I would never have noticed him - and he was right in front of me.

Different environments cast different 'patterns' of shadows - on a rural street, for example, there are large blobs of darkness between streetlights, whereas in more urban settings the shadows are more tight with increased streetlight frequency and more obstacles (front yards, alleyways, cars, etc). Sometimes light is shining through a medium such as tree branches or a construction sight, scattering the light and casting 'patterns' on the ground. These can still be used to disguise your form to a casual observer. If you're wearing solid black and are in an environment with long, straight shadows, you can even hide in the light by mimicking the pattern of shadows around you.

Of course a shadow is just a shadow until it moves. If the shadows are thick enough, you can move along them slowly enough that you won't be immediately visible, but if a blob of darkness suddenly moves along on its own then that's immediately suspicious. Of course shadows move on their own under the right circumstances, such as vehicles & trains passing by with their lights on or flashing billboards. You can use this mobile light pollution to disguise your own movements, just like moving amongst shrubbery during a strong wind. In both these instances it will also mask the sound of your movement too.
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Sicarius
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Re: Lights?

Post by Sicarius » Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:41 pm

Thank you. "photo transitional" is an interesting term, but umbra and penumbra are terms I will use. This was kind of where my ideas and research was taking me, especially the part about identifying where people will see you from. I actually have an interesting idea about "when, where, what, etc" regarding observation and analysis of an area. Would you happen to have anything more on lights specifically? I may be over complicating my approach to lights I think, when in reality understanding shadows and what I previously said about lights is more practical.
"If one cannot be both, it is much better to be feared than loved" - Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

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Re: Lights?

Post by Xanatos » Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:50 pm

Nothing specific, insofar as different types of light, flashlights, lumens or any of that technical crap.
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What is locked, can be opened. What is hidden, can be found. What is yours... can be mine.

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Re: Lights?

Post by Sicarius » Sun Apr 04, 2021 8:18 pm

other people too, not just Xanatos
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Re: Lights?

Post by Psychlonic » Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:04 pm

This old musing is tucked back further into the forum. Although it's about the moon mostly in more open settings, you can hopefully see how similar principles apply to other similar lighting situations.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=316

Short version, the relationship between the light source, you, and would-be threats is a dynamic one should be aware of and attempt to use to their advantage when possible. From there you start to fold in your environmental contrast, the lightness and break-up of your outfit, etc.

I'm not sure if it's part of the scope, but for personal light sources there's also this:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1891
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Re: Lights?

Post by Sicarius » Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:06 pm

thanks
"If one cannot be both, it is much better to be feared than loved" - Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

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