The best photographers are those who can find and use whatever light there is. Without light we don’t see anything in a photo. Finding and working with whatever light is available is one of the skills we are continually learning. It can be frustrating to take pictures all afternoon only to realize that it was too dark and all your photos are blurry. In this chapter, we are going to talk about how you can find and manipulate the best lighting situations for photos.
You need light for pictures, it’s true. But this doesn’t mean you need to be in the brightest spot possible. When you are outdoors, pay attention to what kind of sunlight you find yourself in that day. Is it overcast or sunny? Overcast simply means that clouds are obstructing the sun. Overcast light is photography gold! We love overcast days because it means you can take pictures almost anywhere.
And what if it’s bright and sunny? Direct sunlight tends to blow out photos, losing details and distorting colors. Also, if you are photographing people, it can be difficult to get a photo without the subject squinting—direct sunlight is bright, dude! If it’s an ultra bright and sunny day, you can still get great photos. You just need to find some shade. This may be as simple as having your subjects lean back into the shade of a building. If you are taking candid pictures and you can’t get your subjects into shade, take the photo anyway and see what you get. You may get lucky. But whenever possible, find some shade before snapping your photos.
Here are two pairs of photos, each pair taken on the same day with one image in direct sunlight, the other in shade. Which looks better?
yikes!
much better
When you are photographing indoors, you still want to use whatever natural light you can find. Finding the most flattering window light is as simple as paying attention to angles, and it can make all the difference to your pictures.
Usually the best option is to have the subject face a window, with the photographer standing between the subject and the light source. Another good option is to have the subject stand adjacent to the window (just be sure to have them turn their face toward the light and not away from it). When working with window light, the rule is the more light on the subject, the better. Unless you are going for something artistic, of course—then by all means, break the rules!
Have your subject face a window to get beautiful light on her skin and eyes.
bad shadows
so much prettier!
Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to light. Here Emma simply turned her face toward the window to create a more flattering photo.
Small Christmas lights can make your holiday photos feel special and intimate, perfect for couple portraits. Here are a few tips for using Christmas lights.
First, don’t be afraid to string them all around your subjects. If you leave all the lights on the ground below your subjects, the effect can look somber and spooky. In general, lighting a subject from below is not very flattering. Also, it’s best to have another, subtle light source in the room. If you turn off all the lights and the Christmas lights are your only light source, you’ll likely end up with blurry images and lost detail. Better to be in a dim room with an open window or turn on a few shaded lamps in the background. Experiment when you are setting up the shot before you dive into the session.
For these photos of Elsie and Jeremy, dim window light was used as a secondary light source. It was a rainy day, so even though the window was open, the light was still dim enough to show off the glow from the Christmas lights. Photos by Arrow and Apple Photography.
Shadow portraits are fun alternatives to traditional portraits. The basic idea is that instead of capturing a particular person or object, you capture the shadow instead.
There are just a few simple rules to keep in mind when trying shadow portraits. It’s best to take shadow portraits in the early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is lower in the sky and casts long shadows. The higher the sun, the smaller your shadow will be. It can be quite difficult to get a shadow portrait in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its peak. Also, remember that these photos won’t capture details, so the shape or gesture of the subject is very important. Some options that look great in shadow portraits are couples holding hands, pregnant ladies with protruding baby bumps (cute!), and subjects of varying heights. And don’t forget to capture a little bit of the environment around you, too. Shadow portraits are perfect for walks on the beach, camping trips, and hiking dates.
Here’s a shadow portrait of Emma and her boyfriend while on vacation in Hawaii.
We snapped this shadow portrait just before heading to a girls’-night dinner.
Silhouette photos can be dramatic, artistic, and flattering. They are great for showing off personal details, such as profiles through the years or hair length as it changes.
Any kind of light source can be used to capture a silhouette, but it needs to be strong. If you are using window light, it needs to be a bright day. If you are using a lamp, it may work best to take the shade off.
The second most important requirement is to position your subject correctly. The light source must be behind the subject, with the photographer facing the subject. Think of it as a sandwich, with the light source on one end, the subject in the center, and the photographer on the other end. It is also best to center the subject in the middle of the light source, partially blocking it out, like a solar eclipse.
For a silhouette, the subject must be in the middle of the “sandwich,” between the light source and the photographer. Here, the light source (a window) is in the back, the subject (Emma) is in the middle, and the photographer (Elsie) is in the front.
Sun flare and backlighting are two of our favorite lighting techniques because they create photos with so much feeling and atmosphere. Both of these effects work best in the early morning or late in the day, when the sun is either rising or setting.
Achieving great backlighting is similar to getting a silhouette; you need to position your subject between the light source and the photographer. Once your subject is between you and the light source, have the person try different poses to allow the light to shine through his or her arms, hair, clothes, and so on. We always have the best luck during the “magic hour,” that time of day when the sun is beginning to rise or set. If the sun isn’t quite low enough to hide behind your subject, try squatting down to take the photo (making your subject taller because of your lower position) or scouting out a hill or tall ledge on which to position your subject.
Most camera lenses are made of pieces of glass. As sunlight passes through the glass, it can cause reflections and other imperfections that result in sun flares. There are times when you don’t want this kind of sunlight leaking through your photos, but we love the effect and go out of our way to capture it whenever possible. As with backlighting and silhouettes, you want to position your subject between the sun and the photographer. But this time, try having your subject move (or stay still as you move) to let the sunlight just barely peek over his or her shoulder or head, or over the horizon of a landscape (depending on what you are photographing). You will usually be able to see the sun flare in the viewfinder as you are photographing. This effect is very unpredictable, so have patience and try a bunch of positions. For another example of sun flare, see this page.
Try different poses to allow light to leak through and create sun flare.
one of our favorite portrait tricks
To get backlighting, place your subject between you and the light source. Here, our friend Sarah stands in front of a setting sun.
Try experimenting with backlighting half an hour before the sun sets.
Good lighting is essential for great photos. But this is real life, and sometimes you don’t get to choose your lighting situation. We can think of so many times when we wanted to capture a special moment or event but it was late in the day or we were in a dimly lit room. Here are a few tips to help you get the best photos you can in low-light situations.
TURN YOUR FLASH OFF. We know this sounds counterproductive, but just try it! We’re not saying there is never a good moment to use a flash, but a general rule of thumb is to turn your flash off. Most of the time, a flash will blow out your photos, causing you to lose all detail, and force your subjects to close their eyes.
CHANGE YOUR SETTINGS. Most cameras have automatic evening settings that make adjustments for you. If you’re using a dSLR camera and are ready to start exploring your manual settings, increase your ISO. (Consult your camera manual if you’ve never done this before.) Try bumping the ISO up just a little, take a photo, and see what you think. If necessary, bump it up a little more. Just keep in mind that if you set it too high, your photos can end up looking grainy.
LOOK FOR WHATEVER LIGHT IS AVAILABLE. Can you add more light without being distracting? This could be as simple as moving another lamp into the room at a family dinner or moving a few more candles to your table at a wedding reception.
DON’T BE AFRAID OF SLIGHTLY BLURRY OR GRAINY PICTURES. Sometimes these can be beautiful and capture a certain feeling from the moment. When processing your pictures, try making them black and white, as this helps give low-light photos more contrast than they would have in color. Black and white can also be more forgiving if the color in your images is somehow off, or ugly.
Try converting low-light photos to black and white, which is much more forgiving.
Reflectors are objects that reflect light onto your subjects. This added light can make skin look glowing and flawless (thank you, light!). You can even used tinted reflectors to get a slightly different tone to your pictures. You may be intimidated by the idea of reflectors, thinking they’re the type of tool only pro photographers use, but they’re actually very simple to use. There are natural reflectors all around you in your environment, as well as inexpensive options for creating your own.
First, let’s talk about naturally occurring reflectors. For example, if you are at the beach, you can use the water or sand as natural reflectors. Just have your subject angle his or her face or body toward the water or (white) sand to get more light on the subject. If you are photographing near a downtown area, white and light-colored walls can also be used as reflectors. Have your subject face the white wall, allowing sunlight to bounce off the wall and onto his or her face. Finding and using natural reflectors is another little thing to keep in mind as you scout for locations.
Another option is to make a reflector yourself. The simplest option is to buy a piece of white poster board or foam board from a craft or art shop. Boom. Now you have a ready-to-go, lightweight reflector for the low price of . . . well . . . almost nothing. To use it, have a friend hold it or prop it up on your bag (or any object), and move it around until it casts more light onto your subject. If you want to get fancy, cover a large piece of foam board in silver aluminum foil, gold foil from a craft store, or gold metallic fabric. These will not only add light but also cast an extra tone on your photos, giving them more depth and interest. Silver reflectors give your images a cooler tone (think blues), while gold reflectors give your photos a warmer tone (think yellows and reds). By the way, you can also buy reflectors at camera shops or over the Internet.
Here you can see how Elsie holds the reflector to catch sunlight and bounce it back toward Emma.
