PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES: USING NATURAL LIGHT, THE RIGHT WAY
Photography Techniques
When it comes to the perfect lighting, for that truly exceptional photograph, many people end up waiting all day for just the right conditions. That outdoor shot won’t turn out well if there isn’t enough light, and with too much light you often end up with an image with washed out highlights.
One technique to get that great outdoor photo is to use the current lighting conditions to your advantage. Possibly that perfect shot will come throughout the day, but it’s the photographer who learns to capitalize on the lighting conditions right now, that will make a successful career of it.
Many photographers get used to the warm light of the late-morning, or the mid-afternoon, and never learn techniques to fit any other times of the day. Some of them learn to compensate with professional light boxes, and reflectors. The reality is that some of the best photos are taken in the silvery light as the sun goes down, or as a high contrast shot as the orange light of the morning comes up over the horizon.
It really is the photographer who learns to work with the light that is given whose portfolios truly shine.
A QUICK STUDY OF NATURAL LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE DAY
On any given day there are phases to the light that the sun gives. Obviously this is affected by weather, cloud cover, etc. But the light can be divided into 5 basic phases throughout the day.
1. Early Morning: In the morning, as the sun rises, the light a warm orange light.
2. Mid Morning: As the morning progresses the light (and the sky) takes on more a blue color.
3. Afternoon: With the progression of the day, the suns light turns back to a warm orange hue.
4. Evening: When the sun begins to set the light is still orange. As it set’s further it turns back to a cool, blue light.
5. Night: The night is usually black, on a night with a full moon though, a soft white light can be had.
PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES – LET THE LIGHT TELL THE STORY
With a basic understanding of how the time of day affects the natural lighting conditions, it’s time to talk about how you can apply it to your photographs. It’s really about learning to let the light tell the story, and it is a practiced art.
As you look at the current lighting conditions, and your subject, you want to look for and reveal one of the following.
* Shape – In cool lighting conditions, it’s easy to create a high-contrast image to reveal shape in your photographs. In the brighter, warmer, light you may want to create a silhouette by placing your subject directly in front of the sun.
* Texture – Light can also reveal texture in your photo. By having the light come from the back, side or top of a subject you can reveal more texture in your image. This is a simple way to use light, to create an image where viewers can feel the texture of the object photographed.
* Color – The color of the light can be used to evoke emotion. A soft blue light will create a harder photograph. A warmly lit photograph can create warmer feelings. Look for the color in your subject by inspecting how the light enhances the scene.
* Shadow – Just as color could evoke emotion, so can shadow. A high-contrast image, and sometimes a better image overall, can be made by making the shadow the focus of your image. It’s really about studying how the light plays of the scene, and finding an angle to shoot from.
The art of using natural light to your advantage will likely come with practice. You now have a few photography techniques to get you started. Learning to use natural light will in turn give you a better understanding of light overall, and in the long run you’ll be a better photographer for it!
