Natural Lighting Photography Tricks

As a photographer, you can improve your skills technically and creatively by learning how to work with natural light to create striking images. Relying on natural elements can present such challenges as low light availability or overexposure. By using professional photography tricks, you can overcome these hurdles and become a stronger photographer.

According to Kodak, the middle of the day is the most challenging time to take photographs outdoors. This is when the sun is at its brightest, which will often create a harsh lighting effect that can create a washed-out appearance. However, it is possible to capture a clear photograph by shooting in an area of open shade, such as under a tree. An overcast sky will also provide open shade because the sun is shielded by clouds. This works best when you are photographing a person and can easily move the camera and subject to a shaded area.

Shooting during the early morning or late afternoon enables you to capture the softer, more colorful light that the lower angle of the sun provides. There are a variety of colors that can be seen in the sky at these times and each determines the mood that will be cast over your subject, whether this is a landscape, building or person. A golden yellow light creates a romantic mood while cooler colors, such as blue and indigo, will achieve an air of mystery.

By positioning your camera in your subjects shadow, you can create a silhouette. This is a simple photography trick that will enable you to capture a dramatic image. Use this method when there is a bright and colorful light source in the background, such as a sunset or deep blue sky. This will make the silhouette appear darker and more intense by adding contrast. By moving out of the subject's shadow slightly, you will capture the rays of the sun bending around the silhouette, which can add interesting detail to your image.

When photographing a person, you may find that there is insufficient natural light to illuminate your subject effectively. By angling a light-reflecting surface upward and toward the person, you can channel more light onto your subject. This trick is an effective method for removing any unwanted shadows on your subject's face. There are a number of materials that can be used to create a reflector, including white material, paper or a specialized photographic reflector. Holding a reflector in position can be challenging if you do not have an assistant. One way of overcoming this challenge is to wear white clothes during the photo shoot to act as the reflector yourself.

Photography tips-Lighting techniques. - YouTube
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Photography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Photography (derived from the Greek photos- for "light" and -graphos for "drawing") is the art, science, and practice of creating durable images by recording light
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