Tip of the Week (#2)

This week I wanted to talk about window lighting and how to make it work for you. I know most camera’s have a flash on them, but let’s be honest, it’s not very pretty. So let’s work on not using it!

Imagine you are in a room with lots of light. You stand and take a picture, you look down at your shot and this is what you see:

How did this happen?  There was so much light in the room.  It was a bright room.

What’s the problem?  You, the photographer, had your back to a wall without a light source (translation, no windows on the wall behind you).

Watch your back. If you have a window-less wall behind you your subject is gonna be dark. So all you have to do is move your position. Let’s talk about two options for shooting with window light.

Option #1: you can shoot with the light source to the side of the subject and you’ll get a result similar to this…

Notice the side lighting. One side of her face is in part shadow, the other in light. The only difference between these and the first photo is that instead of facing the window-less wall she only has one cheek towards it. The shadowed side of her face is towards the wall with no windows. Makes sense, right? This is really a very basic tip.  (disclaimer: with 3 walls with windows there is plenty of light to shoot this way. It may not be the case in your living room. But give it a try).

Option #2: If you don’t like the shadows on your subjects face you can always face them head-on towards the light source and you’ll get something like this:

The window-less wall is behind her now, so the only place that isn’t getting light is her back.

Oh, the possibilities! Isn’t light amazing? Pay attention to it next time you shoot, and go take some amazing photos!

Missed the first tip? Check it out HERE