I love natural light photography! I can use artificial lights, such as flash, studio strobes, continuous light sources, etc, but I tend to hate the look of flash versus natural light and only use it when necessary (like wedding receptions, studio sessions or other dark lit events). Natural light photography is not always easiest. In bad lighting conditions an off camera flash could come in and save the day. It’s challenging, but it’s a unique look you can’t get with artificial light. Here are some tips how to get the BEST natural light pictures!
Choose the right time of day
The best way to make sure you get amazing natural light pictures is choosing the right time of day. The best time to take pictures is an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. We call this “golden hour.” The light is soft, warm and low with no harsh shadows. You can position your subject with their fronts toward the sun, backs towards the sun or sides towards the sun and it’s all beautiful, evenly lit. When scheduling appointments, I use my golden hour apps or this site to predict sunset.
Avoid shooting when the sun is high
High noon is the total opposite lighting condition. The sun is high and creates harsh shadows no matter which way you turn your subjects! You cannot put the light behind the subject because it is straight above them. If you need, you can bring along a diffuser to help make your own even light!
Find shade & position right
If you find yourself shooting in poor lighting conditions like high noon, find shade to create that even light. You can still bring light to your subject’s face by positioning them towards the light. Make sure there’s still a catch light in their eye. Use a reflector to bring light back to the face!
Use Backlight
If I’m not shooting during golden hour (or even when I am) and I can’t find shade, I backlight my subjects to avoid those nasty harsh shadows. To backlight, you just place the subjects so their backs are towards the sun. This is tricky when the light is bright to compose well. Use spot metering and expose correctly for their faces.
Use the window
You can take great natural light pictures indoors too. Shut off the other lights in the room and use the windows! Expose for the bright side of the subject. Adjust angles of your subject and their distance from the window!
Low Light
Even in low light situations, you don’t have to use artificial light to take a good picture. Grain is okay in these situations. Use your fastest lens with the lowest aperture!
OurPhotogBlog || Natural Light Photography Tips
Kylee started Kylee Ann Photography 9 years ago, and has since grown from a one woman amateur show to a full associate team. We shoot 50-75 weddings a year, and thrive on kindness and service. After a year of teaching Intro to Photography at the local technical college, she discovered that helping other entrepreneurs create thriving businesses is what fires her up! She hosts semi-annual Kylee Ann Sleepovers all over the US, speak at conferences and teach online courses about running a small business and marketing.
January 20, 2016
Kylee Maughan
