Finding the best light and making it work for you!

written by Beckie of beckiegkengle.com

In my opinion, light is the most important part of photography! I prefer to shoot with natural light, so sometimes it can be difficult to find the best light! I have used external flashes and strobes, and while they can really make an image extraordinary, there’s just something special about creating an image with only the light that God created!

www.beckiegkengle.com

Open shade is my favorite kind of natural light to shoot in! Whether it be outdoors under a big tree, or inside in front of a large window, it allows for a nice even light. And when you position your subject facing the direction of the light, you can get some great catch-lights in the eyes! (catch-lights are the reflections of light in the eyes)

When shooting in overcast weather (another favorite because it is naturally diffused light, and not harsh like the sun) it can sometimes be hard to light your subject properly. In these instances, I like to use a reflector to catch the light and bounce it back onto my subject.

Reflectors also come in handy if you have to shoot out in the harsh sun. When used to bounce the light back onto your subject, it fills in the shadows with the reflected light, creating an even lighting on your subject’s face. You have to be careful with the angle of the reflector though, because too much light can be a bad thing and it’s hard to fix in post-processing.

So, there you have my take on finding the best light. And now my challenge to you is to get out there, find the light, and make it work for you!

(tech info: all images shot with natural and available light with and without a reflector and using either my D700 or my old D300s, and one of the following lenses; 35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4, or 85mm f/1.8 )

If you enjoyed reading my post and would like to follow more of my journey through life in photography, feel free to visit my blog or follow my Facebook page!

 

About Beckie

I'm Beckie, a fun, think-outside-the-box mama to 2 miracle children.
I love all things photography, and being able to share in this art with others!
www.beckiegkengle.com

Comments

  1. Love this post. So, what type of “reflector” and where do I get them?

  2. I went on holidays last week and found myself looking for good light. In the late afternoon, as I walked through the fancy foyer, some sun light was streaming the front doors making the area have this awesome glow. It was really pretty. I tried doing some photographing on the beach in the afternoon and found the sun tricky to work with. I was squinting so much. Really should’ve just put a pair of sunnies on.

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  4. Hi Beckie,
    Thank you for the great post. I was curious where you put the reflector when doing indoor photos. I see you have the indoor shoot above and I was wondering the your position as opposed to the window(s) and reflector.
    Thank you! Sally

    • Hi, Sally! I’m glad you enjoyed the post! In the two indoor shots that I posted, I actually didn’t use a reflector. They were positioned facing the window directly with me standing (kneeling) in front of them (my back to the window). If I had positioned them so the light was coming at them from the side, I would place the reflector opposite the window to bounce some light back onto them on their shadowed side (does that make sense?). I hope that helps! 🙂

      • Definitely makes sense! Lovely light in that room. I recently did an indoor shoot on a rainy day of a baby and had to bump my ISO, but since I have an older camera, I am always disappointed in the grain that results. I am sure the great ISO capabilities on the D700 help out. I can’t wait until I upgrade my camera in the new year!

        • Being able to bump the ISO really helps! On that shot with the couple and the baby I was shooting at ISO 1600. And ISO 800 for the indoor shot with my kids. These were both taken in front of really big windows on bright days. So my ISO would be a lot higher if the window were smaller or the light outside darker! The D700 is definitely amazing when it comes to shooting at high ISO! In fact, I almost always shoot at ISO 800 or higher! I just like the look it gives! 🙂

  5. Thanks for posting! Another great source of inspiration about the centrality of light in photography is Chris Orwig.

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