Vol 6 - Looking at Lighting
Once you understand the technical rules for how a picture is manually made (see vol 1-5) you can really start exploring with light! I started with outdoor light and then began to experiment with flash, strobes, and other artificial light sources! Here are a few pointers I learned after a few years of practice:
Backlighting is GORGEOUS and frustrating! I love the look of a beautiful backlit image with sunshine streaming in, but these can be difficult to set up because if there is too little ambient light, no reflector, or no flash then your subject can be very dark. Conversely, if you have too much light in your frame it can blow out your image and make everything too bright. You can combat this with a lens hood and letting the sun partially peek in the frame if it is too strong.
Don’t be afraid of flash! There is a very scientific mathematical way to set up flash strength based on your distance, light metering, and the theory of relativity combined with the average wind velocity of a dodo bird. I have never used it. If that’s your jam, go for it! But for me, I do test shots. I set it up and take a picture if it’s too bright I turn it down, if it’s too dark I turn it up. Because.. science.
Use windows. One of my favorite ways to shoot indoors is by shooting by a window (bonus points if you have a sheer curtain). The light is usually gorgeous, the shadows provide a lot of contrast, and it’s just gorgeous. Play around with lighting there and see how you can change up your image.
Don’t be afraid of grain. Sometimes it’s dark. To equalize the exposure you can:
Slow down your shutter speed - may result in a blurry image
Open your aperture - your lens may not let you open wide enough
Raise your ISO - but OH NO - not the GRAINNNNNN - YES the grain, go for it! Would you rather have a grainy image that you can edit in an old fashioned film style and have it look super cool or a blurry image that you can’t make out what it is?
Avoid dappling. This makes me crazy. I avoid it at all costs. Let’s set the scene - you’re outside at about 4 pm, it’s super bright so you find some shade, and you see the sun coming through the leaves of a tree - this splotchy cheetah patterned light is called dappling. NEVER put dappled light directly on someone’s face. It’s just rude, no one wants to look like a cheetah (well I mean hey, if you do, that’s okay - just not via light in my pictures). It’s better to put their backs to the sun and have the dappled light on their backs.
Last but not least - don’t make your subjects stare at the sun. I know. Obvious right? Well apparently not because I remember one of my very first mini sessions I did it. They even complained, like, “We can’t see.” And I said, “Okay close your eyes then open on three.” O.M.G. Talk about embarrassing! But yeah, don’t do that, find a way to pose your subject so that they (and you) can see. One of the main benefits of using golden hour sunsets… check it out .