Lights occupy an integral part of photos. They can make or break a picture. Unless you have a studio with adequate lights, for most photographers, natural lights are the best source of light. Your capability to utilize and observe lights and adjust the settings and the subject can make or break pictures. Learning to make proper use of light is an art that takes years to master.
"Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography."
-George Eastman
Natural light in pictures can give off a great vibe that artificial lights have trouble to present. Sunlight can create great spectrums of color that can help to click great pictures. However, keeping this in mind, you just cannot run outside and begin clicking as many pictures as possible without sparing a thought. You need to keep a few things in mind when you take pictures using natural light.
Natural lights can be quite tricky and you need to toy around with the settings of your camera to get adequate lights. If you have a digital camera, you will find several settings. You can make use of these settings while you attempt to take pictures in natural light. Try out different strategies of using natural light as this is one of the best ways to know what looks best. Lighting is quite a fun aspect to play with even if you are not certain. Experimenting with natural lights is one of the best ways to find great ways to click innovative pictures.
Choose the Right Time of the Day
Different times of the day have the Sun in different parts of the sky. Thus, the time of the day the photos are taken in will determine the position of the shadow too.
Shadows from natural light can make a picture look stunning or awkward. The characteristics of natural lights change. You can say that there are different types of light. The different types of light will make the same scene look different.
Natural Lights Can't Be Good or Bad
Most photographers are married to the idea that the best photos are taken in the golden hour. The harsh lights in the midday are regarded as the worst kind of light. However, it's better not to look at light with such a limiting perspective.
No doubt, the golden hour makes everything look magical and beautiful; this is because of its soft tinting qualities. But if we are not eager to portray the beauty of an individual or a place, the golden hour may not be the best time to take a picture.
Expose Keeping Post Processing in Mind
No matter how good the camera is, you will not be able to capture the tonal range if you don't take help from the post-processing software. To make the most of situations like this, try to expose in a way whereby you can capture maximum details. This may necessitate under exposing or over exposing a few elements in the scene.
Exposing, while keeping post-processing in mind, is tough. You need to go on asking yourself, which elements will add more value to the picture? Am I choosing the right details?
Wait to Click the Best Moment
As I have already mentioned, the characteristics of natural light change. The wait can last for a few minutes (if the sky is cloudy), a few hours or for months (for the perfect season). No doubt we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. However, we can take a few steps to make the best use of the available natural light by preparing beforehand. We can do this by checking out on weather reports or find out whether a sand storm or a fog is due. You can also try unleashing your creativity by taking pictures at odd hours.
Now, you know that the quality of light changes depending upon the time of day or the year. You are also aware of a few ways to control the ways natural lights cast an impact on photography. It's now time to experiment. The best way to better and improve photography is practice, practice, and more practice. Go ahead, experiment and click stunning pictures.
Go out of the box. You need not always remember the tips. Breaking the convention can allow you click great pictures, too.
