Photography and Light

Playing with Light, the Biggest Trick of Every Photographer to Capture a Beautiful Shot is LIGHT.Always observe where the light is coming from, look for the most beautiful light on your model or product, and pay close attention to your exposure triangle (scroll down for the post about the exposure triangle).

Tips & Tricks

Golden Hour Photography: Choose a day and time to take photos during the 'golden hour'. This is the hour after sunrise or before sunset when the sunlight has a warm, golden glow. Photograph various subjects and notice how the light changes. It’s fun to practice, for example, with a friend—this way you get some great photos!

Backlight Photography: Experiment with backlighting, as you can only learn from mistakes. Photograph a subject with the light source (like the sun) directly behind it. This way, you won’t get haze or a blur over your photo, but on some shots, you might want that haze or blur to create a romantic effect. Pay attention to the interesting effects and silhouettes this can create. TRY IT OUT!

Reflections: Look for surfaces that reflect light, such as water, glass, or metals. Grab your camera and take a walk around your town, city, or countryside. Try capturing reflections of buildings, people, or other interesting elements.

Artificial Light: Play with artificial light sources. This can include street lights, neon signs, or indoor lighting. Tip: Pay attention to your ISO!

Shadows and Patterns: Photograph shadows and the patterns they create on the ground or surfaces.

Creative Flash: If you have a flash, try out different angles to see what it does to your subject.

More Tips:

• Pay attention to the quality and direction of the light to achieve dramatic effects.

• Experiment with different white balance settings to emphasize the mood of the light.

• Be patient and observe how the light changes throughout the day.

• Always keep an eye on your ISO.

• When photographing at events, I prefer not to use flash in order to capture the true atmosphere (though I often use flash when I’m photographing people at events).

Create different assignments with all the bolded words above and don’t forget to enjoy the process and learn how the light influences your subjects.

Got questions? Feel free to ask below, I might be able to help you out!