In the previous article, we talked about the importance of lighting in your photography game and why it should be the number one thing for you to consider while taking pictures. Now that you know how perfect lighting can have a substantial impact on your pictures, it is time to talk about the dos and don’ts of lighting.
Harsh Sunlight
While sunlight is the most fundamental element of lighting, harsh sunlight can ruin your photo. It can blow the highlights and over-expose your shot. So it is always preferable to avoid direct sunlight, especially during mid-day. When the environment is fully lit, try taking pictures in a shadowy area. The light reflected from the surrounding objects will be enough to properly light your subject.
Light Diffuser
For those of you who want to take this to the next level, a light diffuser can be very handy. As the name goes, this tool is used to defuse light. It softens the harsh sunlight and ensures an even distribution of light on your subject. There are tons available online at an affordable rate.
Flashlight
while taking night-time photos with your phone, always try to avoid your phone’s flashlight. Turning on the flash and clicking the picture may seem intriguing, but if you have other light sources near you, then use them. What flash does is it over-exposes a particular area of your subject, when it is in range of the light. Resulting in a picture with unequal distribution of light and blown-out highlights. So, make sure to check for light sources near you before taking night shots.
Golden Light
You may have heard about Golden Hour over your time of scrolling through social media at some point. Well, if you haven’t yet, it basically refers to the time before sunset or the time after sunrise. It’s the time of the day when the sun is warm, soft, and as the name goes, Golden! Golden Hour creates this amazing atmosphere around you that produces some stunning shots. it is a preferable time for most photographers as the lighting adds a golden touch to all the pictures. Whenever you are outside, try waiting a bit more for the golden hour. The golden light might give you the perfect composition you have been looking for.
Pitch-Balck
Now talking about pitch-black conditions in photography might seem a bit anti-climactic at first. Given that how we’ve given much importance to lighting. Well this time, it will be the opposite. A pitch-black condition is needed when you are doing astrophotography. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, basically, it is taking pictures of the stars. While shooting for the stars, it is important to make sure that there is no light around, especially in the sky. In this particular scenario, lighting can actually ruin your photo. We will try to talk in-depth about astrophotography in one of our future articles.
So, lighting is a crucial part of the photography journey, and depending on the situation, can either ruin or enhance the picture. Use light to your own advantage, go out, and start creating masterpieces!