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I am sure you have done it at one point or another. You see a great moment and want to remember it by grabbing a shot with your camera. But there’s a problem. Why is your subject completely dark? In a couple of years you may not even know who it is because you only see a dark shadow of a figure. How do you fix it? Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to save a photo where the person is completely dark. The element that you are missing is understanding lighting in photography.
Today, we are discussing lighting in photography! This is often one of the most misunderstood topics in the photo/video world. For today’s purposes, we’re going to keep it to just one key point.
Consider your light source!
One aspect of understanding lighting in photography means considering your light source. When taking photos inside think about where your light is coming from. Take advantage of the available light you have. Don’t work against it. Rather than taking a photo of someone directly in front of a window, let the window illuminate them by placing yourself near the window and either lighting your subject from the side or even straight on by having the window at your back.
If you’re not feeling confident in the moment, try this. Without taking a single photo, just have the person stand a few feet away from a window and then walk around the room looking at them always having them spinning so they are facing you. When you get to a place where you like the way the light hits their face, take a few shots. Just remember to properly expose them, because chances are they are now much brighter than the rest of the room. You don’t want to wash them out.
Be creative
Remember, you don’t always need to have your subject looking at you. Check out this image of my son looking at an aquarium exhibit. It was providing most of the light, so I wanted to capture the awe and wonder in his face. The photo up above of my parents is another example of just capturing the moment rather than having them look at the camera.
What about when you’re outside?
Follow the same general rule by considering your light source. If it’s an overcast day (always better for photos of faces rather than direct sunlight) there is still an area of the sky where the light is brighter. Have your subject mostly face where the light is the brightest and then rotate until you like what you see; always exposing properly.
Another tip is to find a shaded area and then make sure to have your subject towards the outer edge facing the light coming in without direct sunlight hitting them. The shaded area behind them helps keep the focus on your subject.
What’s next? Get out there and practice. This is one area you can work on without even holding a camera. In your everyday moments, make a mental note of the faces you see and how light is hitting them. Before long, it will become second nature and understanding lighting in photography will make your photos even better than they already are.
