360Photography

Even as a new photographer you’ll no doubt be aware of the not-so-secret ingredient to creating stunning photographs – lighting. But there are so many things to consider so where do you start? This article will hopefully ‘shed some light’ on some basic but important techniques to improve your shots.

Choose the best light source

Remember that your lighting setup should depend on the purpose of your shoot, the time of day (if you want natural light), and what you’re capturing. Your first task therefore is to choose the right type for the job. So without further ado here’s a breakdown of the main lighting sources and what they’re best for:

• Continuous light sources, as the name implies, stay lit continuously much like a lightbulb or tube. They’re a great option for beginners on a budget as they’re generally much cheaper than flash lights. A big benefit is that they immediately show you where shadows will appear in the studio. Be wary that such lighting tends to release a lot of heat – not ideal for photographing human subjects for long periods.
• Flash lighting tends to be a lot more powerful than continuous equipment and is great for capturing quick-moving subjects – for instance when you’re shooting a family session in your studio with energetic children running about.
• Natural light isn’t for everyone. It can boost portraiture shots with a realistic, natural quality when there’s plenty of it (and vastly reduces the strength of catch light in the eyes). However, if there isn’t enough, it can have an adverse effect on your subjects – giving them a dull, dark look. If your studio allows for a good amount of natural light though, I do recommend you at least give it a try.

Portrait photography ideas

An excellent way of brightening up your portraits without using harsh lighting is by utilising a reflector. Simply sit your subject near a window and place a reflector up to a metre from their face – the natural light bounces off, illuminating the portrait and filling up unwanted shadows. Don’t want to spend lots on a reflector? Make your own! Simply use a sheet of card covered in tin foil. You’ll be surprised how effective it is.

Also, try experimenting with the angles of the light source in relation to your subject. Small angle adjustments can make big differences to the look of your photos. As a general guide, lighting from a person’s side produces more of a shadow-heavy yet dramatic style, whilst placing the light behind creates a silhouette. To emphasise your subject even more, or to highlight a particular aspect (such as their hair), try experimenting with a second flash light. We do of course recommend you master a one-flash set up first before taking on two.

Photographing children

As we suggested before, using continuous light sources near people can sometimes cause discomfort due to the high amount of heat they emit, and is even more of a concern for young children. If there’s sufficient natural light available, it’s best to use that. Otherwise, opt for a softbox attachment. For movement-heavy shoots, go for flash.

For older children I suggest utilising both flash and continuous. Softboxes help brighten children’s already cute faces and you may want to try large umbrellas to really enhance the catch lights.

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Lisa Gill is a professional photographer who also teaches a range of courses from her studio in Buckinghamshire, UK.
http://www.lisagillphotography.co.uk

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