Illuminate portraits with WINDOW LIGHT

Illuminate portraits with WINDOW LIGHT
Getting a good portrait is highly dependent on the quality and quantity of light that is available. That is one of the reasons why so many portrait photographers strongly prefer to shoot inside a photography studio where they have the most control over lighting. One of the most useful lighting accessories in a portrait studio is a soft box, which is a large light box that diffuses the light from a flash to make soft, even, natural-looking light for well-lit portraits.

You can get the same soft, evenly diffused light in your own home without the expense of having a studio with studio flash and soft boxes by shooting portraits with the subject standing in front of a window. Depending on the light, you can either shoot with the light coming in directly through the window, or you can use the diffused light that comes through a white sheer drape. If you want to control the background, you can have your subjects hold a mat board up behind them.
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SHOOT CLOSE-UPS with a macro ring light

SHOOT CLOSE-UPS with a macro ring light
If you are serious about taking close-up, or macro, photographs, consider getting a macro ring light. A macro ring light is a flash that attaches to and wraps around the front of a macro lens. Although a macro ring light can light up shadows in such a way that the subject loses some definition, a skilled photographer can alter the ratio of the light coming from the two lights to maintain realistic shadows. Most macro ring lights also have a modeling light that is useful for both seeing your subject and providing enough light for your camera to auto-focus.

A macro ring light is also extremely valuable when you want to increase depth of field. Whenever you shoot close to a subject, you have a limited depth of field. To maximize depth of field, you need to choose a small aperture, which means that you will have a longer exposure. Long exposures allow small movements in the subject to record as a blurred subject. Using a flash, you can freeze the subject movement while benefiting from the increased depth of field, resulting in perfectly focused and exposed subjects.
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ADD NATURAL LIGHT with a reflector

ADD NATURAL LIGHT with a reflector
One useful and inexpensive photographic accessory is a light reflector, such as the 32″ Stroboframe Pops portable light modifier, which costs under $35. You can use it to reflect soft natural light toward your subject and as a shade cover to reduce overly bright and high contrast direct sunlight. Most similar portable light reflectors fold up to one-third of their open size, and they usually offer a white side and a second colored side such as silver, gold, or bronze.

A handheld light reflector is especially useful for adding light to a subject’s face for a portrait. Besides filling shadows with natural light, you can add a warm color tone by using a bronze- or gold-colored side of the reflector. When shooting a backlit subject, a reflective light modifier, such as the Stroboframe light modifier, is an excellent tool to use to add natural fill light to the subject to reveal greater detail.
Stroboframe light modifiers and similar products are available in multiple sizes and are easy to pack and carry in the field.

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Prevent RED EYE

Prevent RED EYE
The dreaded red eye is caused by light from a flash reflected back from a subject’s retina to the camera. Sadly, unnatural red eyes almost always ruin the resulting photograph. To avoid getting photographs whose subjects have red eyes, many camera vendors have added features that are known as red-eye reduction features. Although these features can reduce or eliminate red eye, they often create other problems. The best strategy is to learn how to shoot without using a red-eye reduction feature.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL
To avoid getting red eye, you simply need to shoot so that the angle between the flash and lens to the subject’s eyes is more than five degrees. Using an off-camera flash is one way to avoid getting red eye. You can also have your subjects look away from the camera slightly, or you can find a shooting environment or use camera settings that do not require a flash. You are more likely to get red eye when shooting in a dark environment because the pupil will be wider and more prone to reflect red light.
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Add a catch light to your SUBJECTS’ EYES

Add a catch light to your SUBJECTS’ EYES
Generally, whenever you are shooting a subject with eyes, you should try to keep the eyes in focus and capture a sparkle or catch light in them. Without a catch light, your subjects will look lifeless and considerably less attractive than if they had this tiny, but very important, feature.

Often lighting conditions enable you to shoot with existing light and get a catch light. If you are shooting without the benefit of light that enables you to get a catch light, use a flash or other light source.

To avoid adding too much artificial light from a flash, use flash compensation if it is available on your camera or an external flash to reduce the balance of light from the flash relative to ambient light. The distance to the subject and the power of the flash are important variables to consider when setting the flash exposure compensation. What you do not want to do is ruin your intended natural lighting just to add a catch light to the eyes.

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Reveal detail with a FILL FLASH

Reveal detail with a FILL FLASH
A fill flash is light from a built-in or external flash that is used to illuminate dark shadows to reveal detail and to reduce overall image contrast in bright sun. When you are shooting compositions with strong shadows or backlighting, consider using a fill flash.

When you shoot a backlit subject and the primary light source is behind your subject and in front of you, the result can be an extremely high contrast. A fill flash can reduce the image contrast while lighting your subject to reveal important details. Most backlit subjects are challenging to meter, so try a few different flash and exposure settings to get the photo that you want.

If your camera has exposure compensation, you can use that feature to get the best balance between existing light and light from the flash. The closer you are to the subject, the more important it is to use exposure compensation to reduce the overall power of your flash so that you do not overwhelm your subject with bright artificial light.

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SILHOUETTE your subject

SILHOUETTE your subject
Backlighting occurs when your subject has a bright light in back of it, often resulting in dark shadows on the subject. Shooting in this kind of lighting can be both challenging and rewarding. The often extreme contrast between the bright background and an unlit subject makes it possible to get a silhouette.
Getting a good exposure in a backlit situation can be difficult. Shoot a couple of photos with different settings and compare the results on your camera’s LCD screen. If your camera offers a histogram, you can use it to see if you have a dark.

Learn when to shoot with BUILT-IN FLASH
A camera with a built-in flash is very useful when you take snapshots or when there is not enough light and you cannot add light in any other way. Otherwise, you should carefully consider ways to avoid using a built-in flash most of the time. A built-in flash lights your subject with unnatural light that comes straight from the camera. The resulting effect is that important shadows, which add dimension to your subject, are removed by the flash. The use of an external flash has the benefit of projecting light on a subject from an angle that helps maintain important subtle shadows.

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PICK GOOD LIGHT for better photos

PICK GOOD LIGHT for better photos
Digital photography is all about capturing light on an image sensor; the better the light, the more potential you have for getting great photographs. The quality of light can vary greatly from when the sun comes up in the morning to when it sets in the evening. Sometimes it varies on a second-by-second basis, such as when there are fast-moving clouds. A good way to learn what light is best for the subjects that you enjoy shooting is to shoot frequently and carefully study your photographs. Learn to judge light on direction, intensity, and color, and use that information to decide when and where to shoot.

Here is one caveat for the serious outdoor photographer intent on shooting with only the best light: The best light conditions are rare. You must have time and patience to wait for those perfect moments to capture a perfect shot. If you have limited time or patience, you need to rely on having enough luck to be at the right place at the right time.

Shoot in HAZE OR FOG
Do not avoid taking photos just because there is haze or fog. Haze or fog can act as an excellent light diffuser that can help you to get some wonderful photos. Besides helping to reduce the overall contrast of an image, haze or fog can create an atmosphere that may transform what would otherwise be an uninteresting scene into a beautiful photograph.

When properly exposing haze or fog, you can get stunning silhouettes and smooth monotone gradations that can make a photograph both simple and powerful. Haze or fog can also add some mystery to a photo, as a viewer may not be able to see much detail in the photograph. Whenever you have a chance to shoot in haze or fog, take it. Make sure, however, that you understand how to use exposure compensation because your camera’s built-in light meter will likely give you an exposure that is not what you want. You can use a digital image editor such as Adobe Photoshop Elements to further refine your haze or fog photos into spectacular images.

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