Take Photos in Natural Light

My husband and I like to joke about going to a website or a blog post to find a recipe, and how the writer will go on and on first about how she has memories of her great grandmother making this cookie recipe, and how just before she passed, grandma gave the writer the recipe. 
While I appreciate the stories, I really just want to get to the recipe! 

So, let’s get to it - let’s talk about light for photography, and how you can best use it to take your own beautiful photos.

I like to keep things simple. 

With photography, there are two kinds of light: natural light (i.e. the sun) and artificial light (anything not the sun). I prefer natural light.

I’m going to quickly give you some pointers for utilizing natural light to your advantage to create beautiful images:


1. Make sure the flash on your camera is off, and if you are indoors, other indoor lights are off. We don’t want to mix different kinds of light (natural and artificial).
2. Find shade. While natural light is the best, too much of a good thing…. well you know the rest of the saying. Direct sun on someone creates harsh and sometimes unflattering shadows, so I suggest setting up the person you want to photograph under a tree, on the shaded side of a building, or pull the sheers or curtains over your windows if you’re inside. You can get creative with finding shade!
3. Aim for early morning or late evening if you’re going to be out in direct sun. These times of day are called “golden hour” because of the golden yellow colour of the light just an hour or so after sunrise and an hour before sunset. You don’t need to wait for only these times of day, but try avoiding the harsh sun of the middle of the day, if you can’t find shade (say you’re at the beach… these cold winter days have me dreaming of beach days!).
4. When all else fails, put the light of the sun behind your subject. Photographing into the sun can be tricky, but I know you can do it! It creates a sort of false shade, where the person you’re photographing doesn’t have harsh direct sun on their face. This can also create some fun and interesting sun flare in your photo.

So, try employing these quick pointers in your photography, and let me know how it turns out! 

Do you have any questions? Let me know, I’d love to help you take beautiful photos of your family!



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