Take the same viewpoint of the same subject with different photography lighting and you will often see images which look very different.
We will look at different ideas on lighting later but as a general rule, try to keep the light source behind you and to one side so that it illuminates the subject with a slight shadow. Also, if the subject happens to be a person, this will help ensure they do not squint.
Most photographs look best in natural light, even when the light is dim. Light and shade communicate mood and help to emphasise parts of an image.
A lot of cameras have a built-in flash. Make sure that this is turned off unless you really need or want it for a particular image. Too many great pictures are spoiled because the auto-flash fired unnecessarily or because it was positioned incorrectly - click here to review guidelines on holding your camera correctly.
Controlling the lighting is not the easiest thing to do when you are trying to photograph an animal or a bird when it is moving, or even a plant or a tree if you need to take it in a hurry.
The examples that follow will show you how different lighting can affect a photo and ideas which you can practice at leisure when you are not in a hurry.
When you are taking photos in natural light, try to apply these ideas and look out for angles, time of day and weather conditions which show your subjects in the best possible light.
There are numerous ways to apply photography lighting to an infinite number of subjects so let’s start with the simple scenario of a young girl by her Christmas tree. We have the choice of daylight from the window and/or flashlight.
Shot in Black and White, the following example shows how natural light can be used to great effect .....
Sometimes, there is no option but to use flash …..
In the example of photography lighting above, the colour of the light is affected by the clouds and by the snow on the hills. This has given a bluish hue to the photo which we can compensate for by increasing the colour temperature setting on the camera.
Most cameras which allow you to adjust colour temperature help you to do this by displaying symbols which resemble the various types of lighting.
More Examples of Photography Lighting
Credits:
© John Curgenven