Lighting is one of the most crucial elements in photography. Mastering it can elevate your images from mundane to extraordinary. Whether you are shooting indoors, outdoors, or in a studio, understanding how to manipulate light is essential. Here are 25 practical tips to help you utilize both natural and artificial lighting effectively.
Natural Lighting Photography Tips
1. Golden Hour Advantage
Take advantage of the golden hour – shortly after sunrise or before sunset – when the light is soft and warm. The sun is also lower in the sky so you don’t get such harsh shadows. There is a reason that ‘golden hour’ is talked about as much as it is. The light is highly complimentary to people and it makes everything else look amazing too.
2. Don’t Forget Blue Hour
Wait, you haven’t heard of “Blue Hour”? Well, it’s not actually an hour. It’s the half an hour or so before sunrise and after sunset when you get amazing blue hues in the sky. It’s a great time for cityscapes and calm water reflection. If you’re doing that sort of work make sure you have tripod since you’re going to be doing a long exposure. If you want to do portraits during blue hour (or on a super cloudy day), throw a piece of 1/2 or full CTO gel over a speedlight and you’ll get natural skin color hues with the super blue ambient background.
3. Seeing the Shadows as Much as the Light
Shadows add depth and dimension to your images, so pay attention to how shadows interact with your subject. Whether you are photographing a person, a building, or a landscape, the shadows will influence the ‘character’ of the shot. This can be part of your pre-shoot planning process thinking about the angles of light and what sort of shadows will be produced as well as determine where you choose to stand to capture the images during the session.
4. Use Reflectors
Bounce light onto your subject using reflectors. They can help fill in shadows and create a more balanced exposure. Just make sure you’re holding them the right way – if you’re not sure how, check out our tutorial here. Bonus points for using diffusers to soften harsh sunlight.
5. Experiment with Backlighting
Position your subject in front of a light source for creative effects. This can create silhouettes or beautiful rim lighting. Add a reflector or some flash to the shot to make your subject really pop.
6. Cloudy Day Shooting
Most people think that cloudy days are bad for photos but cloud cover acts as a natural diffuser, creating soft, even light. Utilize overcast days for portrait photography to avoid harsh shadows. Your subjects won’t be squinting because of harsh sunlight. If you’re shooting landscapes or cityscapes, clouds can add drama to the skies in your images, depending on the types of formations.
7. Work Your Angles
Rotate around your subject to find the best light angle. Different angles can drastically change the mood of your shot. By changing angles you can get a few different lighting ‘looks’ without changing locations.
8. Use Natural Reflectors
Surfaces like water, white walls, and concrete can reflect natural light onto your subject. This is an example of working with your surroundings instead of against them! Natural reflectors work great in combination with open shade.
9. Look for Open Shade
When shooting in bright sunlight, look for open shade (like under a tree, an awning, overhang, etc.) to avoid harsh contrasts and create soft light on your subject. Remember that the light will be brightest at the edge of the shade AND be sure to watch out for dappled sunlight under trees unless you want strange light patterns on your subject. You might be into that – I don’t know your style!
10. Silhouette Technique
To create striking silhouettes, expose for the background light, keeping your subject darkened for a stark contrast. Something to consider when you’re taking silhouette shots during a portrait session – consider the body language of your subject. You won’t be able to see facial expressions so the shape they make is going to be saying a lot in the photo.
Artificial Lighting Photography Tips
11. Choose the Right White Balance
Adjust your camera’s white balance settings to match your light source. This ensures accurate colors in your images. It’s very disappointing to see a great photo ruined by improper white balancing resulting in strange color hues, especially on skin.
12. Use Diffusers
Soften harsh light from flashes or lamps by using diffusers. A simple white sheet or a shower curtain can work wonders in softening the light. This is not just a tip for artificial light sources, using diffusers outdoors can help mitigate harsh shadows from bright sunlight. Once again, if you’re not sure how to use diffusers, check out our tutorial.
13. Experiment with Different Light Sources
Don’t just rely on your flash. Try using lamps, LED panels, or even candles to create various moods in your shots. The more you practice with varied light sources, the more options you give yourself when it comes to creating and working with light on every shoot. This will also help if you need to improvise lighting should the situation arise.
14. Try Off-Camera Flash
Off-camera flash techniques for more dynamic lighting setups. This allows greater control over where the light falls on your subject and creating more ‘depth’ to your images.
15. Adjust Your Flash Power
Learn to control the power and distance of your flash. This affects how harsh or soft the light appears on your subject. The Inverse Square Law tells us that if you double the distance between your flash and your subject, you will need to QUADRUPLE the power output to maintain the same look.
16. Use Multiple Light Sources
Layer different light sources for a well-lit scene. Combine ambient light with key and fill lights for balanced exposure. Gels are also great for matching the colors between the different sources.
17. Use Gels for Color Effects
Attach colored gels to your artificial lights to create mood and stylize your images. This can add layers and mood to your images. Gels can also be used to color balance your lights with the ambient light or you can gel your lights different colors for a myriad of other effects.
18. Keep an Eye on Your Catchlights
Position lights or use different modifiers to produce different types catchlights in the subject’s eyes. This can change the feel of a portrait as well as draw the viewer’s attention to the eyes of your subject.
19. Balance Ambient and Artificial Light
Whether shooting indoors or outdoors, try to balance ambient daylight with your artificial lights for a natural blending effect. I feel like a broken record here, but be sure to gel your artificial lighting to match the natural light if you’re going for a more seamless approach.
20. Spotlight Your Subject
Use a spotlight or hard light to create dramatic shadows and highlights that draw attention to your main subject. Again, this is a way of drawing the viewer’s eye and a way to use lighting to create a ‘frame within a frame’.
Creative Approaches to Photography Lighting
21. Shoot Through or Bounce Off Objects
Shoot light through translucent materials like curtains, plastic, or glass to create soft, interesting lighting effects in your photos. Bounce it off reflective materials like mylar, old mirrors (disco ball perhaps?), or water to really intensify the effects.
22. Learn to Use and Utilize Light Meters
Invest in a light meter to measure light ratios and help you determine the best exposure settings for mixed lighting conditions. Your camera is dumb – more on that here – and it can only meter in certain areas of the frame. If you want more creative control over your exposure, get comfortable using a light meter.
23. Experiment with Depth of Field
Try different depth of field settings to see how it effects your lighting. Deeper focus can highlight background lighting while using a shallow depth of field to blur distracting lighting behind your subject focuses the viewer’s attention on your subject.
24. Practice with Light Trails
In low-light situations, use long exposure settings to create dynamic light trails from moving objects, such as car lights or fireworks. You can also create your own light trails by ‘painting’ them with everything from a flashlight to a candle. Just be sure to use a tripod or something to stabilize your camera during long exposures.
25. Use Natural Light to Enhance Artificial Light
Use natural light to complement artificial sources. For example, using off-camera flash to illuminate your subject during a vibrant sunset. Use window light as fill for your flash lighting. There are lots of possibilities if you think creatively.
Some Final Thoughts About Photography Lighting
Mastering lighting techniques is an essential skill for any photographer. By applying these 25 tips, you can enhance your lighting knowledge and improve your overall photography output. Experiment with the strategies outlined, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Remember, lighting can dramatically change the mood, texture, and appeal of your images, so make it your ally on your photographic journey!
Try them! See what works for you and what doesn’t. This is about adding more lighting tools to your creative kit. Be sure to sign up for The Power Up, our monthly newsletter, for more tips, and subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new tutorials as soon as they go live.
