Photography: Daylight

Using Light To Your Advantage

So, did you do your homework?  Did you pull out your camera and act like a crazy person?  I'm sure you were a cute kind of crazy.  ;)

Today we are going to talk about light.  If you only walk away with one thing today let it be this:

Daylight is a photographer's best friend

1. There is a time of day that is called the Sweet Hour (I don't know if that's an official term but that's what I call it.  Should I get a patent on it?) It is about 1-2 hours before sunset.  If you want gorgeous pictures outside of your kiddos/dog/spouse/favorite dishcloth, this is the time to do it.  Or 1-2 hours after sunrise, but who is crazy enough to want to do it then??  Take your baby out on a quilt and take some shots at that time of day.  You will be amazed.   

2. One thing you have to be careful of is shadows.  Make sure the shadows of the branches above aren't making her face look like a puzzle:  

3. TURN OFF YOUR FLASH.  Who wants a shiny forehead?  By turning off the flash, you will have a much more natural glow... and no more red eye!  Use that natural light to your advantage.  I rarely use my flash.  Oftentimes, if you have your camera set on "auto" it will use the flash.  Try turning it off.  Sometimes Mr. Auto thinks he's smarter than he actually is.

If your life is anything like mine, that is the craziest time of day, filled with dinner and baths.  So here are some hints if you can't take the shots during the "sweet hour":

1. Water and sunlight make a gorgeous couple.  Much better than Brad and Angelina.

The best time is mid-morning or late afternoon, but don't put the camera away if you happen to be near water during mid-day ... you just might capture a fun picture like the one above.  :)

2.  Use the angle of the sun to your advantage.  Rather than having your subject face the sun and end up with the crazy the-sun's-in-my-eyes grin, try to have the sun to the right or left of their faces.  Look through the viewfinder to double check your subjects' faces.  Are they too shadowed?  If not, allow the sun to play off of their hair.  It gives a celestial glow :

3. Don't let an overcast day get you down.  It's actually a great filter for a good photograph.  Try it, you might be surprised.

4. Take advantage of the sunlight that comes into your home.  With the cold weather nipping at our heels, it's a good time to find a window in your home that has good light.  Often, when I want to do a still shot of something I will move it to my kitchen table because of the great natural light.

  To see my disclaimer and catch up on this little series go here.  Next time we'll talk about getting in their faces.  Did you know that when you have a camera in your hand, it's not rude?  :)