Learning about Light
Demo of the Clockwork Exercise
In this video, I turn in a circle in the studio space where I take probably 30% of my commercial images. There are windows along just one wall, but the space is very open and the walls are true-white, so it’s very bright even with windows on just one wall.
As I turn, note the way the light looks different on my facial features—whether there are many shadows are few, whether my skin looks smooth and soft or textured and shiny, and whether the whole image looks flat or multi-dimensional!
Natural Light Overview
Natural light is simply light that originates from the sun. It’s a specific term in that sense, but broad in many others.
The way the sun hits the earth (and your subject) varies greatly by season, in some places of the world, and even by the hour in the day. I like to say that morning light, for instance, is silvery, while the light around sunset is golden (indeed there’s a term among photographers for sunset light, which is “Golden Hour,” and often senior portraits, engagements, and travel photos are intentionally shot at this time for its unique effect).
Here are some of the different ways you can integrate natural light into your images at different times of day:
Early Morning Light
Characteristics: Steeply slanted shadows with a blue-ish hue, lots of options for shade, silvery effect in final images
Good for: Outdoor lifestyle images; the streets and shops are often less busy in many places, for one thing, making for less background noise; but it’s also good for outdoor people shots because of the abundance of shade that softens skin and decreases the amount of under-eye, under-lip shadows. Can sometimes be used strategically for product shots or flat lays when playing with glass objects that have unique shadows/reflections
Not always great for: Food photos, especially if you’re seated indoors. There are some exceptions
Mid-Morning Light (before 10am, lots of places)
Characteristics: Warm, full-bodied, and at a good angle for portraits if you happen to be outside
Good for: Taking shots of products and flat lays when staged by a window on the side of your house/the shop that’s currently being hit by the sun; outdoor portraits if there’s a good supply of shade to use as needed; you can usually use the model to “create her own shade” by turning her face away from the sun
Not so good for: Actually this is my favorite time of day to shoot, and I can’t think of any subject matter I capture personally that wouldn’t look great mid-morning!
Midday Light (11:00-ish to 2:00-ish)
Characteristics: Sun is very high in the sky, so shadows are short but very dark, and everything the sun hits is at its brightest
Good for: Taking a break, honestly! Getting good light, even indoors, at this time can be difficult. However, if you have to shoot during this hour, aim for shade under a tree or between tall buildings, as these are areas where the light will be more even
Not so good for: Portraits. When the sun is directly overhead it’s hard even to get your subject to “be their own shade” by trying to face the back of the subject to the sun. If you have to shoot in this kind of light, try shooting with your phone first to see if the levels your in-phone camera chooses for the brightest and deepest parts of the image balance each other out (this is hard to do without a lot of experience when shooting on a DSLR).
Mid-Afternoon Light
Characteristics: This is the light we tend to think of when we think of “daytime light.” There’s plenty of it. We can see our own shadows. The day is warm, and the light also feels warm, unlike the blueish light of the morning.
Good for: Casual portrait sessions, candid travel-lifestyle photography. Can also work for indoor product photography or food photography if you have light coming in through a window on the side of your home/studio where the sun is, especially if you’re just shooting the main image for a product listing or dishes for an online menu. You may want to have a skrim and/or reflector ready, depending on the intensity of the light.
Not so good for: Exciting, dynamic images. This light is pretty neutral and plain. In editing you’ll probably lift the shadows and decrease the highlights, making for clear images with low contrast.
Late-Afternoon and Golden Hour Light
Characteristics: Very warm, literally golden light. Shadows will be very deep, and contrast will be very high.
Good for: Outdoor images that are meant to evoke nostalgia, adventure, or romance. While all these are very different feelings, they can all be captured if you have the right subject matter and setting during golden hour. If you’re capturing people with a DSLR, try to place the sun behind their head for a truly dramatic effect. If you’re capturing people with a phone camera, place the sun to one side of their face and have them turn slightly toward and slightly away from the light throughout your session.
Not so good for: Indoor product photography or food photography. If you’re shooting an interior for a magazine or real estate listing, you’ll hardly ever do it at golden hour, unless you’re shooting a travel destination that has a beach sunset happening right outside the window and.or you have special lighting equipment.
Hello there! I’m your hostess, Alexis.
I’m the Original Subscription Photographer (& photo stylist) for creative professionals. I run my business in Portsmouth, NH. I’m super pumped to have you here!