I am definitely one of those rare photographers who won’t use lighting in their photo shoot. Why? Because I simply prefer taking photos, using natural light. I think it has a gentle tone on people’s skin, beautifully exposes the colors that are being exposed at the moment when the picture was taken, and last but not least – the picture feels more natural. It looks like I wasn’t trying too hard to take the photo, I simply took it.
Which is why I am sharing my tips today, on working with natural light to create beautiful photos!
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I took this photo of my friend Luise, in Uluwatu, when I was in Bali. Using nothing but the natural lighting of the peaceful 6.30 morning. One of the things that I wanted to mention today, on working with natural lighting is waking up early. Making the most of the morning blue light and the afternoon golden hour is very important, and also the best time to shoot!
Using natural light for portraits is an interesting way of shooting.
First things first; It keeps things simple! What else do you need besides a camera? Another lens, and a tripod… maybe. Using the natural light is awesome for keeping a theme on your Instagram as well. Letting lots of light in your photos keeps them clean and bright! Something that has been popular for a while now.
Check out my Instagram @alenkaamali to understand what I’m talking about.
Natural light is also ideal if you like portraits that show beauty, as well as reflect the character of the model you are shooting with. Natural light portraits are often more authentic than those taken with flashes. You can also play it very
Remember that authenticity is often lost in the search for perfection – natural light photography is about embracing imperfection and candid shoots.
Staying out of direct sun is important too!
After 7 in the morning, the sun gets stronger, casting a very ugly shadow over someone you are photographing. The best solution to avoid that is to simply move into the shadow of a tree, or behind your house (like the photo above, with my friend Emma), under a rock or in the car! I suggest you let the sun in the photo just enough, but not too much. For example, let the light shine over the background of the photo, but not over the model’s face!
Maybe you can even play with the light in a way of putting the sun behind your object and creating a well-known contra-light. These are popular for silhouette shots too. You’ll get the best results when the sun’s setting behind the model just at the point it’s about to vanish over the horizon. The light is at its warmest and softest, and the camera can cope with the contrast.
A little more about me
My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love shooting nature, sports, sports in nature… underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! I’m stoked. Very simply put, I am a stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for a sunrise, ready to go to the airport and take a random flight… I’m stoked on living and I love what I do for work.
Photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainabilty and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.
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Editing photos in Lightroom
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