Natural Light Photography – How To Use Natural Light For Studio Quality Photos
There's a lot to be said about a fully equipped photo studio, filled to the brim with expensive lights and equipment just waiting to be applied to some artistic task. However, most people that enjoy photography as a hobby simply don't have the room or cash for professional-grade lighting equipment. If you're only shooting pictures as a hobby, there is really no good reason to spend money on lighting equipment that you won't regularly use. Here are some ways that you can get studio-quality images simply by using the light you have around you.
Home-made Reflectors
If you want to create soft and even light, you need to learn how to "bounce" the light off of the umbrellas or reflectors for the best results. Though this is hard to do without a few different light sources, you can mimic the effect by making your own reflectors to use when you shoot. If you need help softening the shadows created by one main light source (like the sun), you can reflect the light by using white surfaces like a large white poster board or a big piece of styrofoam or even a white bed sheet.
Get Creative Using Backdrops
You may not be able to offer the wide variety of backdrops found in a portrait studio, but that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun. Use sheets for basic colors, and also try splashing paint on a couple to see how the vibrant colors can spice up your portraiture. If you hang these backdrops opposite a large window (or garage door opening), you'll get the same effects as using a fill light pointed at them.
Paint the Walls
All surfaces either absorb or reflect light, so wherever you decide to shoot should be designed with this in mind. If you know you're not able to add a bunch of lights to a room, try painting the entire thing white (even the floor, if possible). Having your walls white, they will help to bounce the light around so you'll have a more even look.
Control the Flash
A direct flash will often make the subject have harsh shadows or look shallow but if used correctly it can be a great lighting tool. Whenever possible, look to bounce it off surfaces around your subject and only use it to fill in the shadows from the front. One good way to think about using flash, is that if the image doesn't look like it needs a flash, that's a good time to use one for additional fill lighting.
Watch Your Time
Light looks different at different times of day. By using your homemade reflectors to soften the shadows and your backdrop faced towards the early morning light, you'll be amazed at the studio-like quality of your portraits. You should practice taking pictures at different times of the day so you know when the lighting is at its best, then schedule your sessions for these exact times so you can get the best possible lighting.
It's important to remember that studio lights, for the most part, were created to simulate the light that we have in our every day lives. By understanding how to harness the light, you can create beautiful even light in your images that will look like they were taken in an expensive photo studio. All it takes is a bit of creativity and the will to make it work, and you can have your own makeshift studio in no time at all. Really, the tools that you use to get studio lighting doesn't matter as long as you get the quality results that you want.
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