lighting 1st, location 2nd

It’s a mini photography tutorial. Are you ready? It’s SO simple, yet something SO often forgotten/ignored.

When you are getting ready to take a set-up photo (i.e. a photo where you have time to move either yourself or your subjects) think LIGHTING FIRST, location (or your setting) second.

Say it out loud!Lighting 1st, Location 2nd. (repeat until memorized!)

Example: The other day I was shooting a family of four. Another photographer was in the same area with me taking pictures of two adorable kids. There was a super cool tree with leaves still on it, down below a huge pile of colored leaves it had already said goodbye to. So cool! The only problem was the lighting. The sun was high above and was poring through the bare areas where the leaves had already shed. The two kiddos were cozied in the leaves with random sun spots on their faces, their eyes hidden in the shadows. The photographer had a great idea, but ultimately the mom doesn’t care about the tree, right? She cares about her children’s faces. Those are of utmost importance for the shot and I can promise you they did not look pretty in the final product.

I, on the other hand, was in a rather boring location, the background was nothing worth gawking over, but my family had beautiful even lighting on their faces. The result, albeit boring to most, was a family photo that was not tainted by bad lighting. Nothing took away from our simple goal of documenting their family as it looks today.

A few simple things to keep in mind when taking pictures. Keep the sun to your back. Let it help you light the scene. This is also relevant when it is cloudy/overcast. You would not believe how much the sun is still casting light through the blanket of clouds.

{Does this mean I always have to shoot with my back to the sun?} Great question! And, the answer is HECK NO! Incredible photographs can be made with the sun in front of you, but the rule is this: it must be low in the sky to work for you. Think early morning, late afternoon. (And, know how to use your metering modes on your camera – every camera has them! – in order to meter the light for their faces and leave your shot properly exposed.)

If you are under shade keep you subject(s) at the edge of the shade. Too much shade can be a bad thing, leaving your subject’s eyes “dead” and your photo blah.

If you are indoors, look for windows. North & south facing windows are the absolute best as they will give you a soft-box type of lighting when it’s nice and bright outside. (iPhone owners – use your compass to find your north & south facing windows.)

And, in those cases when all lines up perfectly and the delicious lighting is in the same place as the perfect setting … well, those are the situations worth squealing over!

p.s. Lighting is one of many topics taught in my 6-week “Photographer Wannabe” workshop. For more info, CLICK HERE.

Know any cool lighting techniques? Share them, please oh please! We all can learn so much from each other …