With practice, anyone can master natural light photography with a digital camera.
Taking photographs under existing light conditions will produce natural-looking effects. Using the sun as your primary light source in outdoor photography can be tricky, however. Successful use of light is one of the most important elements of a good photograph, along with proper composition and a smart choice of subject matter. The proper handling of lighting can make or break your photographs. The sun's lighting can be harsh, and you may need to take extra measures to soften the effects of brightly sunlit scenes. Mastery of natural light photography will enhance the quality of your pictures.
Instructions
1. Shoot most of your photos with the sun at your back. Use full frontal lighting on your subject, with the sunlight coming over your shoulder. Take uniformly illuminated photos that show lots of detail. Change the settings of your camera to get a proper exposure. Start with an exposure of 1/100th of a second and an ISO setting of 100. Use aperture priority or shutter priority mode for most situations. Adjust the settings accordingly after studying some test shots. Compare the results of different settings to produce the most natural looking pictures. Observe your subject at different angles to see what looks best before shooting.
2. Try using back lighting for more dramatic, visually interesting effects. Shoot into the sun for silhouetted, backlit pictures. Move your camera around to control the unwanted effects of lens flare. Adjust your aperture and shutter speed to get a proper exposure and control the effects of backlit contrast. Experiment with different f-stops to vary the aperture size and modulate the amount of light entering your lens. Try to capture the halo lighting around your subject while retaining a natural look in the photos.
3. Take photographs with side lighting for more dramatic effects, such as an exaggerated sense of chiaroscuro (the contrast of light and dark) and three-dimensionality. Observe the effects of sunlight as it rakes across the landscape. Take advantage of the slanting rays of sunlight during the early morning and evening hours. Use it to emphasize textures and forms. Shoot photos an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset, as many photographers believe these times provide the best light of the day.
4. Experiment with different kinds of natural lighting. Observe the quality and color of light at different times of the day and over the seasons. Compose your pictures around the type of light available to you. Make photographs under all kinds of light conditions, including on foggy, misty or overcast days. Try taking night photographs using moonlight. Set your camera on a tripod, and use a long exposure.
5. Practice taking pictures under every kind of natural lighting possible. Take lots of pictures. Study them to see which are the most natural looking with the best lighting effects. Delete the ones that didn't turn out, as you don't want a bunch of crummy pictures cluttering up your hard drive. Tweak the pictures you keep in a paint or photography program to perfect them. Punch up the pictures by adding a little contrast and saturation.
Tags: your camera, your subject, Experiment with, Experiment with different, light conditions, light photography, lighting more
