You wanna make pretty pictures?:)

BECOME A LIGHT NOTICER!

Light is where it all happens, folks. I remember when I first jumped into photography, got my big fancy camera, and decided I was going to go for this…and hearing about light. The importance of it. That I should learn how it falls on my subject. Learn to use it and see it. I remember thinking yeah, sure. I can see the light. I mean, light is light, right? But as I began shooting and shooting, I started to notice something. Some photos just POPPED. And others were dull and lifeless. Even if the pose was good, the background was good, the expression was good…it was still dull. Flat. Then I realized I was not so smart after all;) Ha. We never are as smart as we think we are. :) I truly did need to LEARN to SEE light. Then and there, I began to respect the power of light.

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LIGHT IS POWERFUL. LEARN TO RECOGNIZE LIGHT. LOVE IT, USE IT, UNDERSTAND IT. LIGHT ENABLES YOU TO CREATE BEAUTY.

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At our ON THE SHOOT Workshop in February, our goal was simple….to equip the attendees with all they need for a successful shoot. We covered natural light, shooting in manual, gear for the job, styling a shoot, editing, and workflow. I talked all about light and it is a subject that is so fun for me. A few weeks ago I chatted HERE about open shade. Today, let’s talk about WINDOW LIGHT and DIRECTIONAL LIGHT…they go hand in hand. If you don’t use window light, START NOW. Window light is almost always phenomenal. It provides a very soft, indirect light all day long. It is one of the most effective pieces of lighting gear ever invented and is available to all of us!

            Any window or door can work as a great indoor light source. As long as it does not have sunlight streaming directly into it and the light is nice and diffused, you are good to go. If there is sunlight streaming in, just check back later when it is gone or find a different window. If possible, I always place my brides next to a window for the makeup photos. Having pretty natural light makes SUCH a difference in the final image.

         Side window light is created when the window is to the side of your subject…not the front. This is called directional light. I was a photographer several years before the power and beauty of directional light clicked in my brain. Now I use it all the time and LOVE it. Directional light is more dramatic than light coming from the front of your subject. Directional light creates shadows and highlights as it rolls over details. I love the richness this creates and always use directional light when I am photographing a wedding dress and flower bouquets.

This is the setup for the above photo. I used a reflector to bounce light onto the left side of the flower bouquet.

Directional light also works GREAT for portraits….as Gabi is demonstrating for us. :) Gabi is one of our senior models….more coming soon on these fun shoots!!

If you are taking photos of your child in your house…get them facing a window! You will have a much better photo than a dark corner with your camera’s pop up flash. So simple to do and the difference is stunning. Promise. :) This will forever be one of my favorite photos. It is Corde when he was six months old, sitting on our kitchen table, and facing the window.

Welp, that’s all for today. If window light and directional light is a new concept to you…I hope this gets you started using it!:)