Day to day life is natural…in natural settings. Since this course is not geared towards professional photographers, we are going to focus on using natural light to capture the normal parts of your day. Most phones have a built-in flash that can add light to your images, but the flash often takes away the natural feel to the shot. Natural light can be hard to come by depending on where you live. Below are some general thoughts on light – namely how to take advantage of great light and how to use it to help communicate your story. Capturing beautiful light can make all the difference in your photos and their stories.

Early morning hours and the late evening often provide you with softer light that illuminates your subjects in a beautiful manner. Many photographers refer to the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset as “The Golden Hours.” When the sun is low on the horizon it can add such a warm and peaceful mood to your pictures.

When you are shooting outside or inside, your image will be totally different if you are shooting with the light behind your subject or in front of your subject.

The images below demonstrate the difference between placing the light source (sun coming in the window) behind the subject and then turning the subject so she is facing the light source. Depending on the goal of your photo, you will need to determine how you want to use the available light. In general, when your subject is facing the light source you will have a better exposed and sharper result.

Whether you are inside or outside, shooting into the light often softens your image. In the next two shots, notice the sharpness of the left photo (overcast day with light overhead) compared to the softness of the photo on the right (shot into the sun):

In a quest for sharp photos, the beauty of softer images is often overlooked. While a sharp photo is ideal in some situations, don't automatically delete a photo because it isn't tack sharp. Instead, take advantage of the beauty that comes with shooting into light.

Another way to use available light is to watch for ways to allow it to illuminate your subjects - kind of like a spotlight. The next few shots were all taken indoors and used the natural light from outside to light up the subjects.

Silhouettes are such a fun way to capture a moment and tell a story. The trick to capturing a silhouette with a phone is to make sure the light is behind your subject and adjust your exposure. Remember when we talked about how you can use the slider on your phone to darken or lighten a photo? Typically when you try to take a silhouette, your phone will want to expose the subject (instead of making it dark). To capture a silhouette, focus on your subject and then pull the exposure slider down until you reach the darkness you desire. Silhouettes can be created with nature light or artificial light - just keep your light behind your subject.

It might be tempting in low or dark light to think you need to turn on your flash, but don't jump to do that too fast! Look for ways to use available light or add artificial light to capture your image. The result is almost always better than a flashed out image!

Notice: Allowing the dark to remain at it is, it acts as a frame which creates a dramatic pop to your subjects.

A couple of tips for shooting in low light:

• Keep your hand steady to reduce blurriness
• Try turning off overhead lights indoors and use more focused light (like a lamp, computer screen, etc.)
• Set your exposure, don't just go with what your phone selects when you first focus. If you subject is too dark, increase the exposure. If your subject is too bright, decrease the exposure.

We encourage you to experiment with light - different types of light, different times of day, different light sources...the same light source from different angles or different times of day.

The next two shots were taken in the same location on different days from different angles. They were edited the same (the same filter). Light and position can change your photos in subtle and dramatic ways.

Some things to keep in mind regarding light:

Pay attention to the lighting where you live, work and play. Learn to know what the light is like inside and outside your home and the places you spend time throughout the day. It takes time observing and learning your places and spaces, but the payoff is worth it.

Be intentional about where you play. This sounds funny, but if you want to capture great photos, lighting plays a huge role in that. When possible, plan your activities to take place where you have plenty of light (or the kind of light you are drawn to). You can even place your child's favorite toys, books or games near a window that gives great natural light. They will naturally choose that spot to settle and you'll get excellent pictures.

The best lighting outside is typically the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. That means, if the sun is going to set at 7:00pm, and you want portraits of your daughter for her eighth birthday….you might want to take those around 6:00pm, not at noon. If the sun is high overhead, the lighting is harsh and casts shadows under the eyes and nose. Once the sun is lower it will rest behind your subject, that is when the light is soft and golden creating that magical look. This is also most complimentary because the light is low and no longer casting shadows on the face.

Overcast days or cloudy days can be an awesome times for photos. If there are a lot of big fluffy white clouds blocking the sun or it is a bit overcast that means the light coming down is indirect…which can mean you have a wide array of options for photo locations since you aren’t having to deal with lots of shadows and light pockets.

If you are having trouble seeing your screen in bright daylight make sure the screen is as bright as it can go. Often screens are dimmed and that makes it almost impossible to see anything in bright light. You can also use your hand to shade the screen or try to position yourself really close to your phone and shade it with your body.

How you use and take advantage of light will play a major role in the overall quality of your photographs. Study the photos of other photographers that inspire you, most likely you will see that they have a great ability to capture and manipulate light.

PRACTICE IDEAS

Use direct light to 'spotlight' your subject in a photo. This could be window light on your desk, sunlight on your garden, a reading light at bedtime, etc.

Wake up in time to catch the sun rising outside. Photograph something near your home in those early hours - your street, a favorite tree, flowers, etc.