available light photography: direction of light / posing into the light
A topic that I’ve given more and more attention to here on Tangents, is available light photography - but specifically the concept that it isn’t just a random way of taking photos, but that consideration has to be given to the direction of light. When you work with someone you want to take a portrait of, it is crucial that you pose someone in flattering light. This often means posing someone into the light, with the one shoulder toward the direction of light. This idea works for even the simplest of cameras.
If you find these articles interesting and of value, then purchasing your photography equipment & other goodies through these affiliate links would be a great help in maintaining this site. Thank you!
Photographing a sensational bride, Julie, earlier today, I asked her to turn toward the light, and turn her gaze upward away from me. Her pose was instinctive, and I only helped her in placing her free hand, by asking her to gently shape her body with her hand, instead of letting her hand dangle loose.
I wanted to share some of my images. So I asked her if I could shoot a photo with Instagram on my iPhone, so I could post it directly from my phone to Facebook and Instagram. I had shot the entire sequence here with my Nikon D4, and the images look really good. Really good! But I wanted to immediately show some friends, and the iPhone was the choice for sharing an image.
Keeping to the same pose, the photo looked great, even on this simplest of cameras – the iPhone. This is the fundamental idea – the direction of the light is all important in photographic lighting. This is true whether you use on-camera bounce flash or off-camera flash. It’s just as true for available light photography, whether you use your phone’s camera or a top-of-the-line pro camera.
related articles: flash photography elements
photography books by Neil vN
newsletter / forum / workshops & seminars
Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.
If you need more direct help or instruction on flash photography,
I do present workshops & seminars and also offer individual tutoring sessions.
If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by
using these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies. Thank you!
It’s good to see that gear doesn’t matter. Awesome stuff, as always.
Comment by Denver Photographer — August 20, 2012 @ 6:21 pm
Comment by Neil vN — August 20, 2012 @ 8:40 pm
Neil, what in the environment was creating this gorgeous light here? Was there something above her head blocking the light from the sky from hitting her from above? The light looks very directional
Comment by nick — August 20, 2012 @ 10:45 pm
Comment by Neil vN — August 23, 2012 @ 11:44 pm
Hi Neil,
when I try to do this people often close the eyes, creating wrinkles on their faces, because the sun is too strong ( I work on a beach under the sun) – any advice?
really nice foto, i really like the black-green wood
ciao!
Comment by AdAu — August 25, 2012 @ 5:49 pm