Tip of the Week (#2)

This week I wanted to talk about window lighting and how to make it work for you. I know most camera’s have a flash on them, but let’s be honest, it’s not very pretty. So let’s work on not using it!

Imagine you are in a room with lots of light. You stand and take a picture, you look down at your shot and this is what you see:

How did this happen?  There was so much light in the room.  It was a bright room.

What’s the problem?  You, the photographer, had your back to a wall without a light source (translation, no windows on the wall behind you).

Watch your back. If you have a window-less wall behind you your subject is gonna be dark. So all you have to do is move your position. Let’s talk about two options for shooting with window light.

Option #1: you can shoot with the light source to the side of the subject and you’ll get a result similar to this…

Notice the side lighting. One side of her face is in part shadow, the other in light. The only difference between these and the first photo is that instead of facing the window-less wall she only has one cheek towards it. The shadowed side of her face is towards the wall with no windows. Makes sense, right? This is really a very basic tip.  (disclaimer: with 3 walls with windows there is plenty of light to shoot this way. It may not be the case in your living room. But give it a try).

Option #2: If you don’t like the shadows on your subjects face you can always face them head-on towards the light source and you’ll get something like this:

The window-less wall is behind her now, so the only place that isn’t getting light is her back. 

Oh, the possibilities! Isn’t light amazing? Pay attention to it next time you shoot, and go take some amazing photos!

Missed the first tip? Check it out HERE

Tip of the Week

As parents we take a lot a pictures. Now with smart phones and tablets, we all have cameras. So it’s time to share some tips on how to get better pictures of our kids, animals, or whatever we are taking a photo of.

So tip #1 is something that anyone can do that doesn’t require any fancy camera or equipment.

And it is… (drum roll please)…

GET DOWN ON THEIR LEVEL!

I can’t tell you how many times I look at cute photos of kids on the first day of school, or in their new Easter dress and I see something like this….

The first thing I always think is, why didn’t they get down on their level?

See how much more fun it is? How much better it looks? It’s like a miracle!

Much more engaging.

Another example above. Much better, right? And I’m not saying that we should never shoot down on a subject. I do it occasionally, but it’s more for this…

So next time you get out the camera, for whatever reason, remember to get down. I promise it’s totally worth it! It might take only a funny little squat if you have an 8 year old. Or with a baby, you might be laying on the floor. Either way, your picture will be TONS better. And an added bonus may be a great smile or laugh that you capture when your 8 year-old watches you stick your bum out trying to get the shot.

So remember to get down on their level! It’s fun, free, and easy to do! So go take some amazing photos.