Lighting is one of the key fundamentals of great photography. As this Pixpa article points out, being able to handle natural light and create exceptional artificial light in a space can separate a good photographer from a great one. When working with light, it is important to recognize that the lighting may not be the issue at all, and that sometimes the subject must be rearranged instead. While shooting in lighting that looks like it may need touching up in the future, this article recommends to always shoot in RAW. This is to give the photographer the opportunity to change the color temperature as if they are “still taking the picture” rather than just changing the color or hue of a jpeg.
Artificial light can be produced in a variety of ways and is where things tend to be overcomplicated at times. When wanting more of a soft-light appearance, light diffusers and bounce flashes can be used. These stand opposite of the subject to diffuse the amount of light hitting them. Positioning of lights and strobes can create shadows to the side of or behind subjects, however a third light source can be used to cancel those out. When outside, this third light source can even be the sun. The article informs the reader about high-key versus low-key lighting and talks about the styles of photos that tend to have light with more depth or a more intimate style. Although there are many ways to create an intriguing light space, this article makes a phenomenal point in that “You could make an entire career in photography and never use a strobe light”.
Singh, Anisha. “Photography Lighting – The Complete Beginners Guide.” Pixpa, Pixpa, www.pixpa.com/blog/photography-lighting. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023.
You can enhance natural light with reflectors and diffusers. We have both available for you to borrow.