Focus of the Week - Taking Photographs in Natural Light

I am a natural light photographer with the exception of those occasional times when I must shoot with artifical light such as during weddings in the dark when I simply have no other choice. I certainly do not have anything against artificial light; I just feel like natural light suits my style of photography better. I believe that lighting is the most important aspect of my photos, or any photo for that matter. Lighting can absolutely make a photo beautiful or break a photo completely. So, here are some natural light basics that I live by.

I do my best to shoot early or late in the day when the sun is low in the sky - this is referred to as "sweet light.". The photos below are favorites because of the gorgeous light captured late in the day.

I try to avoid shooting in the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky which can cause harsh shadows, squinting and glare; although as a wedding photographer, I cannot always avoid shooting in the middle of the day.

If I must shoot in the middle of the day, first I hope for an overcast sky. An overcast sky acts as a very large natural diffuser creating beautiful, soft, and balanced light for portrait photography. Fortunately and unfortunately overcast skies are extremely common here in Portland, OR; I could certainly handle a few more days of sunshine :)

When I must shoot mid-day and there are no overcast skies in sight, I look for open shade such as that created by the shadows of large buildings which can also effectively create great even light.

Some of my favorite light for portrait photography is soft window light. Some of my favorite photos have been taken inside using only soft window light such as the portraits below. Keep in mind that direct sunlight entering through a window should be avoided as it will create harsh shadows as with mid-day sunlight.