TAKE BETTER PHOTOS: LIGHTING
Hello everyone! I am sooo excited to kick off this "tutorial" series of simple tips and tricks for taking better photos. These are little things that everyone can do, and can be used with your smart phone, point-and-shoot camera, or even a DSLR.
I want to start by debunking the myth that you “need” a better camera to start taking better quality photos. After shooting for years with all different types of gear I can honestly say that while a $3,000 camera may take a better quality photo than what an iPhone captures, compelling photos will always be about understanding a few key factors of photography, first. There have been several experiments where amateurs were given very expensive camera gear, and professionals were given beginner gear (and some even toy cameras) and yet the photos were astoundingly different. The professionals photos were much more appealing and the high quality, amateur photographs were just average. Those studies proved that education and knowledge were more important in making a visually pleasing photograph than having high-tech equipment. By the way, how do you think professionals got to be pros in the first place? They weren’t born all-knowing, they had to start somewhere, too. So, even if you aren’t an aspiring photographer but just want to take better photos to post on social media or maybe you want to make photo memory yearbooks to keep on your coffee table, this series is for YOU.
LIGHTING
At a very basic level, light tells our eye where to look. Ideally, you want your subject (the person or object you’re shooting) to be the best lit thing in the photograph. Without going into too much detail, a poorly lit person or object usually gets lost in the photo with brighter objects in the background drawing the eye or making the overall image feel cluttered, where you almost can't find what you're supposed to be looking at.
Take a look at these two images, side by side:
These images are straight from my phone, are exaggerated, and by no means great quality, but demonstrate my point well. In the first photo, Cohen's face is dark and the camera can't focus on the details so it focuses instead of what is brightly lit (the background). You can’t even see the expression on his face because my phone is measuring the entire photo for exposure and in trying to compensate for the brightness of the beams of light behind him it is making the overall image darker. In the second photo I moved him to face the window so the light would be on his face and now the camera can focus on his face and my eye is drawn to his physical features since they are now well lit.
When taking group shots especially, I see a lot of people gravitate to backlighting (where the source of light is behind the group) when the people would actually be better lit if they were facing the source of light. I understand wanting to capture the landscape as well, but not at the cost of the main subjects getting lost in the shadows!
In some brightly lit rooms or in an outdoor setting you may not run into lighting issues because every angle is well lit with diffused light. Problems mostly arise where there is a bright source of light and therefore bold shadows being cast. With that in mind, be careful not to block the source of light with your own body when taking the photo. In the second photo above you can see how I positioned him facing the window and could have had him look over at me and still be well lit, vs. standing between him and the window and blocking the source of light, casting a shadow over his face.
Here is another example:
Once again, my camera was measuring the whole frame and since the window was directly behind Quinley, it thought that the shadow on her face was fine because it was a "balanced" image of lights and darks. Cameras aren't that smart, guys. In the second image I got closer to the window so that her face would be turned more toward to the light and look how well lit her face became! There are still some shadows present, so the camera thinks the frame is balanced and now my eye is drawn straight to her big eyes, chubby cheeks and cute little smile.
BONUS TIP: When taking a photo on your iPhone you can manually override the exposure it thinks is best. Tap the screen on whatever you want to focus on (a person's face, your plate of food, etc.) and a little sun will appear next to the yellow box. You can then slide your finger up or down anywhere on the screen and you'll see that sun move up or down on its slider, increasing or decreasing the exposure as you drag your finger up and down. Make sure to take the photo pretty quickly once you get the exposure right because it doesn't stay locked in for long!
Practice being mindful of where the light is coming from and don’t be afraid to rearrange and try again if the shadows are too harsh on your subject. Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below!