How to take good photos in natural light

Lead: Ugly shadows and weird skin color are common problems in indoor shooting. Something strange may happen if you use the hot shoe flash forcibly? Let's take a look at how to take good photos in natural light. Let's have a look!

Complete lighting equipment can solve the problem, but it is too expensive and bulky, and it is not an efficient choice for most photographers.

However, natural light is loved by many professional photographers because of its soft scattering and charming colors. Indoor natural light may not work well. The following suggestions for beginners can help you take beautiful photos in natural light.

Doors and windows are the most important.

You have to understand the light coming in through the doors and windows. Sometimes it can make the room full of soft breath, and sometimes it will cause reflections on the walls and floors.

Soft light can create a soft atmosphere, while strong light can create a sense of contrast or strong emotion.

Pay attention to the lighting effect of each room at different time periods.

The color of light will also change at different times. The light at dawn and dusk is warm, while the light at noon is cold or neutral. Make good use of this, you can add different effects to your photos.

② Turn off the lights.

Natural light doesn't like opponents. Electric light will affect the white balance. This is because the color of light will change with the light source. When artificial light and natural light are mixed together, the skin color will look strange. The best solution is to turn off all the lights.

③ Use aperture priority mode.

In aperture priority mode (moving Av files on camera, files on Nikon camera), you can adjust the aperture size. Indoor natural light shooting needs as much light as possible, so increase the aperture. The smaller the aperture value (that is, the f value), the larger the aperture.

Large aperture = shallow depth of field

The subject will be clear and the background will soften into a blurred area. )。 This allows you to shoot wonderful portraits and still life works.

Of course, you should also try to avoid too large an aperture. When taking a portrait, the aperture of F/5 or F/6 can ensure that the whole face is clear. Focusing on the eyes is the best.

△ Note: RAW format is more suitable for indoor natural light photography than JPEG format. RAW format files allow you to do more post-processing.

④ Adjust the white balance.

If you want to get proper white balance, you can't choose AWB. The button to adjust the white balance is usually marked WB and is located somewhere on the back of the camera (if you use a Canon camera, you can adjust it in the shortcut menu).

Daylight mode (the icon is little sun) can show pure skin color, and the effect is good, not too blue or too yellow. If you want to add a little warmth, choose cloudy mode. This pattern has a yellow color. Take a picture of each of the two modes to see which one is more suitable and which one you like better.

You can also adjust the white balance later (if you take pictures in RAW format), but choosing the appropriate mode when taking pictures can make the post-processing easier.

⑤ Use a background cloth that can focus light.

White cloth can gather light and refract it on the subject.

In the picture above, white cloth blocks the light around the flowers.

This background is made of a portable folding clothes rack and a piece of white cloth. Lightweight and simple, convenient and easy to use. White sheets? White tablecloth? Sure!

⑥ homemade light box

The function of light box is similar to that of background cloth, and the control of light is more ideal.

Build this light box on the chair, using the same white cloth as the fifth trick.

⑦ Use a mirror.

A reflector can reflect natural light onto an object.

I used a reflector and a background cloth when I took these two photos. The model sat in a chair, with her left side facing the window and a reflector in her right hand, illuminating the original dark place.

⑧ Use a mirror.

Mirrors are another excellent tool for controlling natural light. Hang a mirror on the window. I hang the mirror with a sucker hook.

Let the model look in the mirror. Don't let your image appear in the photo. Finding the right perspective may take some patience, but it's definitely worth it.

This photo was taken with a palm-sized mirror. The bigger the mirror, the less parts need to be cut.

Pet-name ruby clean up the environment

Houses are generally messy, especially when there are children. Debris will interfere with taking pictures, so it's best to take a few minutes to clean it up first.

Background cloth can play two roles in small places: controlling light and shielding sundries. So it will be helpful to clean up a small place suitable for taking pictures. I moved the sofa and small table to the center of the living room and set the scene in front of the biggest window. Most of the photos in this article were taken in this way. If there is no background cloth, it is difficult to take pictures here.

Pay attention to the theme near the window.

Let the subject be about half a meter away from the light source. This can not only maximize the use of natural light, but also avoid the uncoordinated contrast caused by being too close to doors and windows. Let the model face different directions and test the effects of backlight, side light and positive light.

? Use curtains

Let the subject be about half a meter away from the light source. This can not only maximize the use of natural light, but also avoid the uncoordinated contrast caused by being too close to doors and windows. Let the model face different directions and test the effects of backlight, side light and positive light.

Curtains and blinds can diffuse strong light. Direct sunlight in the room will ruin your photos. Pulling curtains can soften the light and make it easier for people to get proper exposure. If the existing curtains are not suitable, they can be replaced with translucent cloth.

? Shoot reflective objects

Natural light can turn decay into magic.

Experience the fun of shooting reflective objects in natural light. I especially like the effect that light produces images on the surface of luminous objects.