Photography With Natural Light

Being a good photographer, you will find that the weather can be to your advantage as well as a disadvantage. While it is impossible to control the weather, you may not have ideal conditions all the time for your shots, however you can make the most of what conditions you have. So no matter if it is sunny, rainy or even cloudy, you can still use the landscape to create beautiful shots.

There are really two ideal hours of the day that photographers just love to shot. The first of these two occurs right after sunrise and the other is, you guest it, just before sunset, and are generally longer during the summer and shorter during the winter. You may be wondering why these two hours are the ideal hours for shooting, during the early morning and late afternoon the sun is positioned for dramatic lighting, but will not create harsh shadows or blazes of light, especially when it comes to taking pictures of people.

There are three possible problems that can occur with shooting pictures of people in the late morning. The first, your subject is trying not to squint in the direct sunlight, this can cause a poor shots. Second, your subject can turn out to dark with them standing with the sun behind them this will cause a silhouette effect. Third, your subjects face and features can look distorted if they are standing with the sun at their side, which will create awkward shadows. These three possibilities can and will make for poor shots.

During the noon time hours, all the shadows will be disappear, which then will give your photos a flat appearance.

This is why shooting just after sunrise and just before sunset, will provide just the right kind of lighting and shadows, which in turn makes for a beautiful photographic opportunity because of the breath taking natural colors the sky has to offer.

Take advantage of cloudy or overcast days, for these will give you great shots as well.

More outdoor wedding pictures are taken on cloudy days, than bright sunny days. The reason being is the photographer is taking advantage of the earth's natural filter, the clouds. I am not referring to a heavy cloudy day, but rather a mild overcast day. The clouds will diffuse the bright light so that your subject is illuminated with natural filtered light, and the shadows are gone. You may still need a flash if the clouds are too heavy, but if this is the case than the possible solution is to also shoot in black and white.

Believe it or not you can still get great shots even on rainy days. The rain can add an interesting element to the image and you will still get a great shot. Extra care is needed on rainy days as not to let your equipment lay on the wet ground, and additional person will be needed on these days of shooting. The use of an umbrella and a water proof case will be very helpful as well. Thunder and lightning and rain make for great pictures, but caution is need when taking these shots as well.

So Use Nature To Your Advantage, and Happy Shooting.