Natural Light
Disclosure: I have not been compensated or sponsored in any way for any mentions in this post. I just f*ing love them.
“There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
I can remember vividly the first picture I took that blew me away. It was a picture of one of my amazing nieces at my brother’s wedding. She was looking out a barn door at sunset. * sigh *
At the time, I didn’t know exactly how I did it….but I DID know that I wanted to do it again.
Orchid in Sunlight. US Botanical Garden ©2018.
Taken by Clara Connell @frequentlyunfiltered.com
So I hit the bricks. I went out at sunrise, sunset, midday, cloudy days, cold days, warm days…..ALL THE DAYS I COULD! Here’s what I can tell you about it:
The golden hour is the real deal. I have referenced the golden hour before here. Right before sunrise and right before sunset, the light quality is magical.
As I am an early bird, the sunrise is no hardship for me. But both of those times are amazing and if it is possible, try capturing your natural light images then.
Don’t stand in the sunshine, unless that’s the aesthetic you’re going for.
Nothing detracts more from a beautiful nature scene than a big semi-person shaped blob.
Quantity will lead to quality. This is just my way of saying practice practice practice.
The more comfortable you become with your camera and all it’s wonders, the more time you spend thinking about how to set up your shot and where the light hits, the greater number of attempts you make—> THE BETTER PICTURES YOU WILL TAKE.
Planning is your friend.
Charge your batteries the night before, take all the lenses you want to try, a tripod if you think you need it, and SCOUT your location if you can beforehand.
It’s a drag to haul all your stuff to a location and then frantically search for something you want to capture before the light changes.
Painted Horse in Sunlight. Chesapeake Virginia ©2022. Taken by Clara Connell @frequentlyunfiltered.com
Other benefits of natural lighting:
It’s free (YAY!)
It’s less complicated (at least for my brain) than fancy flashes, timers, etc…
When you get it right, it feels amazing.
I hope that this was at least slightly helpful. I am always learning and can’t wait to share more as I learn it!
What pictures/settings have you been blown away by?
Cheers.
Clara