# Natural Lighting



## Shoal (Dec 31, 2011)

Some people use no flash and natural light only. I use natural light, of course, but also my flash with a bounce card. I don't know what I would do without it. If a person is using natural light only and place the person in the shade and meter off of the face (exposing only for the face) will the eyes still have all the detail?


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## Rephargotohp (Dec 31, 2011)

Placing a person in the shade is the easy way out, It produces very flat light so they don't have to worry about harsh shadows. But they end up with no shadows, which is Kinda borings. It's about finding "The" Light but very few know to even look/

So yes it is better to have flat light than Harsh shadows, but when some one finds the light, is when magic happens.

And you can shoot in shade yet bring light to the subject with a reflector feathered correctly and bring light to the eyes for pop.

Anything is possible, if you know what you are doing


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## KmH (Jan 1, 2012)

And I have seen very few 'natural' light only photographers that know what they are doing.

Most are not informed about photographic ligfhting. The light source, so called 'natural light', strobed, or constant light does not matter when it comes to photographic lighting.


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## tirediron (Jan 1, 2012)

From what I have seen, "natural light" is a term mainly used by those who have either insufficient skill, equipment, or both, to properly execute a photograph using strobed lighting in the belief that it will make them appear to be more of a pure artist:  "Oh, I don't use a flash, that's for plebes!"


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## bazooka (Jan 1, 2012)

tirediron said:


> "Oh, I don't use a flash, I'm too lazy to learn new things!"



There, fixed.


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## Robin Usagani (Jan 1, 2012)

If you place the sun carefully, pick the background carefully, focus carefully, it will turn out good.  The background is blown... so what?


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## tirediron (Jan 1, 2012)

bazooka said:


> tirediron said:
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> > "Oh, I don't use a flash, I'm too lazy to learn new things!"
> ...


:er:


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## willis_927 (Jan 1, 2012)

Schwettylens said:


> If you place the sun carefully, pick the background carefully, focus carefully, it will turn out good. The background is blown... so what?



Don't you love how the snow acts as a huge reflector and provides with some nice fill light.


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## rexbobcat (Jan 1, 2012)

tirediron said:


> From what I have seen, "natural light" is a term mainly used by those who have either insufficient skill, equipment, or both, to properly execute a photograph using strobed lighting in the belief that it will make them appear to be more of a pure artist:  "Oh, I don't use a flash, that's for plebes!"



Not every photo benefits from strobes.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 1, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> tirediron said:
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> 
> > From what I have seen, "natural light" is a term mainly used by those who have either insufficient skill, equipment, or both, to properly execute a photograph using strobed lighting in the belief that it will make them appear to be more of a pure artist:  "Oh, I don't use a flash, that's for plebes!"
> ...



True... but there are many, many shots that could benefit from strobe. Often, there is not enough light, or the wrong light.. to obtain the photo you (or your client) wants... if you are a "natural light photographer".. you (and your client) are screwed!  Agreed?


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## rexbobcat (Jan 1, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> rexbobcat said:
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> > tirediron said:
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I agree. 

I do have to say, though, that I think it also depends a lot of style....

I know several really good photographers (many do senior portraits for high schoolers) who really only use natural light and onboard fill flash, but in the studio they know their way around their lighting setup. I think that saying that someone who prefers natural light is uninformed is a gross generalization.


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## tirediron (Jan 1, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> Not every photo benefits from strobes.


True, but I'm willing to bet that about 90% or more of so-called "natural light" (BTW, could someone please define "synthetic light" and tell me what equipment is needed for creating man-made photons????) portraits would be enhanced by the use of some small amount of strobed light.


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## tirediron (Jan 1, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> Doesn't "onboard fill flash", at least for the purposes of this discussion negate the person being a "_natural li_ght" photographer?


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## KmH (Jan 1, 2012)

I know several photographers (many do senior portraits for high schoolers) that only use natural light/onboard fill flash, and think they are really good photographers but are lying to themselves and their clients because they are in reality fauxtographers that have little clue how to effectively use their camera/lens/light, pose, run/manage a business. 

I think that saying that someone who prefers natural light is uninformed depends on which person is being referred to.

In a photography business there is little or no time to sit around and wait for natural light to be right.	 (I'm so sorry! We'll have to reschedule today's photography appointment you made a month ago, because with the weather the way it is, the natural light is just no where close to being right."

It boils down to maximizing contol of the light and enabeling the everyday production of very consistant images.


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## Robin Usagani (Jan 1, 2012)

I got to disagree with you Keith. There is always a way to make natural light looks good especially if there are a lot of buildings or trees AND you are able to direct the subject where they have to be.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 1, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> cgipson1 said:
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> > rexbobcat said:
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So a style that utilizes only natural light.. is going to have an extremely limited clientele (willing to wait for decent light), and extremely limited times that they can actually shoot, correct? lol! So they are like part time photographers.. whereas a person who understands flash, as well as "natural light" can utilize both to their advantage... mixing them (or not) as he chooses! 

What is that "natural light" photographer going to do in a dark building at 1am to get shots of his model wearing black on a black background?   The light is still natural, there is just a lack of it! (yes.. I know that is ridiculous.. but it happens!)


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## Derrel (Jan 1, 2012)

I think there's another type of natural light photographer: the one who understands how to use large reflectors and scrims, often multiples, in order to modify natural light. Hollywood, California was where the US movie industry sprang up because of "good light", lots of it, for months on end. When I say reflectors, I do not mean these tiny little 2x2 foot things that cost $29 from e-Bay--I mean DOOR-sized and PLYWOOD SHEET sized reflectors and diffusion scrims. When it comes to flash "improving" outdoor portraits, I think actually it makes a lot of them look slapdash and less than ideal; to me, the "ideal" fill light is natural, reflector fill. I think reflector fill looks far better than flash fill, most of the time; at least when done by LARGE reflectors. Reflector fill allows for a LOT of creative choices, since there is never any maximum shutter speed limitation. Flash works well as fill, don't get me wrong, it does. But I think reflector fill produces an entirely different "look" that is easier to actually "see" when shooting, and is also typically softer than flash fill due to the ease of making a reflector a large source,relative to the subject size, at normal portrait distances.

California SunBounce has some beautiful large reflectors and scrims. An Australian wedding tog I used to know swore by their gear.

If one wants to see what natural sun light looks like when paired with reflectors and diffusion scrims, a good place to start is the Sports Illustrated swimwear pages, where you will be forced to sift through hundreds of images, most shot with daylight and no flash...It's laborious work, but somebody's gotta do it...


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## cgipson1 (Jan 1, 2012)

Derrel said:


> I think there's another type of natural light photographer: the one who understands how to use large reflectors and scrims, often multiples, in order to modify natural light. Hollywood, California was where the US movie industry sprang up because of "good light", lots of it, for months on end. When I say reflectors, I do not mean these tiny little 2x2 foot things that cost $29 from e-Bay--I mean DOOR-sized and PLYWOOD SHEET sized reflectors and diffusion scrims. When it comes to flash "improving" outdoor portraits, I think actually it makes a lot of them look slapdash and less than ideal; to me, the "ideal" fill light is natural, reflector fill. I think reflector fill looks far better than flash fill, most of the time; at least when done by LARGE reflectors. Reflector fill allows for a LOT of creative choices, since there is never any maximum shutter speed limitation. Flash works well as fill, don't get me wrong, it does. But I think reflector fill produces an entirely different "look" that is easier to actually "see" when shooting, and is also typically softer than flash fill due to the ease of making a reflector a large source,relative to the subject size, at normal portrait distances.
> 
> California SunBounce has some beautiful large reflectors and scrims. An Australian wedding tog I used to know swore by their gear.
> 
> If one wants to see what natural sun light looks like when paired with reflectors and diffusion scrims, a good place to start is the Sports Illustrated swimwear pages, where you will be forced to sift through hundreds of images, most shot with daylight and no flash...It's laborious work, but somebody's gotta do it...



Have to agree with you on this! But that is basically outdoor studio work... limited location in that you have to carry all those huge reflectors to whatever location you want to use them at, plus have a crew to work them.

I have on 4x6 collapsible reflector that I love.. but don't use much, because it requires an assistant... which I usually don't have.


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## Sean1965 (Jan 2, 2012)

Is there anyway to hang these with something that's collapse-able like the light stands we can buy? I really have no idea but as I was reading through these threads I was wondering about a reflector before even coming upon Derrels thread I have been thinking about buying a few but that is why I haven't I am not sure as to how I can utilize it by myself. I can't get an assistant to let me photograph them never mind holding a reflector now and then.


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## Buckster (Jan 2, 2012)

Sean1965 said:


> Is there anyway to hang these with something that's collapse-able like the light stands we can buy? I really have no idea but as I was reading through these threads I was wondering about a reflector before even coming upon Derrels thread I have been thinking about buying a few but that is why I haven't I am not sure as to how I can utilize it by myself. I can't get an assistant to let me photograph them never mind holding a reflector now and then.


You're looking for a reflector arm.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 2, 2012)

^^^ This! And yes, they do work.. pretty well at that! There is also the Lastolite series of handheld reflectors that have a grip on them... Amazon.com: Lastolite LL LR3628 30-Inch TriGrip Reflector (Sunlite/SoftSilver): Camera & Photo  that you can use with one of these  Super Clamps  Amazon.com: Manfrotto 035RL Super Clamp with 2908 Standard Stud - Replaces 2900 (Black): Electronics


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## Tee (Jan 2, 2012)

I shot this under a row of trees with no flash or reflector.  There's still some catchlight in the eyes.  Going off memory, this was taken around 2pm or so.  I do use flash on location but I felt the available light was good enough without adding to it.


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## Sean1965 (Jan 2, 2012)

That is a beautiful woman, ahh see you get a model like that you can do anything wrong and it still looks right :=), I do like how you still held the catch lights


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