Mac MWAC: Photography Tips for Modern Moms

The MOST important aspect of photography is light. The camera doesn't matter, the photo editing software doesn't matter, the model doesn't matter: the photo must be lit well to make an impact. With that in mind, I'm going to talk a lot about light before I get into other aspects of photography. We need light!

Time for a little quiz. Which do you think are the best lighting conditions for outdoor photos?

A) a bright, sunny day with no clouds

B) mostly cloudy or completely overcast

Contrary to popular belief, the answer is B! For portraits (photos of people or animals), the best lighting is nice and even. On an overcast day, the clouds act like a light diffuser so there are no shadows; just bright, soft light. This is most pleasing on a face. If you go outside on a sunny day without any shade, the sun will cast harsh shadows on the face. For everyday photos and portraits, this isn't flattering.

Let's look at two examples of harsh light. 

In the photo above, you can see my godson at the park on a sunny day. This was in the middle of the day, so the sun was high in the sky and there was no shade. See the shadows on his face?

Now take a look at the photo below. Again, it was the middle of the day, and there was no shade. You can see the shadows on his eyes and under his nose. It's a cute photo because of his expression, but the lighting isn't ideal.

Now here are two examples of soft light.

Since we live in Kansas and have many sunny days, how do we beat the sun? Your first option is to find the shade. Step under a tree, in the shade of a building, or any other shade you can find. Your other option is wait until a different time of day. The morning and evening offer more even lighting. For example, the photo below was taken on a sunny day, but this was about an hour before sunset so the sun was nice and low in the sky. No harsh shadows!

This family photo was taken in the middle of the day, but it was nice and overcast. The clouds diffused the light and we're left with beautiful, even, bright light. No harsh shadows here either!

In my  last post I talked about finding the light, and now I want you to find the shade! Go outside and get some practice, then upload your photos to the Mac MWAC Flickr group so we can see what you did! Don't forget to tell us where you took your photo (by the window, outside under a tree, outside on a cloudy day, etc). Happy shooting!

By the way, have you checked out the lastest news at Wonderland Photo? We're having a party!