First in a Series of Photo Tips: Lighting 101

     Lighting is to photography what carbon is to living things. Put in another way, there would be no photography without light. I don't believe there is any perfect way to light a subject. You can use natural light, you can reflect the light, you can turn on the lights in a room, or you can attach a flash to your camera. How you use that light to make your subject visible to the camera, is what makes a photo great or a disaster.
     In this video blog below, I am discussing the use of a reflector. It is easy to make your own. A white poster board works very well. Paste strips of aluminum foil on your poster board and your reflector has super reflecting ability. Be aware that reflecting a bright light like the sun into your subject's face may be uncomfortable.
Using sunlight in the early morning
or the late afternoon can be easier on your subject's eyes as well as it can create a more beautiful portrait.

As the sun goes down in the evening, experiment with the softness of the light. A cloudy or foggy day also creates soft shadows that make very nice portraits. Different lighting conditions create a different feeling to the photograph. The color of the light changes at different times of the day which also changes the mood.

Check back for more photo tips on lighting, composition, exposure and more.