STG Studios

Natural Light Photography - How To Use Natural Light For Studio Quality Photos

There's a lot to be said about a fully equipped photo studio, filled to the brim with expensive lights and equipment just waiting to be applied to some artistic task.  However, most people that enjoy photography as a hobby simply don't have the room or cash for professional-grade lighting equipment.  In fact, if you enjoy photo as a hobby but not as a profession, there's really no reason to spend so much on something that you will use so little.  Here are some ways that you can get studio-quality images simply by using the light you have around you.

Home-made Reflectors
One of the keys to studio lighting is "bouncing" the light off of reflectors or umbrellas to create full, soft, and even light.  Although you do need a few lights to do this properly, you can still mimic the effect by making a few homemade reflectors.  A white sheet, large piece of poster board, or even some Styrofoam from a construction site can do wonders in this role, and will help to soften the shadows created when you only have one main light source (like the sun).

Use Backdrops Creatively
You may not be able to have a large selection of photo backdrops like in a professional photo studio, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun creating one of your own.  Use sheets for basic colors, and also try splashing paint on a couple to see how the vibrant colors can spice up your portraiture.  All you need to do is hang the backdrops opposite a big window or a garage door opening, and you'll get the same results as if you were using a fill light pointed at the subject. 

Get Out the Paint Brush
Whenever you go to shoot, always remember that all surfaces either reflect or absorb light so keep this in mind especially when designing a room for taking pictures.  If you can't use a lot of lights in the room, you should consider painting the walls and the floor white.  Having your walls white, they will help to bounce the light around so you'll have a more even look.

Know How to Use Your Flash
Direct flash can often make an image look shallow and cause harsh shadows, but when used correctly you will find it a great resource.  Whenever possible, look to bounce it off surfaces around your subject and only use it to fill in the shadows from the front.  One good way to think about using flash, is that if the image doesn't look like it needs a flash, that's a good time to use one for additional fill lighting.

Know the Best Time
Light looks different at different times of day.  By using your homemade reflectors to soften the shadows and your backdrop faced towards the early morning light, you'll be amazed at the studio-like quality of your portraits.  You should practice taking pictures at different times of the day so you know when the lighting is at its best, then schedule your sessions for these exact times so you can get the best possible lighting.

Don't forget that studio lights are designed to simulate natural light as this is the type of lighting that is the most appealing.  If you know how to harness this light and make it work for you, there's absolutely no reason that you shouldn't be able to generate images that compete with those created in the most expensive studio in town.  If you have a little creativity and the will to do it, you can easily create your own inexpensive makeshift studio with just a little effort.  Really, the tools that you use to get studio lighting doesn't matter as long as you get the quality results that you want.

DIY- How to Build a Photography Reflector

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