Lighting How To

As a photographer, luck will not always be on your side with great lighting. More often than not, you will be placed into a situation where the light is not ideal, yet you will be expected to shoot print-worthy photos. Here are some helpful tips to help you take great photos in bad light.

Coming from an advertising and design background has trained me to shoot with the objective of the final print in mind. The agency I once worked for lived by the mantra, “garbage in garbage out."

Light the way to better photos with the below video from Run N Gun that shows you 9 awesome lighting hacks for photography in just 90 seconds. The lighting tricks can be applied to portrait photos or any sort of scene or setting where you want to add drama or creative luminance.

The number one question boudoir photographer Michael Sasser gets asked is does he use strobes? "And the answer to the question is: no," Sasser says. "I don't use strobes, I use 100% natural light for my boudoir shoots."

In general, taking photos, particularly portraits, in direct sunlight is considered a no-no. The light is simply too harsh and the shadows it produces are unflattering on your subject.

It's no secret that professional photographers are less concerned with cameras and lenses than they are with understanding and controlling the light that allows their images to be made.

Are you still learning how to use off-camera flash and need a few pointers? In the below video, Shutterbug's Scott Kelby shows you the best place your flash to shoot beautiful portraits with attractive lighting.