Why Natural Light?

It’s interesting to walk into an in-home photoshoot and ask someone to turn off the lights. The look of confusion always crosses over the client’s face. Wouldn’t more light be better? Light is good, but I do have a preference for natural light. On top of that, a mix of in-home lights can make your family’s natural skin tones look, well, a little off. I want your photos to look as beautiful and organic as possible.

Now, some photographers will haul a bunch of equipment around with them to create the effect of natural light: reflectors, photo umbrellas, flash/speedlights, etc. Though I would consider a speedlight for photos taken later at night, I would prefer not to clutter the space of your home with a bunch of equipment if it isn’t exactly necessary. In fact, I almost like the challenge of finding the light in a home and making it work. Believe me when I say I’ve worked with some fairly low-light situations during in-home sessions. One of those being my own current home. I have two rooms that seem to work best, but it requires positioning my models (my kiddos) in just the right areas of the room. For reference, the picture of my daughter, in this post, was taken near a window on an overcast day. The background is darker because she’s on the lower bed of a bunk bed, so not a lot of light overhead. However, because of where the light pours through the window, it’s able to touch her face at just the right angle and provide a darker background for her to stand out more.

What about outside? Though I do try to avoid rainy days, cloudy days are my favorite. I like the natural diffused light that the clouds provide. For bright sunny days, I tend to face my clients away from the sun to avoid overexposed lighting and harsh shadows. Some photographers like this look for artistic purposes. If we’re in the woods, I want the sun to be a little higher so more light is shining through. I try to find an area in the woods where the light isn’t going to leave weird light spots on you or your family when the light peeks through the trees. Another way to avoid harsh light is to take photos closer to sunrise or sunset. When that’s not an option, we find shaded areas. However, many family photographers will agree that “golden hour” is the best time of day for photos. Some family photographers do use equipment for outdoor settings, but again, I find it unnecessary for what I’m trying to achieve with my photos.

My top reasons for using natural light? I feel it’s the most beautiful, natural and organic look, it’s cheaper and requires less equipment to lug around, and I love playing with the light that I already have in the most artistic way possible.