Boys in a Boat, Chong Khneas, Cambodia

For this post, I’m discussing outdoor, natural light. No strobes, no candles, no streetlights, no neon. These principles translate to the artificial, but for now, let’s look at what the universe provides.

Before we continue, professional photographers as well as those who aspire to be shouldn’t miss out on portfolio consultant Selina Maitreya and her audio series The View From Here. It’s available at a 50% discount using the code FOSCFI.

There are two essential types of light; diffuse and specular. Diffused light is soft light with little to no shadow. Specular is hard light with strong shadows. Which is preferable for photography is dependant on the scene or subject being shot. There’s no good or bad light, just appropriate light.

Diffuse

Nature provides us with two common diffused lighting scenarios; overcast and heavy overcast. Heavy overcast, including conditions such as fog and dense cloud cover, is the softest of all, with no shadows at all. It’s excellent lighting for mysterious forests and streams or moody atmospheres but it can be difficult to work with and may appear a little washed out.

Overcast on the other hand adds more ambient into the mix, giving rise to light shadows. This is great when you don’t want highly directional light, and if it’s bright enough can be a great light for outdoor portraits.

Specular

At its hardest, specular lighting is what exists at noon on a cloudless day. Strong, direct, bright light that produces hard-edged shadows, it’s difficult (but not impossible) to work in. Less specular is bright and partly cloudy skies. There’s plenty of light, the scattered clouds help to produce moderate shadows and it’s often perfect for photography during the golden hours.

Planning your naturally-lit subjects to suit the time and day’s weather conditions will save you endless frustration as a photographer. Shooting your subjects in the appropriate light will make you a better photographer.

That was the 135th Daily PhotoTip. If this post was useful to you, why don’t you subscribe to my feed, leave a comment and share it with your friends. You can also get access to exclusive content and special offers by subscribing to my newsletter. Sign up today. Thank you.