Tip of the Week: Window Light

It seems fitting to talk about window light, since that's what I'm learning about (plus I couldn't think of a tip to share and Erin asked if I'd share on window light so I said, "BINGO!").

The cool thing about window light is that you can get so many different effects, by just turning your subject, plus, you don't have to wait all day long for perfect light.

Sweet little Cam Man. I love this kid. I love how these impromptu window lit photos came out too.

Here are some things that I've learned since I started learning about photography (remember, I'm no pro, I'm just a girl who would like to be someday. ; ))

1. When you see light shinning in through a window - the bright sunlight - that is NOT the light you want. You want soft, indirect light. Think of the kind of light many indoor plants like.  Most people say that a north-facing window is the bomb. I just say, "It's preferable" because, c'mon, you know I don't talk like that (I use much cooler vocabulary, like "BINGO!").

An exception to direct window light would be evening window light when you want to play with sunflare.

2. Look at the room you're shooting in. If you're in a room with a lot of windows and white walls, COOL! I'd love to come shoot at your house. You might not get a lot of contrast, but you'll get some amazing shots. If you shoot in a room with only one window, you'll get some very dramatic images which will also be stunning.

This was shot upstairs in our sunny attic. It has windows on both sides, so she's all lit up. Her face it still a tad dark, though, but you get the idea.

This was shot in our living room which only has one large window.

3. Move. You move. Try taking the shot from different angles. Then tell your subject to move (if they'll oblige. I don't typically have that luxury, so I move... or I bribe, then shoot quickly).  Try some with your subject facing the window for a really nice even effect, and also try some like I have been working on where your subject sits in front of the window, but at a slight angle. 

This is the one I submitted for our first assignment. The teacher said "great job", so I guess I did all right!

4. Pay attention to the light. Where is it falling? Where are the shadows? You typically want at least a portion of the face lit up with some shadow. Try not to get the entire face in the shadow. I did this waaaay too many times to count while I was doing my practice shots.

Julietta! Where did your face go?! Yeah, I know you can see it, but it's so dark, you see?  Get it?

5. Don't over-expose your subject. You want light parts, but not completely WHITE parts. If you can only see white, it's overexposed (if you have a DSLR you can check to see if you've blown anything out after each shot). Other parts of the picture can be over-exposed, but not your subject.

I love this shot so much, but I did over expose Julietta's face a bit and Bella's hair. Shucks!

If you want to learn more,  "Available Light" by Don Marr is a really great, informative read. Or you can always take Detra's Creative Light workshop (and no, I don't get a kick back for mentioning her. I just really love it so far!)

I hope this helps a bit. Make sure to leave me a comment if you have any questions, or you can always leave me a comment just because it makes me smile. : )

Drama Queen

Our first assignment in Detra's Creative Light workshop is to take a picture using dramatic light (ha! I feel so official. My first "assignment"). The subject needs to be in front of a light source, so you blow out the background and have some dramatic shadows on your subject. Sounds easy enough, right? Yeah, I thought so too until I started taking pictures. I took around 300 photos yesterday!! (So before you go telling me how great they are, remember · I took 300 photos to get them!!) I like a large percentage of the ones I took yesterday (thank god!), but I'd get a big fat F for the assignment because the majority didn't follow the guidelines at all. First of all, Julietta is not the most accommodating of subjects. She never does what I tell her to do!!

I expressly told her not to use this face, but do you think she listens to me?  Ok, her face cracks me up, but it doesn't work with what I'm trying to accomplish here.She just doesn't understand that I have a vision. ; )

I ended up bribing Bella with two juice pops so she'd sit still in front of the window. I also had to put on the movie Monster's Inc. Jeez! The things I'll do to get a shot!

Anyway, here are some of my practice shots. Do you see one that sticks out that you think I should turn in? We have until next Friday, so I thought I'd keep practicing.

After all of the bribes were exhuasted, I settled for just taking some random shots of my girls while they played (and cried) and got excited to see the Yayos when they came.

I've never seen a kid shed such a large quantity of tears every time she cries. Look how big those tears are!

The Yayos had just pulled up.

This probably would have been better if I'd had more room to back up, but I really like how it shows the contrast between youth and age.

Today I got Alex in on the action. I also have to do a sidelight shot for a bonus. He was not feeling well, but he humored me for a few minutes.

Wow! That was  a long post. But it was aimed at your viewing pleasure. Less words, more photos. That's how it should be. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Back in the day, I dreamt of being a writer. I've always loved storytelling. The problem, however, is that I can never think of the right words, which can slightly hinder the writing process. I like to think that finding photography is my outlet to share stories; to see the things other people overlook. Maybe I was always meant to be a story teller, just not with words. I sure hope so. I hope I hope I hope...