How To Get the Best Lighting For your Photos

Article Presented by:
Cheryl Miller

Lighting will make or break your photo. You can do all sorts of experiments with lighting to really make some stunning and amazing pictures. Positioning your subject in relation to the light can bring out all sorts of effects. However before we go into that lets go over a few points about lighting that will make your photo picture perfect.


Tips To Get The Right Lighting:

Distinguish between outside and inside lighting. Inside and outside lighting require different techniques to get a perfect picture. Lamplight and sunshine will affect your photos differently.


Outdoor Lighting:

Sunshine even on a cloudy day requires no flash

Always keep your back to the sun.

Sometimes your subject (an immovable object like a house) has got the sun behind it. Use filters on your camera to filter the light out and make your shot look good.

If you do not have a filter or your camera does not support one. Try taking the photo from a different angle or perspective. You can make some interesting different views of your subject like this and even experiment with close up and distance shots.


Indoor Lighting:

This can be a little tricky you are dependant on artificial lights with varying density. These can make a difference to the colors and intensity of your photo. In general your average indoor lights are not going to give 1st class photos. If you are going to take a number of indoor photos then professional lights will be needed.

As in outside photos, lighting should be behind you not the subject

Try to use 100watts and up for lighting.


Getting The Right Exposure When Using Your Aperture (F-Stops)

Your aperture (F-stop) controls the amount of exposure or light that will reach the film in your camera. They are the numbers on your lens and range from 1.8-22. The meter will usually blink when you have the right setting for the shutter speed you have chosen. You can adjust shutter speed and F-stop to expose the picture properly. The faster the shutter speed the more light you will need. Experiment with adjusting one stop up or down from the recommended meter suggestion.

Using flash (indoor lighting) Fill flash located on the top of your camera is good for basic portraits indoors. Set your meter and adjust your shutter speed as needed.


Making Special Effects With Light Exposure:

Here is where you will enjoy experimenting. This will require a little expertise but practice makes perfect:

Ghosting: (with an SLR camera) for this you will use your camera’s multiple exposure feature. Examples of when you might use this are for moving subjects. This is especially effective for a surreal look at an old historic site or even an extra romantic look for a wedding.

1. Set your camera for multiple exposures-usually 1-9) however many you want to the frame.

2. According to film decide what speed you need

3. Reset speed to N x S or the closest equivalent.

4. Press your shutter button for the number of exposures

5. Reset to normal before taking your next picture


This is just one of the techniques you can employ for special effects. You can use lights in different strengths and positions. Experiment with filters or even tinted plastic. Experiment with exposures of all sorts. The scope is endless. Lighting is your key to making a stunning picture and when you are the photographer you are the one who will call the shots.



About the Author:
Cheryl Miller is an entrepreneur specializing in niche markets
For more information about photography please visit:
Photography Tips at: http://phototoppapers.com
Cheryl is also the Publisher of the
"Phototoppapers Photography Tips"
A free newsletter about photography