Today’s guest is my lovely real-life friend Elisha. We became friends through our husbands and I think she’s the bees knees. She is a voracious reader and has a blog where she critiques books called Elisha Reads. We share similar taste in books, although we differ on our view of “Twilight”. I did try to read the series though just for her :). It’s ok….we have other things in common….. like the same wedding anniversary and husbands who ride motorcycles.
Elisha and her husband Andy were at one time wedding photographers (and freaking amazing ones at that…see here) but have settled into early retirement….apparently shooting weddings is a teensy bit stressful….bridezillas much? Anyway, Elisha is a fabulous photographer and this is why she is perfect candidate for a how to post on the subject of photography. Thanks Elisha!
A camera is a tool. Like all tools, they can make your job easier or
they can make you work harder to achieve the same result. Either way,
it isn’t the tool that creates the end result, it is the person using
the tool. There are huge benefits to having an SLR camera and nice
lenses (such as the ability to control how your camera registers light
and records depth of field), but there are several things everyone can
do to help take better photos without an SLR camera.
Find the light –
This is, in my opinion, the most important element of taking a
fantastic photo that will make your friends and family exclaim “Wow!”
when they see it. Everything else is secondary to this!
Too often we focus on a background looks interesting. However,
the best way to make your photos better is to stop
looking for backgrounds and start looking for light.
All kinds of light can be amazing if used well, but knowing how to use
light to achieve what you want can often be difficult.
The first step in getting good light is this: know what you
have to work with. What are you able to use to light your
subject? Some lighting options are:
Sunlight -direct
Sunlight – diffused by clouds, a window, trees, a diffuser, etc.
Flash – direct
Flash – diffused
Lamps & indoor lights
Spotlights
Any combination of the above
Once you’ve determined all the light sources that your camera will
register, then you get to decide how to use them.
This is the second step in acheiving the perfect
lighting: know what you want. Do you want to
create a moody feel? Do you want a happy and bright feel? Do you want
harsh lines and shadows? Do you want a soft and delicate feel?
Knowing what you want gets easier with practice, so if you don’t know
what effect you are able to create or what effect you want, just play
around by shooting your subject from various angles and positions
until you get the light at an angle that works right for you and your
photo.
For example, the photos below were taken in the same spot, but I
turned the bride so that she was lit by the sun at different angles.
The first image is harsher and is a bit more dramatic and moody.
The lower image feels happier and brighter not only because the
subject is smiling, but because the light is a softer and a little
less intense than the first image.
Generally speaking, soft lighting is most flattering when shooting
people, but direct/harsh lighting can be fun if used well. However,
direct lighting should be used purposefully and not accidentally.
An example of harsh lighting that just looks terrible would be this:
The way the light falls on their faces exaggerates elements that
should be lighted softly. In the situation above, the way we dealt
with the lighting was to back up and include more information in the
photo so that their faces weren’t the focus point of the
photo. If you can’t control your light source, change your
position and your angle to work with the light you have.
Now that their faces aren’t the focal point of the image, the sun
illuminates them so brightly that the camera can register the bright
colors of the sky in the background.
One of my favorite ways of lighting people is to use soft lighting. A
cloudy day or a shady area can provide soft lighting.
The below photo was taken on an extremely bright day, so we traipsed
off into the trees for a little shade. The sun is directly behind them
which would normally blow out the colors in the sky, but the trees add
color and texture to the background and help accentuate the sun flare
that would be lost in a sky of white otherwise.
Windows are also a great place to find soft light. In the
photo below, a window off to the right lets a little soft
light fall on the subject’s veil –
A window can take harsh sunlight and spread it out so that
it falls lightly on a subject and creates that “soft” and
flattering light.
Move Around –
Shoot your subject from different angles and positions. Don’t be
afraid to try something different and to experiment with your camera
angle, distance to your subject, and your orientation to your light
source. Move Around!
These were all shot in the same location, but we changed our angle and
position until we ended up with the last photo in the series, which is
my favorite. 🙂
Also, changing your camera angle can give you a unique perspective on
a “normal” setting or image.
The above photo wouldn’t be half as interesting if shot straight on,
but the above camera angle captures the reflection of the trees in the
water which is directing your eyes to the couple.
Get Close – When your lighting isn’t
working and/or your background is too distracting, focus on one
element of the image. Getting closer to your subject helps
cut out the clutter in the background.
The above images focus on an item, but getting close doesn’t
necessarily mean focusing on something specific. Sometimes just
cutting out unnecessary clutter in your background helps simplify an
image.
The image above was taken downtown portland and there were people
everywhere. Shooting the couple from above and leaving out
the excess information helps to keep the attention of the photo on the
couple.
Capture a Moment –
An element that trascends technique is the ability to capture a
moment. Even if your photo is lacking technically, if you capture that
special emotional moment, the photo will speak volumes to your viewer.
Scale Back –
Sometimes pulling back and using your background to help frame your
subject can really improve an image. When you do this, note the
natural lines that are around you and use them to frame or direct your
eye to your subject. Lines pointed at (or around) your subject
direct your viewer’s eyes to focus on your subject.
Alternatively, you can choose to make the lines in your photo the main
subject and use your “subject” as a secondary focus point in your
image. The image below is not focused on the bride, but on the
lines from the staircase and building. The bride is the secondary
focus to the background.
Go Forth & Multiply –
Shoot a lot! I highly recommend shooting hundreds and thousands of
photos. The more shots you take and the more you experiment, the more
you’ll learn about what angles and lighting techniques work for you.
Besides, the old adage is true – practice makes perfect.
Thanks for all the
tips Elisha!
Hope you all have a lovely Wednesday!
xo
{Lauren}
Thanks for all the great tips! I’ve been trying to amp up my photog skills and being more mindful when I snap pics, so this post will definitely come in handy 🙂
fantastic post Lauren, really really useful, thank you soooo mcuh!
btw, really about twilight? 😛
Holy man, those pics are AMAZING! She definitely knows what she’s talking about. Off to check out her blog, thanks for sharing Lauren!
Love this one! I’m into photography, but scared to death of portraits (I practice on my niece)… maybe next time Elisha could do a “How To” on SLR settings for portrait photography?! Just a thought… 🙂
These phots are awesome!!!!!! 🙂
what a great post! I’m always saying that I have no clue how to use light, or improve my photos, etc … these are great tips!
gorgeous photography 🙂
i’ll have to check out her site!
This was really great!! Thank you for posting it! <3
i’ve been dying to learn some photography skills, but i’ve never really taken a lot of pictures! so this was the perfect how-to!
Thanks for the tips! I think light is the most important thing, but some creative editing always helps 🙂
I wish I had a better camera.. It’s on the wishlist!
Great post! I always am loving to hear tip’s and trick from other photographer’s to make my pictures better!
i know very little about the technicalities of photography and have a pretty crappy digital camera, so this was extremely helpful in getting the most out of what i have. thanks for the pointers Elisha!
Those photos are amazing! I love how you used them to illustrate the techniques and tips. Very helpful! Thank you. 🙂
Thanks for sharing girl. 🙂
Happy Wednesday. xoxo
these are beautiful photos are great tips too!
xxx
I love this How To!!! So helpful!!! Thanks Elisha and thank you Lauren for this oh so clever series!! XO
That’s so cool. Sometimes you see something that would make a great picture and wonder how to capture it properly, this is awesome. I’ll definitely have to try out some of these hints!
these are all great tips!! She takes great photos!
super tutorial! So helpful, I’m definitely going to give these tips a try. My skills are limited at best.
Just simply beautiful..♥
Go Elisha! You are UH-Mazing!
Thanks everyone! I’m glad it was helpful!
this was GREAT!!!!!!
i loved this!
thank you!
AMAZING!!! SUCH A GREAT POST!!!