Photography Tips for Using Natural Light Indoors
Have you wondered how to use natural light indoors to get great photos?
Light was one of the things I often overlooked when I started getting serious about photography. I was learning about composition, how to shoot manually, and all of the little details. But I was often shooting in less than perfect light, (even when there was better light within a few feet of me or just by changing the angle a bit!)
Photography is all about the light. Literally! Did you know the Greek roots of the word photography are photo and graph? Photo means light. Graph means write or draw. So photography is literally drawing with light!
Good light will make or break a photo. The whole mood, clarity, and quality of a photo are affected by light.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I will earn a small commission if you purchase through them.
Here are some tips for using natural light for your photography indoors:
- Try to find a big window or glass door. Experiment with different angles. Front lighting, back lighting and side lighting will all give different effects. For portraits, make sure you are getting catch lights in the eyes. Re-position your subject until you see catch lights.
- Use a wide aperture (low f-stop number.) A 50mm 1.8 lens is an inexpensive lens option that gives great results indoors, with a wide aperture. Canon version here. Nikon version here.
- If the light from the window is too harsh, use a thin white curtain to diffuse the light a bit. The color and intensity of the light will vary with the time of day. Morning light is wonderful when streaming through a window.
- Use a reflector. I have one similar to this set, and I like it because I can get different effects from the white vs. gold, etc,
but I have used a white foam board too! Have someone (even your subject!) hold the reflector on the opposite side of the window light, and the light will bounce onto your subject, filling in the shadows.
- Turn off lamps and overhead lights. Having light from both electric lighting and window light together can confuse the camera and result in some white balance issues.
- Don’t have a great window? Try using the garage as your studio! The open garage door is a nice big light source.
Natural light is the most beautiful and flattering, but sometimes there isn’t enough of it, and the flash becomes necessary. Even then, there are ways to improve the light from the flash.
I wrote a post about bouncing an external flash here, and it also has a couple of suggestions for ways to even improve the built-in flash.
I hope these tips are helpful for you!
Linking to:
Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy, You’re the Star at B4 and Afters, Inspiration Monday at I Should Be Mopping the Floor, LouLou Girls, Pictorial Tuesday at Peabea Scribbles, Picture Perfect Party, Thursday Favorite Things, Pretty Pintastic Party at Coffee with Us Three, SITS Saturday Sharefest, Wow Me Wednesday at Gingersnap Crafts, Wonderful Wednesday at Eclectic Red Barn, Wonderful Wednesday at OMHG, Thursday Favorite Things, Grammy’s Grid, Create with Joy, Mostly Blogging
Love it! Indoor photography has challenges, but ultimately it's sort of my favorite. A well lit newborn baby shoot indoors has always had more striking results for me than open shade outside.
Thank you! I've always seemed to prefer indoors too, I think because I can manipulate the light better!
So enjoyed the photos that go along with your tips. Will definitely give them a try. Beautiful dress and adorable ring holders. 🙂
Thank you! The newborn shot was from a completely different day, but I love how he holds the rings too! (It was his parents' idea to shoot that and has been one of my favorites.)
Lovely photos and great tips. My favorite is the baby's feet too.
Thanks Carol!
Great photos and tips with natural light photography. We would like to feature your post on the next Blogger's Pit Stop. Well done.
Kathleen
Thank you so much, Kathleen!!
Pam, thank you for sharing these great tips. A post well deserving of being featured at Blogger's Pit Stop!
Thanks so much, Jean. You made my day!
awesome and practical tips here that anyone can apply. I'm going to check out those filters too as I am experimenting more and more with photography. Thanks for also linking up with us at #OMHGWW.
Thanks, Alice! Have fun with these tips!
Pam,
Congrats, you are being featured at Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop. Hope you stop by.
https://eclecticredbarn.blogspot.com/2019/03/wonderful-wednesday-blog-hop_26.html
Hugs,
Bev
Thank you, Bev! I appreciate it so much!
Great tips. Thanks so much for linking up with me at the Unlimited Link Party 30. Pinned!
Thank you Dee!
Yahoo Pam. What great tips and will pin this post. Visiting from #TFT where I shared "Frugal Ways to Live Greener and Healthier at Home." Have a beautiful weekend and stay safe and well.
Thanks, and thanks so much for pinning, Nancy! I hope you have a beautiful,safe weekend, too.
These are great tips! I have been really struggling with photos lately as we have had such awful dark, dreary, rainy days and my natural lighting is so diminished.
Joanne, yes, dark days do make it more challenging! If you’re using a camera with a hot shoe, you can get an external flash that allows you to bounce the light so that it gives some soft light.