We all know that taking photos requires light. If you plan to take photos outdoors during the day, you might think that light is the least of your concerns. While this may be true, many people don't realize the impact natural outdoor lighting has on the overall look of their photos. Natural light has different qualities. It may come in warm or cool tones. Natural light can also be soft or hard. The quality of light shown in your image will depend on the outdoor conditions (weather) and the time of day you took the photo.
Photo by Cole Schlen
Another fact to consider is that sunlight creates shadows. Shadows are a part of nature, but depending on your subject, these shadows can enhance or detract from your photos. Another reason to "look at the light" when you're taking photos outdoors is that the available light affects your camera's exposure settings to produce a correctly exposed photo. You can't change the natural light outdoors, but paying attention to the light will help you make better decisions about how and when to take photos.
Cloudy and sunny days
Direct bright sunlight on a sunny day is considered hard light. Depending on the angle and intensity of the light, sharp The Verge's shadows may be cast on your subject. These shadows are great for certain subjects, such as landscape scenes, but portraits that show part of the subject's face in shadow often don't look good. Bright lights and shadows also create more contrast in the image. Images with high contrast will show more detail in a subject or scene.
Photo by William Warby
The light on an overcast day is not as bright or hard as the light on a sunny day. Photos taken on a cloudy day have much less contrast than those taken on a sunny day. Photos taken on an overcast day have very soft shadows, if any. The overall light on a cloudy/overcast day is pretty even, making it perfect for portraits. Note that a photo taken in a shaded area on a clear day will have almost the same light quality as one taken under very cloudy conditions.
Color Tone and Time of Day
Many people don’t consider the tone of a photo when taking a photo. However, as mentioned before, the tones in the atmosphere can have a noticeable impact on the overall look of the picture. Color tones on cloudy or cloudy days are considered cool. The overall color tone on a cloudy day is slightly bluish and grey. The natural colors of a scene or subject shot on an overcast day will still show up in your image. However, they won't be as bright or vivid as the same subject shot on a sunny day. The color will appear softer or cooler.
On a clear day, one or two hours after sunrise, the early morning light is warm and yellowish. The same goes for the hour or two before sunset. The hour or so after sunrise and before sunset is known as the golden hour. Many photographers like to take pictures at these times because of the warm tones, but also because the light is not as intense or harsh as it is at noon. Because the sun is still near the horizon during these times, long shadows are created. However, these shadows are not as sharp and hard as the shadows produced by the midday sun. As the sun continues to rise, the warm tones fade away in the hours from morning to noon.
Photo by Oliver Pac as; ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/2500.
Midday light is considered neutral or colorless (in terms of hue). However, midday light is the hardest light of the day and creates hard, sharp shadows. This type of light may work well for certain subjects, but it is probably the least desirable type of lighting for portraits. After noon, as we move into the evening hours, the tone of the light in the atmosphere gradually begins to warm. Then we head to another golden hour before sunset. All cameras have a white balance function which is designed to ensure that any white objects in the scene appear white in the picture. However, depending on your camera settings, it may cause the warm glow to disappear from the picture. On the other hand, your camera also has settings that can increase the warmth or coolness of your images. Check your camera's manual to see which white balance setting works best for the effect you want.
Again, when you take a photo, you cannot change the conditions outside. But you should understand how natural light affects your photos. Sometimes, you may have specific ideas about what type of natural light would work best for a particular scene or subject. Now, since you know the key properties of natural light, you will be able to make the right decisions about how and when to take these photos.
Again, when you take a photo, you cannot change the conditions outside. But you should understand how natural light affects your photos. Sometimes, you may have specific ideas about what type of natural light would work best for a particular scene or subject. Now, since you know the key properties of natural light, you will be able to make the right decisions about how and when to take these photos.
