My friend, Cheryl from Tidymom, kindly invited me to guest post over on her blog today about how to utilize open shade effectively. I’m so excited to get to share a little bit about photography over there!
You can read that post here: Utilizing Open Shade Effectively
This post is a follow-up to that one and I’d like to continue sharing about open shade and how to take even better photos in that type of lighting.
You see, while open shade is the ideal shooting situation (especially for a newer photographer)…not all open shade is created equally. To utilize open shade the most effectively, you also need to Find The Light while you are shooting there. And by that, I mean that you need to find the BEST light while using open shade.
The open shade I’ll be using for this post is part of the front covered porch on my home. My model is my daughter, Weslea, who was being her regular goofy self.
As you can see, our porch isn’t the most beautiful environment that a session could be shot in…it really needs to be washed down, we have absolutely no landscaping in front of it yet and you won’t find a sign of any decorations anywhere. What can I say? Decorating and landscaping skills are NOT my gifts. ;)
But…shooting close-up portraits on my porch is one of my very favorite things to do! The lighting is spectacular and my camera is always safe from whatever weather elements I am shooting in. So, I find myself shooting photos of the kids there quite often when I need to take a quick shot.
I’ve found that no matter where we are on my porch, I can usually take a fairly decent photo.
I really don’t like to just capture just a fairly decent photo though! So, in order for me to capture the very best portrait possible I have to find the best light.
And I do this simply by turning my subject until I find the light in their eyes. It’s that easy and that simple!
Are you still not sure what I mean? Here are a few examples to show you the difference it can make when you find the best light. For all of these example images Weslea is standing in the exact same spot. The only difference between them is that I had her rotate her body slightly until I finally found the best light to shoot in.
Finding the Best Light in Open Shade
Example #1
{Please excuse Weslea’s expression in this image. Ha! She was really wanting to play outside rather than be my model at that moment.}
This was probably the worst light I found. You can see that Weslea’s face looks dark and has some shading on it. There is a small catchlight in her eyes but they definitely aren’t sparkling like they should be if I had found the best light.
Example #2
By turning her a little bit more she has better light in her eyes and her face isn’t quite so dark. The light was quite uneven from this angle though with half of her face darker than the other. I decided to keep turning her to see if I could find an even nicer light to work with.
Example #3
When I turned her this way I knew right away that it wasn’t good. Her eyes are very dark with very few catchlights in them.
Example #4
This angle actually was a pretty good one. Her eyes are fairly bright and shining. The light is mainly even on her face. I was getting happier with the light while shooting from this spot.
Example #5 – Eureka!
But then I had Weslea make one final turn and I knew immediately that I had found the light! Look at those bright, sparkling eyes…the gorgeous, even lighting across her face….and the brightness. I loved it! I had found the perfect light that I should be shooting in for that moment in time.
Quick Reminder: Don’t forget that Weslea was standing in the exact same spot for all of these shots. All I had her do was rotate a little bit at a time until I found the perfect light to shoot in which really only takes seconds to accomplish. The more you practice this, the more you will naturally see where the perfect light is and you won’t waste time shooting in the less-than-ideal lighting situations.
Extra Note: Unfortunately, not all kids will cooperate like Weslea did for me. For uncooperative kiddos or younger children, I would move myself and use my voice as a way to get them to turn to the light. Just by making a weird noise (ie. animal sound or crazy yell) you can usually get them to look the right direction for a moment so that you can get a good shot!
It literally only takes a few extra seconds to find the best light so that you can take your photos from “Oh that’s a nice picture” to “Wow! That is an amazing shot!” Try it out today and see what a difference it makes!
Awesome tutorial Angie! Loved how you showed all the examples with Weslea and finding the best light. She is stunning!
What a great post Angie! I love it! VERY brilliant advice : ) I just wish I could always find a porch : ) or a kid that wouldn’t mind turning a bit! 2 year olds are so hard to shoot! Weslea is beautiful even when she has a grimace on her face. FUNNY! You are the best.
Great post and great reminders! Your right, the last picture is beautiful in the lighting. and you have a very cute model
Thanks for the tips! I saw you guest post over at Tidy Mom as well. Your daughter is gorgeous:)
Wonderful post, Angie!! Your daughter is beautiful!
Thank you so much! I loved this post….. can you do one n shooting in manual – where to start your settings, where change them to with each turn your darling daughter made to get that perfect shot…..
Thank you for this easy to understand tutorial, very helpful. Your daughter is very beautiful by the way x
Those pictures really help me to see what you mean by “the right light” thank you for taking the extra time and showing us rather than just stating it. I’m a visual learner!
FABULOUS post Angie!!……..I get so caught up in the background some times……..I see a great back drop, but then the light isn’t ideal at the time, so frustrating! lol
Thanks so much for sharing!! I found this to be very helpful!!
Thanks Angie! I love the way you did your tutorial – very easy to follow along. I’ve heard a lot about open shade and finding the light and I had an idea of what everyone was talking about, but your explanation has really made it crystal clear for me. Plus you’ve given me a great idea to try it out and see for myself. Thanks for taking the time to write such a good tutorial.
I think they all look good!
Oh, I’m coming up to decorate your porch:-) I have grand plans!
awesome suggestions, thank you, thank you! I shoot more objects than people and I’m sure that these tips will come in handy for whatever I am doing…..
Thank you so much for this tip! Very helpful and your daughter is beautiful!
Thank you for the wonderful, easy-to-understand tutorial!
awesome tutorial! Wesley is beautiful!
very cool…thanks.
Really enjoyed the tutorial in lighting…….Much Thanks..:)
@AngieArthur is sharing another fun #photography tip on her blog today! http://bit.ly/eaOkpJ
Thanks for posting this really useful technique! I am always struggling to take great pictures with my kids and family. I really appreciate it and I am sure others will too.
Christa
I will try these tips so that I don’t have to fix the lighting via photoshop or picnik. Thanks!
Great post! I am definitely an open shade kind of girl. I have played around in bright sun, but I need more practice.
what an awesome tutorial : ) Thank you Angie.
Awesome tips, Angie! and your daughter is just so, so pretty….I think I said that on Cheryl’s blog today, but it’s worth repeating.
Fabulous blog post! I will be doing this more often and with all my clients!
Thank you!!
WONDERFUL THANK YOU VERY MUCH ANGIE!!!!
LoVe this! wonderful tutorial. Thanks, Angie!
Angie!!
I think this post is perhaps the best & clearest explanation I’ve seen for how to find the best light (in this specific case, open shade … but really the technique works in ANY light). Kudos!!! And gosh, Weslea + beautiful light + wind = pure wonderfulness.
Such a great post, Angie!! I loved how you took so many examples and didn’t stop at ‘pretty good.’ The last photo was amazing! Thank you for the great tutorial.
Thank you so much for the tips
What camera/lens were you using when taking these?
-Amber at crossmyheartartdesigns.com
Hi Amber – I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II and I was using my 50mm 1.4 lens at this time. You can read more about my gear here: http://thearthurclan.com/my-camera-gear/
Great tutorial on finding light the light in open shade and catchlights -… http://fb.me/19mYsi1s4
Great tutorial on finding light the light in open shade and catchlights -… http://fb.me/19mYsi1s4
thanks for posting this tutorial. i was looking for tips on how to photograph in an open gymnasium until i stumbled upon your post about open shade, i didnt even know its called as that. I learned so much from your tips and its very easy english, not technical, easy to understand for a beginner like me. I am pretty fascinated about your tips on rotating to get the best light. Thanks also for posting about your camera gear, though i’m a bit sad to know that the lenses that came in with my cam are not that great as i have the 18-55 and the 75-300. nway thanks, i had learned so much from your post..
This was so well written and easy to follow, I have sent this link to about a bajillion people;)
Hi Angie. Very helpful tips thanks. One query – have you also used a Photoshop blur tool to isolate your daughter’s face from the background, and to even the skin tones? thanks Barry
This has been ridiculously helpful! Thank you.