This is how I usually set a photo shoot up. In a south facing window on a cloudy day. This is the most flattering light.
Here I tempted the light with white and a mirror. They both reflect light a lot and can be a challenge to photograph.
The most striking natural light will be at sunrise or sunset. I am always caring for children at sunrise but at sunset I can manage to get my camera out.
I have had comments wondering if I am a photographer. My father took wedding photography freelance and I was in the darkroom some growing up so, I guess it was osmosis. I haven't had any classes on photography.
I have found that even in areas of my house that are hard to photograph, that if I work with the natural light I have I can still get a pretty decent photo.
Another way to use natural light is to get back lighting. I have taken this picture with the sun shining on the back of these leaves to make the color even brighter. When you use this light you will have to get the camera's focus point to focus on the yellow color of the leaves. This is going to give you the right settings to get the color you want with the lighting you love without the photo turning out too dark by being focused on something other than that great fall color.
That is my only trick with lighting. I never use a flash and I use natural light as much as I possibly can. Someday I will experiment more with lighting and all the photography tricks that I have seen used in studio lighting. Right now I haven't got time so, the sure thing is natural light.
I will try to get more post on this blog about how I photograph my pictures. It is always a work in progress.
Sherry
