Happy Monday! And in case you missed our salute on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, Happy Father's Day to all of the heroic monster-chasing, kid-bathing, air filter-changing dad's out there! Did your family take any pictures for dad's special day? I bet you did, and most of you did not hire a professional. It costs money (even if it's a great value, like me!), it's inconvenient, and almost everybody walks around with a phone in their pocket now. With that in mind I thought it would be a good idea to do a small series and share some tips on how to be the best photobug you can be the next time you catch dad doing hero things!
Mind the Lighting
The lighting can often make our break your shot, so be sure to give it attention. Photographers have an array of lighting features to manipulate the light, but if I'm using my phone camera I'll have to adjust my subject instead. If you can help it, take your shots in the morning or later in the afternoon. The light angles of the sun will be much easier to work with during these times.
If you're stuck snapping pics at high-noon, there's a couple of things you can do to improve the situation. First, check the cloud coverage. If there are some pillowy friends rolling in, waiting an extra few minutes may make all the difference (cloud cover is the best!). If there's nothing but blue skies above, try to find some shade. A fully covered area is probably too much, you're really looking for some small trees or something similar. There's a fine line between a face that looks happy and one that looks....sun squinty. If possible position your subject where the sun is most behind them, not in their face.
The light can also wash out your entire shot if you're not careful. If you've positioned your subjects to get their best side, make sure you have enough light on your side of the camera so that you're not just seeing shapes and shadows. Unless you were trying to capture a silhouette, in which case...well done!
I hope you found this handful of lighting tips useful. If you did, share it with the links below! Have questions? Post them in the comments section and I'll answer them as soon as I can. I'll be back next Monday with another tip in the 'Take Your Best Shot' series (location, location, location!). I'll also have another entry this Wednesday featuring a different topic, so make sure you check back for the latest and greatest.
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