I am a natural light photographer. What does this mean?
A lot of photographers who have less than 5 years of professional experience can claim to be a natural light photographer because they aren't familiar with studio lighting, and guess what - that is ok! We all are learning and have to learn somewhere.
But what does it mean when I say that I am a natural light photographer. I have worked with both studio lighting and natural lighting, also called ambient, and I prefer it. Natural light can surround your subject in light, or bathe it in light. However, it can also be very harsh and too bright for compensation. Typically, natural light photographers don't use a light meter to capture readings, although to be proficient one should. But they should have a basic understanding of how light works.
I am always training myself to perform better under natural lighting conditions. With and with a reflector or a scrim, on my own or with an assistant. And using a variety of different subjects; people, nature, or inanimate.
I have a maternity session coming up in April that I am trying to prepare for and want to shoot it outside at the beach. But I want to make some parts look like they were shot in a studio. Hmmm... this is where it gets tricky.
As a contemporary portrait photographer, I always try to keep fresh and current and set my own trends. It will be fun to see the outcome!
I learned some new posing techniques over the weekend and here is a test shot I did with my daughter in my natural light studio. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading!!
