18/01/11

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a photographer that doesn't prefer natural light over artificial light. Although you can create 'natural looking' light with strobes and other lighting equipment, using available light is definately a much better option.

This picture is a perfect example. Positioning the baby close to a full-height glass window, has provided me with some lovely soft light that brings out so much detail in her face. I used a reflector on the other side of her face to throw a little bit of light back into the shadow areas, and with my 50mm 1.4 lens set at f2.5 I've focused in on the eye closest to the camera. This gives the rest of the picture a nice soft blurring effect and makes the viewer focus on the eye. The large light source (the full height window in this example) has provided some really pleasing catch-lights in both eyes.

So before you reach for that flash, just see if you can't position your subject to a natural light source...you'll be glad you did.

Enjoy!!