Natural light vs fhash fotragrapher5/2/2023 ![]() Usually, photographers have their preference as to which is best and shoot with either one or the other. However, it is really the best solution available? Another style, though not as popular, is using flash while photographing a property. Learn more at: is by far the most popular style amongst professional real estate photographers. He is one of the most sought after instructors in the country because of his “Hands-On” coaching approach. He has shared his passion with photographers coast to coast in the USA, Canada, Mexico and Korea. A beginning that would prove very beneficial to the new age of digital portraits in a Natural environment for both his guests and his students. More important… you WILL be able to do it on your own when you get back home.Ĭarl Caylor began his career as a photo journalist and darkroom specialist. ![]() You can build your portfolio with my assistance. Come join my class at Texas School! You will learn more about these skills in a “Hands-On” environment. Whether natural or artificial, practice your skills and be able to make good decisions in any situation. In the end, we as artists, are responsible for creating work for our clients that are appealing to them and their families. Whether you are using OCF or going all Natural, you still need to make sure the light is being directed to the right place on your subject. Even with strobe, you will need to find the right time of day to balance everything. They want to see the water and the trees and, of course, them in a portrait. If there are objects in your scene beyond the range of the strobe and there is no way to balance the background with shutter speed, you may want to move on to a new location. Remember, the light from the strobe only goes so far. We still need to think about what is physically possible and still artistically pleasing. Not all situations are going to work for either OCF or Natural light portraits. ![]() That being said… just because we can doesn’t mean we should. The Truth… you can produce work in more locations. They are able to nearly over-power the sun at times and (more important to the way I work) they can be turned way down to allow work in low light areas. In today’s world, lights are very portable and have great battery life. If the light is not right for your image while still seeing the background for the composition you desire, you can simply move your light. As I stated before, sit where you plan on having your subject. With flash, we can work in more locations with more background possibilities. I say “potential” because there are many more things to consider (color harmony, posing, expression, clothing, story-telling, composition, etc.). Then if the subject sits where the open sky is forced in the direction stated, your image will have the potential for power. I look for open shade throughout my backgrounds. If there are distractions and technical problems with the background, even the nicest light on the face will be for nothing. If the light reflecting on the subject’s face is the brightest part of the scene, it is what will draw attention of those who look at the portrait. In other words, there can’t be direct sun in the background burning out areas in comparison to the subject. In addition to the correct direction of light, in a natural light situation, the background must confine itself to a continuous tone of light. Do you see an area of open sky at a 45° angle? If you don’t see a light source, either go find a new location or add off-camera flash. Some good advice: if you’re not sure the area will produce good natural portrait lighting, go sit where you plan to place your subject. For this reason, we look for locations with an overhang to block the light from above. We can’t have more light coming from straight above than where the main light is coming from. Just as with strobe lights, the main light on a subject should be at about a 45° angle to the side and 45° up from the subject. Let’s begin with a good natural light portrait area. Of course, there’s a great deal of technical and artistic thought that should go into either process. On the other hand, off-camera flash can be used to create any chosen form of light in any given area at most any time. ![]() The truth is that natural light can be pleasing, but the artist is limited to locations and specific times that will allow a powerful, printable result. The use of light, whether natural or artificial, has a specific and artistic placement that will create the look that the artist desires. Natural light portraiture is not just creating a correct exposure outdoors anywhere. Most examples I’ve seen have just been bad examples of the use of natural light. ![]() I have seen many posts on social media and magazine articles about how much better Off-Camera Flash (OCF) is than natural light. ![]()
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