Do you have lights up or do you just use natural light? Your photos always feel so light and fluffy.
La Vie’s Guide To LIGHT
I do actually have full studio lighting BUT I in no way think it’s at all necessary for you to be able to take awesome nudes! I just have it around because I’m a photographer by profession and it means it makes taking photos at 3am possible. There’s little worse than a dark, dim, flat lighting photo that’s filled with more grain than a bag of basmati rice but making use of daylight actually gives amazing results!
Naturally lit photo examples:
when I sat naturally lit I mean with standard daylight.
psttttt, notice how the light is coming through the image to the left and how my body is more shadowed on the right? that’s where my window is.
Artificial lighting:
this is any photos in which I have used studio style lighting. Side note, studio lights + iphone photos never get as good a quality as studio lighting & camera
“how do you get the pink cast on your images”
probably one of the most asked questions I get! Technically, it’s a combination of me filtering/diffusing natural light with something pink which in turn casts as pink colour across the final image. The thing I use to diffuse the light to give the pink cast is just my curtains which are a blush pink colour! Secondly, if my photo is artificially lit I will add a subtle red curve on Photoshop.
Notice how there is a bright glow from my window in the above photo with a strong pink cast over the whole image? Diffused light, through pink fabric!
The above photo is a natual pink cast caused by the light diffusing through pink curtains (natural light, shot on my camera).
Above studio is shot with artifical lighting with a subtle red curve to bring out the pink tones in my bedding, flower and skin. (shot artifically with my camera)
Major no no’s!
Flash, yikesssss!
Avoid zoom (when taking photos on phones), it can distort and you’ll lose so much quality!
tungsten lighting - MAJOR NO. This means lighting (technically artificial) from your lightbulbs! That yellow glow is horrific. Light from lamps, ceiling lights etc will all give that glow - unless you have a daylight lightbulb in there!
Avoid shooting in harsh lighting. This can be resolved in photoshop if you have blow outs but unless you know what you’re doing in editing software, it just makes everything harder and longer, you want soft light, not harsh!
Quick tips:
Shooting in raw will give you more control when it comes to brightening your image later on
Artificial lighting generally gives a more even balance of colour across the whole image but photos can sometimes look a little flat
Natural lighting can give softer more etheral vibes to a photo but can be off balance in the lighting with harsher shadows and over exposed areas.
with natural lighting the tones can be difficult to get cohesive depending on what time of day and time of year you shoot. Winter & snow will generally give your photos a bluer, cooler tone and in summer you’ll get more of a warm, orange tone!
Artirficial lighting gives me an easier time at keeping my photos all along the same kind of theme I have!
i hope you enjoyed ‘la vie’s lesson in lighting’ 😂. I hope this clears up any lighting questions you might have about my photos! Hopefully, it’s been educational for some of you! Go forth and flourish you little light faries!
