Overcoming Location Lighting Difficulties in Photography
- A modern camera's flash is a remarkable feature, not only for providing stop-action, quality photography, but for overcoming dark and poorly lit scenes. In many cases, the built-in flash of a quality camera can provide a brief but effective illumination of the photography subject and the surrounding scenery; the timing of the flash can effectively illuminate a darkened room or nighttime shot just long enough to snap a much-wanted picture. Higher-end cameras may also offer a "hot shoe" port for an additional, more powerful flash device; such devices can help illuminate more of the surrounding scenery and provide a more natural lighting situation for the target subject. Still, flash photography leaves much of the surrounding area dark, making it less than ideal for anything more professional than an impromptu snapshot. For higher quality images, photographers may want to consider additional lighting options like studio-quality lighting fixtures.
- Some of the most difficult lighting situations photographers are likely to encounter arise from the need to use a certain desirable--though poorly lit--background. In many cases, this challenge can be overcome with proper use and placement of lighting equipment readily available from photography shops or online retailers. When shopping for photography lighting, it is crucial to select the best affordable quality with diffused light sources, as lower quality and undiffused lighting may lend an unwanted tint to the photo or even wash it out altogether. For many people, high quality lighting is prohibitively expensive, though second-hand shops and online venues like Craigslist and eBay may help reduce this barrier. With quality lights in place--the recommended distance from the photography subject is around 10 feet, depending on the conditions of the location--the lighting challenges should be significantly reduced.
- Despite the many technological marvels and excellent lighting solutions offered by flash and studio lighting, the ideal lighting source is the natural light of the sun. In contrast to the yellowish or bluish tints sometimes injected by artificial lights, sunlight naturally contains a balance of all colors in the spectrum, all but eliminating color balance issues in outdoor photographs. In addition, the design of many consumer- and professional-level cameras makes sunlit photography ideal, as natural lighting removes the need for man-made assistance.
