Photographic Lighting and a Word About Cameras (And Again with the Variables)

Without light, there would be no photography (at least not as we know it).  Without proper light, photographic results would be less than optimal.  A lot of photos fit this category.  There are many variables in a well done photograph - lighting, exposure, focus, composition, your camera, etc.  Any one of them can ruin your photo if done improperly.   Eliminate the variables, and get great results.  How?  Practice, take courses and webinars, study, assist other photographers, never stop learning, and more practice.

I picked lighting for the title of this post because I just took a CreativeLIVE webinar which compared natural and artificial lighting.  I prefer natural light with a diffuser and/or reflectors whenever possible.   If you are not familiar with CreativeLIVE.com, check it out - it's free, although you can buy the course if you would like.  The lighting webinar was about 12 hours long - lots of great info.  Plus you get to watch live actual photo sessions, and learn a bit about posing, too.

If you want to see what natural light looks like, you can check my website  - most of my photos were done with natural outdoor light and reflectors - or go to Sue Bryce's website (her natural light style is one of my favorites).

Cameras and technology keep changing.  The question is, at some point along the technology trail, when does the time come when you really no longer need to upgrade because what you have will always be enough, or even more than enough?  I mention this because I have read ads for photographers that said you must have at least some minimum camera to qualify for the job - and usually it includes being a full frame sensor.  And the lens, too, has to be a certain minimum.  For example, for a Canon it might be at least a 5D MKII with and L series f2.8 lens or better.  Well, in the following 4 photos, can you tell which two were shot with a full frame sensor and which two with a cropped sensor?  Which was shot with a kit lens and which was taken with what would be considered a pro lens?  Aside from some post production work (some was done on each), if you got these results, would you be happy?  They all used the same lighting - all natural window light with diffuser (white ripstop nylon) with a large white reflector opposite the window.  Don't forget to click on the photos to see full size (the originals are still quite a bit larger).

Once the photo is taken, there are infinite variables in post processing from black and white to infinite shades of color, contrast, sharpness, softness, and more.

Oh - one more thing - remember it's not the camera and lens, but the photographer who will make or break the final result.