Lighting Matters

Location, Lighting and Season Matters...more than you think.

Outdoor photography can be a great way to capture beautiful, natural-looking images of you and your family. However, the success of your of session often depends on the location you choose. In this blog we will discuss the importance of choosing the right location and provide tips for making the most of your chosen location.

When choosing a location there are several factors to consider. One of the most important is the amount of detail in the background, and whether or not you want that detail to be a part of your image. Too much detail can be distracting and take away from the subject, while too little can make the photo seem flat and boring. 

In the photo above, the intent was to slightly lens blur the background, allowing the viewer to focus in on the subject. This was an overcast day, about 30 minutes before sunset.

Are you looking for that beautiful golden background with tall sunlit brown grass? Your best option is fall. Looking for that light and airy, film-type green with pops of colour? Spring is your best choice. Want more bright bold greens and less flowers? Mid-summer gives all the bright and dark greens. While a good photographer can edit pictures to provide these looks any time of year, natural is always best. 

You've heard of "golden hour", the last hour before official sunset. This is the time of day that you get those dreamy, golden pictures with beautiful bokeh.

Lighting can add emotion and interest to your images, so it's important to choose a time of day that gives you the look you want. Not everyone loves the warm, golden light look. If you plan to print your images and your style is more modern and monochromatic, you may want to shoot in the morning, where the lighting has a blue cast, which plays well with blacks, whites and greys. Before your session, we will talk about the look you want your images to have and decide on the best time of day together. 

As you can see in the pictures below, you can control how you want your final portraits to look. Before your session we will discuss exactly what look you are wanting. Are you printing? Posting on Social Media? Do you love that golden soft afternoon light, or is the crisp cool blue more your thing? Together we can decide the best time of year, time of day, and lighting situations to achieve exactly what you are going for. 

I'm looking forward to working with you!

Blessings,

Trish