Introduction
Natural light is the most natural way to light a scene. It's free, it's available everywhere and you don't need any special equipment to use it. The quality of light can vary based on time of day and weather conditions but there are ways to make sure that your images look great no matter what kind of natural lighting you have at your disposal. Natural Light Benefits:
Natural Light allows for more freedom in composition because there are no overhead lights or other objects blocking your view while shooting (you can move around freely).
It creates beautiful shadows that add depth and dimensionality to an image (especially when combined with reflectors).
It gives photos a more organic feel because they aren't lit by artificial bulbs which emit harsh shadows as well as unnatural colors due to their high temperature output
Equipment and Gear
There are a few pieces of equipment that you will need to get started with natural light photography. The first is your camera, which should be equipped with a lens that aperture of at f/2.8 or wider. You'll also want a tripod and remote trigger for capturing long exposures (if you don't already have one). For lighting, I recommend using two speedlights with umbrellas or softboxes attached as diffusers--one on either side of your subject. If you're working indoors and don't have enough space for this setup, try using three lights instead: one main light in front and two rim lights on either side of them. Additional accessories include gels for color correction; reflectors; flags/barn doors/snoots (to control where light goes); softboxes or umbrellas for diffusing harsh shadows; etcetera!
Pre-Shoot Preparation
Before you begin, it's important to understand the challenges of using natural light. While the sun can be an amazing source of light, it also has its drawbacks. The most obvious is that the sun moves across the sky if you want lighting on your subject(s), you'll need a way to control where they stand in relation to its position in relation to your camera. Another thing worth considering is whether or not there are any other sources of light available at this location--like street lamps or passing cars--that might interfere with your shot by creating unwanted shadows or reflections on your subject(s).
Setting Up Your Shot
Once you've found the perfect location and set up your camera, it's time to start shooting.
Positioning Your Subjects: When working with natural light, it's important to consider how your subjects will be positioned in relation to the sun. If they're facing away from the sun or have their backs turned toward it, they'll appear darker than if they were facing directly toward it. You can use this effect to create drama and depth in your photos by having one person stand out against a lighter background or by positioning them so that only part of their face is illuminated by sunlight--which can make them look mysterious or even sinister!
Adjusting Your Camera Settings: The next step is adjusting your camera settings so that they work well with whatever type of shot you want to take (portrait vs landscape). For example: if I'm taking a portrait-style photo where I want my subject's face lit up but everything else cast into shadowed darkness behind them (like an old oil painting), then I would adjust my aperture setting accordingly so that only certain areas within range receive enough light exposure while others remain unilluminated altogether."
Shooting in Natural Light
If you want to take your photography to the next level, there's no better way than by learning how to use natural light as a professional light technique. Natural light can be tricky because it changes throughout the day, but once you learn how it works and how to manipulate it, your work will never be the same for working with natural light:
Use reflectors when shooting outdoors in order to bounce some of that beautiful sunlight back into your subject's face. This will help fill shadows and give them more dimension without having to use flash or other artificial lights (which can sometimes look unnatural).
If you're shooting indoors without any windows nearby, try using small lamps or candles as makeshift reflectors for added illumination on certain areas of your subject's face or body--but keep in mind that this may cause unwanted shadows elsewhere on their body if they move around too much while being photographed!
Editing Your Photos
Editing your photos is an important step in the editing process. It's not just about making your photo look good, but also about making sure that it fits into the style of your brand and other photos you've taken.
Adjusting White Balance: This is one of the most common ways to edit a photo. You can adjust white balance by choosing a preset or adjusting it manually to get exactly what you want out of a shot.
Adding Contrast: The contrast slider lets you make adjustments based on how dark or light certain areas are compared with others in an image (this isn't always necessary). For example, if there's too much contrast between two objects within one scene (e.g., sky vs grass), lowering this setting will help even things out so they look more natural together instead of like two separate images merged together at different times during post-processing workflows."
Creating a Signature Look
Once you've mastered the basics of natural light photography, it's time to create your own signature look. Here are some ways to do that:
Create a Color Palette: You can use natural light to create different moods by changing the color temperature of your images. For example, if you want an image with warm tones and golden hues, shoot in open shade or on an overcast day when there's no direct sunlight hitting your subject. If you want cool tones and blue hues (like in winter), shoot when the sun is high in the sky so that direct sunlight hits them directly.
Add Textures: Another way to make each photo stand out from others is by adding textures into them--whether it's leaves blowing around or sand being kicked up by feet walking across hot pavement on a beachside path during sunset hours when everyone else has gone home for dinner but not us! This adds another layer onto our storyboard which makes everything more interesting because now viewers have something else visually stimulating besides just seeing someone standing still holding up their phone while taking selfies all day long."
Sharing Your Work
Once you've taken some great photos, it's time to share them with the world! There are a few ways to do this:
Exporting your photos. You can export your images as JPGs or TIFFs and then upload them to social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
Uploading directly from Lightroom CC. If you want more control over how your image looks when it's uploaded, then use Lightroom CC's built-in tools for sharing images online--or even creating an online portfolio!
Creating a photo book with Blurb (a free trial is available). If all else fails, create a physical copy of one or more of your favorite photos by uploading them into Blurb's website where they'll be professionally printed and shipped right back out again!
Conclusion
I hope you have a better understanding of how to use natural light for your photos. If you're still not sure, here are some tips:
Use a reflector to bounce the light back into your subject's face if they are facing away from the sun.
Try shooting at different times of day and in different seasons to see what works best for your subject matter.
If possible, find a location where there aren't any shadows on your subject or background objects that may distract from their face (like trees).
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