Photography with Jessica - Cropping Ratios

Just like wide screen and full screen movies, different standard picture sizes have different height-to-width ratios. Take a look to see how different picture sizes will affect your image...

Pretty much any point-and-shoot or DSLR (with the exception of a medium-format or large-format camera) shoots in the 4×6 ratio. This means that when you make a 4×6 print, it will look exactly the way it’s framed in-camera. But if you enlarge it to a 5×7, you can see that some of the height will get cropped off. With an 8×10, even more height is lost. So if you had something important at the very top or bottom of the frame, it would get cut out. And you can see the ratios of other common sizes in the diagram as well. In the 20×24 size, the pom at the top of the hat gets cut out of the image. This is definitely something to keep in mind while taking pictures. I usually try to frame my photo the way I want it, but then zoom out a bit to leave some extra cropping room. If you’ll be making enlargements, that foresight will really pay off in the end!

Photography with Jessica - What to Wear for Family Photos

One of the questions I get asked most often is how to coordinate clothing for family photos.  I thought I'd share with you some ideas that will help you plan outfits that you love and that look great in pictures!  Click on picture to view larger...

I would start out by picking some neutrals (either brown/tan based or black/gray based) and then adding 2 - 4 colors that you already have a lot of in your closets, that way you can combine new stuff with some things you already own. Have everyone wear at least 2 of the colors.

We like to keep things interesting so we went with 4 colors!  We did brown/tan/ivory as our neutrals with mustard, teal, green and rust/orange.  But if you like things to look more matchy, just go with two colors (in addition to your neutrals).

Layers and textures add visual interest.  Think scarves, vests, cardigans, leg warmers, jackets, and hats.  Lace, knit, or woven textures are subtle but beautiful.

Sometimes it's fun to have mom or a sister wear a bold pattern that contains several of your colors.  To keep it visually pleasing, don't have more than one person wear a bold pattern.

And of course avoid words, logos, and other distracting elements on clothing.

Also, it can be a good idea to plan Mom's outfit first and then plan everyone else around that.  That way you know you'll love it and feel beautiful and confident, rather than trying to throw something together at the end that goes with what everyone else is wearing.

Photography with Jessica - Halloween Photo Tips

Halloween is such a fun time to take pictures!  The weather is getting deliciously crisp, the leaves are falling and the kids all have a twinkle of excitement in their eyes at the thought of costumes and candy!  Here are some tips to get great pictures of children in their costumes.

 

 

1.  Plan ahead.  Decide whether you'll take the pictures on Halloween prior to trick-or-treating (which may be a good idea if any elaborate makeup or hairstyling is involved) or if you want to take them a day or two in advance, before the actual craziness of the holiday.  Just be sure to take your photos within an hour or so of the sunset to get that beautiful soft light!

 

 

2.  Decide on a location.  Sometimes (like this year) I like the ease and convenience of doing it in our yard or neighborhood, but if I'm feeling more ambitious I'll find a location that would look great with their costume.  For example, a fairy in the woods, a scarecrow in a corn field, a cowboy on the range, a ladybug in a garden... the possibilities are almost endless.  And a pumpkin patch or a big pile of fallen leaves can be a great seasonal setting for pretty much any kind of costume!

 

 

3.  Take pictures from many different perspectives and capture individual details.  Sometimes the cutest part of a costume isn't necessarily the front.  And be sure to get all those adorable little details which may include things like costume jewelry, face paint, an detailed hair style or cute shoes/socks, as well as details on the costume itself (a hand-stitched appliqué on a poodle skirt, a fancy tiara, glittery fairy wings, a cowboy bandana around the neck, etc.)

 

 

 

4.  Get action shots!  Some costumes naturally lend themselves to fun actions.  A super hero taking off in flight, a Jedi master brandishing a light saber, or a cowboy galloping on a hobby horse.

 

 

5.  It can be fun to add props!  This could be as simple as having the child hold a mini pumpkin, throw fall leaves into the air or pose next to their jack-o-lantern.  Or you could have some costume-appropriate props.  Little red riding hood could carry a basket of goodies, a pilot could fly a toy airplane, or a butterfly could hold a bouquet of flowers.

 

 

You and your children can have so much fun with your Halloween photos!  I loved doing ours this year!  And I adore this super hero costume by Shannon at HustleMama.  Check out her shop!  She has generously offered free shipping with the code DOWNEY

Photography with Jessica - White Balance and the ExpoDisc

Have you ever been to a home improvement store and seen a display that compares the color tint of different light bulbs (incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, etc.)?  The world is filled with different "colors" of light.  Light color can change from sunny days, overcast days, sunrise/sunset, shade, different indoor bulbs, and more.  The human eye readily adjusts to the different lights so they all look pretty much neutral to us even though they are different colors.  Most cameras are set to a default setting called Auto White Balance (AWB) which tries to adjust to neutralize the different lights just like the human eye does.

I always have my camera set to AWB and for the most part it does pretty well.  I do make minor adjustments in Adobe Camera Raw or in Lightroom to get the white balance exactly right, which does end up taking quite a bit of time considering how many pictures I edit.  I've been looking for something that would help me get the white balance exactly right in-camera so I could save time and hassle on my editing.

I was excited when I read about the ExpoDisc white balance filter...  It seemed to be just what I was looking for!  It's a filter that you place over the lens and you take a picture of the light that's falling on your subject (you basically stand where you subject will stand and shoot towards where you would be standing).  Then you use that image to set the Custom White Balance setting on your DSLR.  There are two versions: the neutral filter and the portrait filter, which has a warmer tone.

I recently purchased the portrait (warming) filter and used it for the first time today.

First I tried it in the shade.  As you can see, the white balance of the first image (taken on AWB) is close, but not quite right.  But in my opinion, the second photo (taken with the Custon White Balance from the ExpoDisc) is too warm.

Then I tried it with late evening backlight, which is my most common lighting scenario when shooting a photo session.  The AWB image is too cool, but again, the ExpoDisc image is too warm.

I should mention that my daughter can be a tricky subject when it comes to white balance because her skin is SO white.  It's hard not to make her look ghostly, but warming up her tones too much just looks wrong.

I think the concept of the ExpoDisc is great and now I really want to try the neutral one!  I'll let you know what I find out ;)

Photography with Jessica - Creating a Custom Brush in Photoshop

Whether you are a blogger, photographer, crafter, or shop owner, it's probably a good idea to watermark your photos to prevent them from being stolen or to make sure you're credited on sites like Pinterest or Tumblr.

I've put together this video tutorial to show you a quick and easy way to do that, with a cutom brush that you can create yourself in Photoshop.

Photography with Jessica - Lenses

All the different types of lenses out there can be very confusing, so I'm here to give you a good solid basic working knowledge of what lenses are all about!

There are basically three main classifications of lenses, and you will know their classification by their focal lengths listed in mm (millimeters):

wide - anywhere from 45mm and lower

medium - 50mm

telephoto - anywhere from 55mm and higher

A 50mm medium lens gives you a normal field of view just as you see it with your eye.  Then on one end, a telephoto lens will make things appear closer than they really are (commonly thought of as "zoomed in"), and on the other end, a wide-angle lens will make things look farther away than they are (commonly thought of as "zoomed out").

As you can see in the diagram, a wide-angle lens will give you the widest field of view.  This "zoomed out" view is useful if you don't have a lot of room to back away from your subject, such as inside a house.  A wide lens is also great to take with you on vacation if you want to take pictures of large buildings (cathedrals, castles, etc.)

A telephoto lens is useful when your subject is farther away, such as photographing a child in sports or dance performances.

A wide-angle angle lens will make the background look like it's farther away from your subject, whereas a telephoto lens will make the background look like it's much closer.

A wide-angle lens also adds some degree of distortion.  The wider the angle, the more distorted the image will be.  Objects that are close to the camera will look much larger than objects that are far away.  And elements near the edges of the photo will have a stretched-out look.  This distortion can be used to enhance the artistic quality of your images...

Or it can just look really weird...

Just be careful about getting people's limbs or especially their heads near the edge of the frame!

Some lenses have a zoom capability so they will have a range of numbers, for example an 18-55mm lens will cover a wide - medium range, while a 55-250mm will cover a medium - telephoto range.  Other lenses are fixed so they don't zoom.  With a fixed lens you have to move closer or father from your subject with your feet!  This may seem inconvenient at first, but you soon get used to it and the fixed length lenses tend to deliver slightly sharper images than zoom lenses.

Lenses are also labeled with another number, which refers to the aperture (or how wide the lens can open).  This is useful to know because the wider your aperture, the more background blur you can achieve.  So if you like that blur, get a lens with the lowest possible aperture number (like 1.2 or 1.8).  The fixed length lenses typically have wider aperture capabilities.

So, what lenses should you buy?  Keep in mind that Canon cameras require Canon lenses and Nikon cameras require Nikon lenses!  There are also a couple of other good quality lens brands that can be used on both Canon and Nikon and they are usually less expensive.

I highly suggest starting with the Canon or Nikon 50mm 1.8 - This is a fixed length medium lens (neither wide nor telephoto), so you'll need to get used to "zooming with your feet".  It has very wide aperture capabilities which is important to get that beautiful background blur!  I would use this lens to take pictures of people as well as inanimate objects (mostly small details but maybe even landscapes).

Then I would look for a zoom lens in the wide range (the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 looks good) and a zoom lens in the telephoto range (the Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 is a nice choice).  Look for something with a low aperture number.  Be aware that if the lens gives an aperture range, it means that the lower aperture doesn't work if you zoom beyond a certain point, so I would avoid lenses like that.

Before purchasing a lens, I highly recommend reading reviews on it.  Fred Miranda is my favorite site for reviews.  Also, many camera stores rent out lenses very affordably, so that's an additional way to make sure that a lens is good before you buy.

As you embark on your lens hunt, feel free to email me (info@jessicadowneyphoto.com) with any questions you may have!  Also, if there is anyone who has a larger photography budget and would like some information on higher-end cameras and lenses, please email me.  I would love to help you out!

Instagram Freebie

Has it been a century since I did a blog post or what?  Sheesh!  Instead of telling you what I've been up to, I can just show you though...thanks to instagram.  Look!

My youngest gets her sweet self instagrammed a lot since she is my little shadow while her older sisters are at school. We have absolutely no fun together.  Ha!  :)

Can I tell you a little secret?  I kinda love instagram.  I may or may not have switched to an iphone just so I could use it.  (But I totally did.)  Yes, I heard that it was going to be made available for use with other mobile phones, but who could wait that long?  I couldn't wait that long.  If YOU have been waiting that long, your wait is over.  This week it was finally made available to the non-apple world.  Do you have an account yet?  I'd love to do more with instagram and blogging in the future...including a photo-a-day challenge!  That would be so fun!  Anyway.  Yeah.  I {heart} instagram.

In case you do climb aboard the instagram train, you can use the above graphic on your blog to let people know where to find you.  You can find me under meghastings.  (Original, no?)

*Since it is Easter weekend, if you snap some holiday pics and would like to share them with your fellow Shabby Bloggers, please add the hash-tag #shabbyeaster to your instagram title so we can all see how you roll!  :)  Have fun!!!

Photography with Jessica - Purchasing your first DSLR

People always want to know what camera I would recommend for someone who is interested in photography and would like to purchase their first DSLR.

DSLR stands for a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera.  This is what people call the "big" camera, "nice" camera, or the "real" camera!  With a DSLR you can have complete control over your photography because you have the ability to choose the settings you want, as well as change lenses to suit your needs.  Also, they can generally produce higher resolution images than a point and shoot camera.
There are some other brands that make DSLRs, but I'll just be discussing Canon and Nikon because they seem to be the most commonly used and I know that they are very high quality.  Neither brand is better than the other, they are just different.

Canon's entry level DSLR in the Rebel T2i which sells for around $500.  Here's a quick list of its features:  18 megapixels, full HD video, 3 inch view screen, self-cleaning sensor, ISO up to 6400, a 9 point focusing system and shoots up to 3.7 frames per second.  It's a great camera that has everything you need to produce amazing pictures.

They also recently release the new Rebel T3i, which is very similar, and about $125 more expensive.  The sensor, image processor and the auto-focusing system are all the same, but it has some video improvements.  If you're mainly going to be using it for photos (not video), I would save the money and go with the T2i.  But that's just me...

The D90 is Nikon's basic camera and it sells for around $800.  It has a 12.3 megapixel sensor, HD video, 3 inch view screen, self-cleaning sensor, ISO up to 3200, an 11 point focusing system and shoots up to 4.5 frames per second.  Again, a wonderful camera to start out with.

It's important to buy from a legitimate dealer and I personally love B&H Photo Video.  They are reputable, they have great prices and you can reach their customer service department with any question you may have through their toll free number or live chat online.

Dealers often sell what they call a "kit", which is a set consisting of the camera body and a lens, but the kit lenses usually aren't the greatest, so I would recommend buying just the camera body and then buying lenses separately.

Next time I'll tell you all about the different kinds of lenses out there and what they are for, so can make an informed decision on which ones would be best for you!

Photography with Jessica - Resizing and Sharpening for Use on the Internet

I often read comments from people lamenting how bad their images look when uploaded onto Facebook. The truth is that any image that is improperly prepared for the internet can look blurry, pixilated or just plain icky. So I'd like to teach you how to keep your images looking awesome on your Facebook page, blog, or website.

First of all, you need to know the size specifications for the site you're using. For Facebook, the maximum image height for vertical images is 720 pixels and the maximum width for horizontal images is 960 pixels. If you'd like to size a picture to use for your timeline cover, those exact dimensions are 851 pixels by 315 pixels.

Blog picture width will vary, so try to look it up where you got your template. For example, my photography blog is from ProPhoto Blogs and they specify that my template holds pictures that are 900 pixels wide. The same is true for websites... they each vary so find out from your web designer or the place where you purchased your template.

To start, go to the "image" tab, then to "image size".

First change the resolution to 72 pixels per inch - the web resolution standard (just for your information, 300 pixels per inch is the printing standard).  Then if the image is vertical, change the height to 720 pixels and the width will automatically be adjusted accordingly.  If the image is horizontal, change the width to 960 pixels and the height will automatically be adjusted accordingly.

The next step is to sharpen...

And there you go!  You can follow these same steps to size images according to your blog or website specifications.  And they will look awesome!

If you're interested, you can download a free Photoshop web sharpening action at Totally Rad Actions (which is what I use).

Photography with Jessica - Minimizing Under-Eye Circles

Here is another awesome Photoshop tutorial that I hope you will find really helpful!  This is the method I use for minimizing the look of under-eye circles.  Please know that I'm not an advocate of extreme retouching or fake looking pictures like those you see in fashion magazines.  All people have circles under their eyes to some extent.  That's just the shape of the human face and there is nothing wrong with that!  This video shows how I maintain a natural look while smoothing over any deep, dark, distracting areas...

Photography with Jessica - Photoshop Touch Ups

I wanted to continue with some more tutorials on post-processing.  This little video is all about the cloning tool and the healing tool in Photoshop.  They are great for getting rid of blemishes on skin, lint on clothes, small unsightly objects in the background, etc.  I hope it's helpful to you in touching up your photos!

Photography with Jessica - Photographer's Holiday Wish List

I do have some more post-processing posts coming up for you, but since it's getting close to the holidays I thought this would be the perfect time of year to start thinking about photography-related gift giving.  If you know someone who loves photography, this list may help you pick out the perfect gift.  Or if you're the one who's always behind the camera, you might want to leave this post on your computer where someone else can see it!!!  Each and every one of these items has been lovingly hand-picked by me for you!  Some of them have even already made it into my own personal collection...

1.  Temporary Camera Tattoos by Tattly

2. The B-Hobo Camera Bag by Kelly Moore

3.  Betsy Camera Bag by JoTotes

4.  Collapsible Light Sphere by Gary Fong

5.  Camera Strap Cover by Mel V Designs

6.  Canon Digital Rebel T2i Body

7.  Newberry Album by Kolo

8.  Canon 430 EX II Speedlite Flash

9.  Felt Camera and Click Brooches Cranky Lost Donut

10.  Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Lens

11.  Nikon D90 Digital Camera Body

12.  Camera Dial Laptop Decal by Photojojo

13.  Canon 50mm f/1.8 II Lens

14.  Toy Wooden Camera by Little Sapling Toys

15.  Smile Handprinted Letterpress Poster by Roll and Tumble Press

16.  Sewing Pattern for Point and Shoot Case by Keyka Lou

17.  Picture Taking Freak Print by Lollipops

18.  iPhone Skin by Deluxe Graphics

19.  Cheeky Lime Classic Camera Bag in Green

20.  Nikon SB-700 Speedlite Flash

21.  Vintage Camera Embroidery Patterns by Tiny Bazaar

Photography with Jessica - Using Actions in Photoshop

Some of the most frequent questions I get about post-processing have to do with actions.  What are they?  Do I use them?  I do use actions.  I love them!  Used skillfully, I think they really elevate a photo beyond snapshot status.  An action is like a short cut for a long Photoshop process.  So instead of going through 10 or 20 individual steps in Photoshop to get the look you want, an action puts them all together and does them really fast for you.  It is like a recipe to get a certain look.

Actions don't come with Photoshop, you need to get them separately.  There are a lot of sites that make actions that you can buy, although The Pioneer Woman has some great FREE ones.  There are soooo many action sets out there.  For my photography business I use and love Totally Rad Actions.  But for this tutorial I'll be using the free sets from The Pioneer Woman (she has super easy instructions on how to download and install them). 

So let's get started!  First of all, in Photoshop make sure you have the Layers, Actions, and History windows open. They are probably already opened by default (located at the right side of your screen) but if you don’t see them, just look at the top of the screen and click on Window and then Layers, Actions, and/or History.

Each action has a name, and in Photoshop you select which action you want, and then click the "play" icon to "play" that action.

  Then it quickly goes through each of the individual steps and creates a new layer or layers on top of your image.  You can use these layers at their full 100% strength, but I almost always change the layer opacity to tone it down to my liking.

When you're done adjusting the layer opacity, you right click on your bottom layer and choose "flatten image" which merges the new action layer/s into the original layer.  You can then leave it as is, or you can apply other actions.

Let's do an example photo together (click on YouTube icon to view larger on YouTube)...

Photography with Jessica - Post Processing - How Much is Too Much?

In the next few posts I'd like to start delving into the subject of post processing.  In today's digital world, a photo is rarely left as-is straight out of the camera.  Post processing refers to anything that is done to enhance the photo after it has been taken.  It's such a fun and interesting subject and we have such great resources available to us to use that sometimes it can be difficult not to get carried away!  So before we start learning about the "how's", I'd like to spend a little bit of time talking about the "why's".

So, why do we post process an image?  With photography our goal is to capture the world around us, and the goal of post processing is to enhance that reality and make it even more beautiful.  But I would caution that there is a line between enhancing and distorting.  Of course, photography and post processing are art forms, and as with all art, there is much room for creativity and interpretation of what is considered "good".  So what I have to offer today is just my opinion of how post processing should be used, and I realize that there may be those who disagree with me... and that's ok!

I think our culture is kind of making us feel like everything and everyone needs to be PERFECT!  Real life is beautiful and vibrant and wonderful... but it is NOT perfect, and I think that photography should reflect that.  When I first started out with post processing I did so much to every image, just because I could.  It took me a couple of years to learn to back off and leave some life and reality in my images.

When you first meet a person, your impression of them includes so much more than what they look like.  You take in their voice, tone, attitude, mannerisms, facial expressions, and everything that makes them who they are.  When I first meet a client, I don't notice if they have some flakiness on their chin or some puffiness under their eyes because there is so much more to them than that.  But photos are different.  When you look at a photo all you get is the visual aspect of the person, and so the little "imperfections" are much more noticeable than they are when you see a person in real life.  So when I'm post processing the client's images, I'll go ahead and get rid of the flakiness and the puffiness, because in my opinion those are just visual distractions of what your real impression would be if you were really with them.

What I don't like to do is extreme skin smoothing (makes them look like a doll, not a person) body shaping or slimming.  Don't get me wrong, I'm just like every other woman out there, always wanting to lose 5-10 pounds, but I think if we regularly alter what we look like in photos it just tends to reinforce the unfortunate cultural pressure to be perfect and make us feel like we aren't good enough.  I also don't like to go crazy with the color enhancing.  Upon viewing my images, I don't want the first thing to pop into the viewer's head to be "Photoshop!"  I want the beauty and life of the subject to be what grabs the viewer's attention.  So in short, that's what guides what I will or won't do with post processing.

In the next post I'll start to teach actual post processing techniques, but in the meantime I'd love to hear what you think!

Photography with Jessica - Back to School

I recently visited my elementary school in California... well, at least the outside of it.  I loved elementary school!  I have dim but happy memories of the people and things that occupied so much of my life at that time.  I wish I had pictures to help me always remember my classrooms, wonderful teachers, the beloved library, and friends who I haven't seen in decades.

Even though it was 113 degrees here in Arizona today, and even though school started weeks ago for us, September always gets me in a nostalgic, back-to-school kind of mood.  Ahhh, the crisp autumn air, the new shoes, the smell of library books and crayons.

Don't forget to take some back-to-school pictures of your kids.  And don't stress out about doing on the actual first day of school (which is stressful enough already)!  Here are some photo ideas to help you capture some memories about this year in their life:

·         have them write their name and grade on a slate or ruled paper and hold it

·         clothes laid out the night before (be sure to get details)

·         new backpack

·         new shoes

·         kids packing lunches

·         this year's text books

·         details of school supplies

·         child in front of the house with complete outfit and backpack

·         getting on the bus

·         with their best friends in front of the school

·         shot of the school sign

·         child with new teacher

·         sitting at new desk

(click on photos to enlarge)

Remember, these photos can be as artsy or as practical as you want!  The whole point is to be able to remember all the fun little details that make up "school life" for your children!

Photography with Jessica - Drive Modes

I'm sure you've noticed when shopping for a camera, one of the selling points that manufacturers like to point of is the number of pictures a camera can take per second.  The newer entry level DSLR's can usually shoot approximately 3 - 4 frames per second (higher-end cameras can take even more), which is an awesome feature!  But you have to know how to use it!

On your camera you can choose one of three drive modes.  The standard setting is one shot, which means that when you press the shutter button the camera just takes one single picture.  This is the setting that you'll probably use most of the time.

But what if you want to take an incredible picture of your subject making a soccer goal or diving into a swimming pool?  In these kinds of situations it's very helpful to change your drive mode to continuous mode.  That way, when you keep your finger pressed down on the shutter button the camera will keep continuously taking pictures as fast as it's able to.  So you can photograph an entire sequence of movement and then pick out the photo that captures the exact crucial moment you want to portray.

The continuous mode can also be useful in capturing candid moments.  I'm sure you've all had the experience of trying to take a candid type picture only to later find that you caught someone in an awkward mid-blink moment, or with their mouth weirdly open or something like that.  With the continuous mode, you can capture a sequence of interactions and then go back and find the perfect non-awkward frame.  Yay!

The third setting is the self timer.  You can use this with a tripod (or set your camera on a table, etc.) so you can get in the picture!  After you focus and push the button there will be a delay in which you can hurry into position (on my camera I have a choice between a 2 second delay and a 10 second delay).  There's a small light on the front of the camera that will blink and then stay on when it's about to take the picture.

Knowing about drive modes is just another way to help you to capture the perfect shot!  Have fun with it!

Photography with Jessica - Lighting

In the world of photography, lighting is extremely important!  It really makes or breaks a picture.  It's what makes the difference between an everyday snapshot and an awesome photo, and after today you'll know how to deal with it like a pro!

The first thing you need to know is that the camera does not process light and shadow the same way our eyes do.  Our eyes are really good at taking in a scene which contains both bright areas and shadowy areas, but a camera can't do that.  In your photos you can only expose properly for the light areas or the dark areas.  If you choose your exposure for the light areas, the shadowed areas will look super dark.  If you choose your exposure for the darker areas, the highlighted areas will be over-bright.  Either of these look especially bad when it happens on a person!  So in order to learn to master lighting, you need to find/create situations in which there isn't so much contrast between the light and dark parts of the scene.

So there are a couple of no-fail lighting situations where it's easy to get a great picture.  The first is shooting on an overcast day.  In that case, you can shoot anywhere and in any direction and it will look good because the clouds diffuse the sunlight, eliminating the harsh light/shadow contrast (remember you can click on any of these photos to enlarge).

The second is shooting in what's called open shade, which means that you're not really deep into a shaded area, but are near the edge of the shade closer to the light.  And when you shoot in the shade, you want to have your subject face towards the light so you don't get what's commonly referred to as "dead eyes".  You want the light to reflects as catch lights which gives the eyes life and sparkle!  This particular photo was taken under the small shaded overhang of a building.

While shooting in overcast situations and in open shade can be great, I really love using sunlight!  The best times to shoot with sunlight are within the first hour or so after sunrise or in the last hour or two before sunset.  At these times the light is soft, golden and beautiful.  Soft light doesn't produce the harsh contrast that you get at other times of the day.   I like to use back lighting in these morning and evening situations (more on that coming right up).

Indoors near a large window with indirect lighting you can also get nice soft light!

Another important aspect of lighting is the direction that it's coming from.  This can be divided into three main categories:  side lighting, front lighting and back lighting.

This illustration is a perfect tool in understanding the direction that the light is coming from and what it does to your subject.

You can see how the light coming from the side (and slightly downward) creates a highlighted area, and then shadows gradually wrap around to the shaded side.  This is what gives the sphere dimension.  Without this shading, the sphere would just appear as a plain, flat circle.  This is a perfect example of what happens with side lighting.

You can see how the side lighting on subject's face looks just like what is happening on the sphere illustration.  The areas receiving the light from the windows are the highlighted areas, then the shadow gradually wraps around the contours of the face, giving a beautiful sense of dimension.

Front lighting would be as if you were looking at the sphere from the same direction as the light was coming.  You would only see the highlighted areas, and the shadows are now lost from your view.  This produces a flatter, two dimensional look.  But this can be flattering because it tends to minimize the appearance of any imperfections such as blemishes or wrinkles (since they do not cast a shadow as they would with side lighting).

My favorite is back lighting!  This would be as if you were looking at the sphere directly opposite from where the light was coming, so you would just see the shaded side of your subject.  I love the soft hazy look that the light creates as it comes directly at the lens!

Remember that you are now on the shaded side of your subject, and in order for your subject to be properly exposed (not too dark), you'll need to over-expose the scene in general.  You can see that the background is very bright and over-exposed, but the subject is perfectly exposed (with no harsh contrast) and that's what's important.

So go out and start  experimenting with lighting!  It's a really fun subject and it's so exciting when it all begins to make sense and your pictures begin to look amazing!

Photography with Jessica - Composition Part 4

Here is a great topic to close out our set of posts on composition: perspective! The perspective from which you can take a photo can be infinitely variable, yet we often find ourselves stuck in the rut of taking photos from our normal, everyday perspective (what we see from our eye level). I challenge you to go out and find a subject, then try to photograph it from every different angle you can think of!

Next time we'll delve into the beautiful (but often baffling) subject of lighting.