Light is probably the most important element of taking beautiful pictures. Without enough light, it’s hard to get correct exposure (which means your pictures will be dark and grainy). Today I want to give a little tip (and show you!) how a simple turn can make an enormous difference in getting correct light for your photos even when it’s overcast without visible sun.
When my daughter got up from her nap today, I put a dress on her, curled her hair and we headed outside to take a few pictures. Right as we went out, a huge rain cloud covered the sun, and it got very dark. Even though it was overcast, we can still look for the light.
Look at this first picture. Notice how dark her eyes are – there is no light reflecting at all. Her skin is gray, no depth in the picture at all. (She’s still cute, though, right?)
For this next picture, all I did was turn her 180 degrees, and look at the difference. Notice especially the light shining in her eyes and how much more even her skin is.
I think the difference is even more dramatic when you take a close-up. This one is back in the original position with her back to the sun. This picture is slightly out of focus, but it still makes my point.
Once again, all I did was turn her 180 degrees, but look at how much different the picture is.
So even on an overcast day, you can look for the light. Turn their faces towards where the sun *should* be. If you’re not sure, then turn them around paying close attention to their eyes. This tip also works when you’re using shade.
Pictures taken with my 50mm 1.4 lens and are SOOC with the exception of adding a small vignette.
Krista says
Great tutorial! Those examples are amazing… night and day truly. This inspires me to go that little extra step to… find the light!
Kim aka MyEbella says
What a simple, easy and great tip! Thanks Melissa!!!