Today, a number of people are getting into photography. One of the simplest ways to make your photos stand out is by understanding light and using it to your advantage. After all, what is good photography without properly capturing the lighting? So, if you wish to succeed as a photographer, you must work on your knowledge of lighting. Listed below are some beneficial outdoor and indoor lighting tips for photographers.

Understand the types of lighting
To succeed as a photographer, you must be well-versed about the various types of lighting.

Hard light vs. soft light: A soft light produces a softer difference between shadow and light and casts fewer shadows. It is not directional and disperses in many directions. You can create a soft light with a diffuser. On the contrary, hard light produces harsh shadows and comes from a direction. It yields a dark and moody vibe.

Flash and natural: Natural light is already present in the environment. For instance, sunlight is excellent natural outdoor lighting. Indoor lighting comes from tube lights, candles, and lamps when shooting in interiors. Photographers will also employ the flashlight if there is an absence of sufficient natural light needed for photography.

Color temperature: Light has a color temperature. It is measured in degrees Kelvin. The cooler colors have a higher temperature than warmer colors. You can capture the light’s temperature via the camera’s white balance settings. So, to tune the images, you need to work with the white balance. You can experiment with various lighting designs and sources to understand it better.

Always start shooting in natural light
You can start your adventure as a photographer by clicking photos in natural lighting. It will teach you about professional photography lighting as it removes the basic variable – you cannot control or move the light source. However, you can do things such as shoot at different times of the day, place the subject in front or behind the light, filter the light via a window with shades, or move around to capture the best light.

You will learn a lot about lighting fundamentals. So, do not shy from outdoor shooting and working with different lighting setups, such as dark shadows, filtered light underneath the tree, or on cloudy and sunny days. But what happens when adequate light is not available? For instance, when shooting in a small room indoors, you can add more light by using some lighting solutions. Candles and lamps can help produce some delicate still lifes and intimate portraits. Use the light sources already accessible in the room, and plan the shoot around them.

The closer the lighting solution, the softer the light, and vice versa
It is one of the essential photography lighting tips for beginners. So, if you move the light closer, you make it broader or bigger in relation to your subject. On the contrary, if you move it farther away, you make it relatively smaller or narrower. This can be best understood with the example of the sun, the best natural outdoor lighting source. It is 109 times the earth’s diameter, which is very broad. But since it is about 93 million miles away, it occupies only a minute portion of the sky. Thus, it casts a hard light when it falls onto the subject. So, when you shoot people in the interiors and use artificial indoor lighting, you must place them closer to the lamp or vice versa for a flattering effect.

Use shadows to form a contrast in the images
The more light, the better your photos will be. Photographers use contrast to showcase depth and interest in the photographs. You cannot click an image with a fantastic contrast unless the picture has darker and brighter sections. So, when composing the lighting for the photo, think of what you want to illuminate and what you want to be dark in the pictures. Visualize it well and then position the subjects or the light to form a contrast. Darkness gives a dynamic look to the image, resulting in an interesting photograph. Moreover, removing lighting is always easier and cheaper than adding it.

Be careful with the front lighting
Front light can suppress the foreground texture and de-emphasize it. Hence, front lighting can be excellent for shooting portraits and covering up the blemishes and scars on the subject’s face. If you are into landscape photography, opt for side-lighting instead of front-lighting. It will emphasize the texture of tree barks, bricks, sand, rocks, etc. As a photographer, you have to be prepared for various contingencies. So, it is best to be aware about some basic lighting repairs. These will help during outdoor shoots if lights stop working and you have no substitutes.