The Essential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight

The post The Essential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Bruce Wunderlich.

If you want to photograph birds in flight like a pro, then you’ve come to the right place.

As a longtime bird photographer, I’ve spent countless hours tracking birds through the viewfinder, dealing with the frustration, the difficulties, and the exhilaration that comes from nailing a perfect shot.

I’ve made plenty of mistakes – and I’ve also discovered many, many tips and techniques that’ll instantly elevate your photos.

And in this article, I aim to share it all. I’ll explain all the birds in flight photography basics, including gear choice, location choice, lighting, composition, and more.

Let’s dive right in.

1. Pick the best location for flying birds

Beautiful flying bird photography begins with your location.

Certain areas will have no birds at all; others may have birds, but they’ll be in the wrong places, or in a place that offers limited photo access. In my experience, it’s best to set up near rivers or lakes, because they offer an abundant food source for the birds, and you’ll often be able to move along the water’s edge for different angles.

You might also try doing a quick search online for the best birding locations near you. Alternatively, you can find a birding forum or a birding blog that lists bird count data; that way, you can head to the locations that interest you based on your target bird species.

Once you’ve found a location, observe the flying birds for a few moments. Look for a position – on a bank or a hill – that will put you as close to the bird’s level as possible. (In other words, you don’t want to be shooting up at the birds from below or down at the birds from above. You want the most direct, dead-ahead angle possible.)

And check out the position of the sun, because you should not be shooting into it. Light coming from behind you or from the left or the right of your position is preferred.

Also, birds will generally take off and land into the wind, so knowing the wind direction will help you predict the flight path of the birds you are photographing.

Finding the best bird in flight locations will take a lot of trial and error. Many of the locations you check out will be duds – but it’ll be worth it, because very occasionally, you’ll find an area you can return to again and again and again. Scout enough locations, and you’ll end up with a good list of these hotspots!

2. Shoot during the best light

If you want great birds in flight photos, you need to head out during the best light, at least when you’re just starting out.

(Over time, you’ll learn tricks for working in bad light – but as a beginner, shooting in dismal light is a recipe for dismal photos.)

So what counts as the best light for birds in flight photography?

The golden light of morning and evening, often referred to as the golden hours, is perfect, thanks to its gorgeous, soft effect. Really, as long as you shoot in the two hours after sunrise and the two hours before sunset, the light will look great (though remember that you need to carefully choose your position; you want the birds to be illuminated from the front, not the back!).

Also, because you’re photographing birds in the air, you’ll still get nice lighting on your subject even if you shoot a little before or after the golden hours (just make sure the light doesn’t get too harsh!).

3. Make yourself invisible

Most birds are various levels of skittish, so if your goal is to capture frame-filling images, you need to make yourself as invisible as possible.

Start by avoiding brightly colored clothing. You can also stay low to the ground as you approach a bird hotspot or use natural cover (e.g., trees). As you get more serious, you might consider wearing camouflage clothing, using a blind, or even shooting from your car window (birds tend to be less bothered by cars, so you can often drive close to birds that would normally fly away).

Once you’ve found a nice spot, keep relatively still. Don’t make any sudden movements. Instead, keep everything slow and steady as you set up your camera, then take a seat if you can (I recommend maintaining that low profile).

4. Use the right gear

You can photograph birds in flight with pretty much any modern DSLR or mirrorless camera, but the best models offer:

• A viewfinder (so you can easily track the birds as they fly across the sky)
• Fast continuous shooting speeds (so you can capture a sequence of split-second images, at least one of which will hopefully look good)
• Good high-ISO performance (so you can boost your camera’s ISO in low light without worrying about noise)
• Good autofocus performance (so you can track your subject as it weaves and dives through the air)

Often, you’ll need to compromise when starting out, but try to check as many of the above boxes as possible.

You’ll also want to get the best possible lens, which will generally offer these four features:

• A long focal length (at least 300mm, though 500mm or 600mm is better)
• A wide maximum aperture (f/4 is ideal, but f/5.6-f/6.3 can work, too, especially if you don’t plan to shoot in low light)
• Sharp optics
• Fast autofocus

Again, a compromise is likely in order here; the best birds in flight photography lenses cost thousands of dollars, which just doesn’t make sense for a beginner. So get the best lens you can afford, then learn to use it well!

I’d also recommend you grab a sturdy tripod and a good gimbal head. It’ll help you balance your setup while tracking birds (though a less expensive option is a pan head, which can also work well). Finally, while ball heads can be used for birds in flight photography, they’re not a very stable solution for large lenses, so I don’t generally recommend them.

5. Study your subject

If you want to become a great bird photographer, then you’ll need to study birds.

Why? Once you know birds, you can predict their movements. For instance, many birds, especially the larger species like herons or eagles, will relieve themselves just before they fly. Knowing this can give you a split-second warning that translates into a beautiful takeoff shot.

Really, a lot of this studying will occur while you’re out photographing. Just by watching the birds, by identifying their behavioral habits, by seeing what they do and when they do it, you’ll accumulate plenty of useful knowledge.

For instance, did you know that shorebirds tend to run down the beach in a consistent direction? So if you want close-up shots of skittish shorebirds in flight, determine their direction, position yourself down the beach, get on the ground, and wait for them to come to you!

(That’s the kind of thing you learn after spending hours and hours watching birds on a beach!)

6. Get your birds in flight camera settings right

To determine the right camera settings for birds in flight photography, you’ll need to balance your artistic needs – such as depth of field and sharpness – with exposure needs. And it can get a little complex.

However, I do have some recommendations that should simplify the process immensely.

First, use Aperture Priority mode; that way, you have control over your aperture and ISO at all times (and by boosting your ISO or widening the aperture, you can increase the shutter speed).

Second, set your aperture to around f/8 or so. This is where your lens will be most crisp, plus it will give you enough depth of field to get wingtip-to-wingtip sharpness.

Third, set your ISO to its lowest value, which is generally around ISO 100. The goal here is to avoid boosting the ISO, which will create noise. That said, when photographing in low light, you’ll need to raise the ISO to increase the shutter speed.

Now, in birds in flight photography, the shutter speed is probably the most essential setting, because if you get it too slow, the bird’s wings will blur, and this rarely looks good. In general, I’d recommend using a shutter speed of at least 1/1000s, and 1/2000s and beyond is better. (Your minimum shutter speed will change, though, depending on the speed of the bird; large birds in flight, like herons and geese, are slow, whereas small birds in flight, such as wrens, dart through the sky.)

Anyway, dial in the aperture and ISO, then look at your shutter speed, which your camera will select based purely on exposure considerations. Ask yourself: Is this shutter speed fast enough? If so, then you’re golden – but if not, you’ll need to either raise your ISO or widen your aperture so that your camera has enough light to boost the shutter speed.

I’d recommend boosting the ISO before you adjust the aperture. But if your ISO is creeping into noisy territory, it might make sense to widen the aperture rather than risk a too-noisy image.

Once you’ve dialed in all your settings, I’d recommend doing a quick test. Capture a few photos of nearby birds (they don’t need to be well composed – the goal is to make sure your shutter speed is fast enough and your aperture is narrow enough). Zoom in on your camera LCD, make sure everything looks good, then have fun photographing birds in flight!

7. Learn good focusing technique

Birds are fast, which means you’ll need to put in some serious work to get consistently sharp shots.

First, you’ll need to set your camera to its continuous focusing mode. That way, whenever you half press the shutter button, the focus will engage – then it will refocus as your subject moves. (Nikon and many other manufacturers call this mode “AF-C,” though Canon calls it “AI Servo.”)

You should set your camera to its fastest burst mode, also known as its continuous shooting mode. This will let you capture a series of images in quick succession as a bird flies by.

Next, you’ll want to engage your camera’s tracking AF-area mode. It’ll tell your camera to track the bird through the frame, even as it flies left and right, up and down, etc. The specifics will depend on your camera, but some form of “tracking” should do the trick. Also, if your camera offers it, try activating your animal Eye AF, which will specifically identify and track birds’ eyes through the frame.

Then, once your camera is set, start focusing on the bird when it’s either a) perching and about to take off, or b) flying far off in the distance. Half-press the shutter button, and keep tracking the bird as it takes off and/or comes closer. Once the bird flies into the prime area, press the shutter button down completely, fire off a burst of shots, and – fingers crossed! – you’ll get a good result.

A few additional tips:

When the bird flies by, keep panning even after you’ve stopped shooting. This follow-through motion will keep your last image in focus better than an abrupt stop.

Also, when panning as the bird flies by, you want to match your panning speed to that of the bird. Even if you’re forced to drop your shutter speed, perfect panning will keep the bird sharp while the background blurs.

Aim to keep the bird’s eye in focus and sharp; this is key. If you are handholding your setup, try to keep your left hand under the barrel of your lens and your elbows close to your body, as this will help you maneuver the camera as steadily as possible. If you are standing, keep your legs spread out to create a good sturdy base.

Finally, if you’re planning to hold your location and position for a time, I recommend a tripod. This will help keep your camera steady, especially if you’re using a very heavy lens.

8. Aim for a powerful composition

Composition can be tough for beginner bird photographers, but don’t worry; there are a few basic rules you can use to capture consistently well-composed birds in flight shots.

First, you can always use the rule of thirds, which tells you to position the bird (or the bird’s eye) a third of the way into the frame, rather than dead center.

And I’d also recommend using the rule of space, which urges you to put more space in front of the bird than behind it (a good guideline is to have at least two to three times the space in front of the bird, which will help you follow the rule of thirds anyway!).

Also, while most birds in flight photography includes just one bird, look for those occasions where you can capture two or three birds at once for a well-arranged result.

Birds in flight photography: final words

Birds in flight photography isn’t easy, and it will take lots of practice to get that perfect shot.

But once you get it right, you will be hooked!

So remember these tips, get out with your camera, and have fun!

Now over to you:

Which of this birds in flight advice do you plan to use? What birds do you plan to photograph? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post The Essential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Bruce Wunderlich.

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9 Tips for Eye-Catching Street Portrait Photography

The post 9 Tips for Eye-Catching Street Portrait Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anthony Epes.

Street portrait photography is incredibly fun and rewarding, but it’s not always easy to capture a great image. You might struggle to find the right subjects and the right compositions – or you might feel uncomfortable photographing people as you pass them in the streets.

Personally, I love taking street portraits, and in this article, I share all of my favorite tips and techniques for beautiful results. I explain how to work with different backgrounds, how to capture interesting poses, and how to approach people so you can capture a quick shot. By the time you’re done, you’ll be ready to create interesting and evocative images of your very own.

So whether you’re a street portrait beginner or you simply want to level up your existing skills, read on!

1. Keep your photos simple

When it comes to street portraits, simplicity is your friend. Aim for simple subjects, simple backgrounds, and simple compositions.

So before pressing the shutter button, carefully observe the scene. Are there unnecessary elements? Is the background simple enough to emphasize the subject? Does the entire shot feel balanced and uncluttered?

If you do notice unnecessary parts of a composition, try to remove them. Sometimes, this is as simple as moving a few steps to the right or the left. Other times, you may need to get close, move farther away, or get up high.

Pro tip: One of the quickest ways to ruin a street portrait is by including a busy, complex background. A busy background will make your image look flat, it will swallow up your subject, and it’ll distract the viewer’s eye. Personally, I love backgrounds that are clean, colorful, and strong, like this:

The line in the middle nicely balances the subject, plus the strength of the colors and line contrasts nicely with the older man.

2. Break the world into elements

Composition is a fundamental part of street portrait photography, but it’s often a sticking point for beginners. After all, how do you arrange the elements of a scene for that perfect amount of dynamism and balance?

My advice? Try to break down the world into elements. Then tell yourself that you’re simply organizing the world in an interesting way.

See, 3D eyes and brains make things unnecessarily complex, and – as I discussed in the previous tip – the best street portraits tend to be simple. So you need to see the world simply, too.

You might break down the world into objects (e.g., roads, windows, doors, bricks, roofs, people, etc.). Or you might go even further and view the world in terms of geometry (e.g., squares, circles, rectangles, and so on). Either can work; the key is to pick a method and stick with it.

Then build your composition from there. Look for relationships among the different elements. Consider ways they can balance out one another across the frame. Remember: You only need one or two interesting elements to make a photo. If you can identify the right elements, and you can put them together in the right way, you’ll end up with a beautiful image.

3. Use a slow, contemplative approach

When you first start shooting street portraits, it can be a scary experience. You might find yourself rushing in an attempt to prevent tension between yourself and your subject.

But here’s the problem:

The best street photography requires contemplation. You need to take a proper look at your subject – especially their eyes, which tell you how the subject is feeling and even thinking.

So do what you can to relax into the experience. Go slow. If you need to, use your camera as a sort of shield between yourself and your subject; that way, you feel less tension, and you can spend time observing your subject’s face and understanding how they really feel.

If you’re just starting out, you can ease into this approach. First, simply look through your camera without firing the shutter. Then once you feel comfortable looking, take an image. Over time, you’ll gain confidence, and you’ll be able to see a subject and capture a photo in a single instant.

4. Look for weird or humorous situations

Some of the best street portraits show the viewer something unexpected or even humorous. It’s one of the simplest ways to get started capturing meaningful street photos – plus, when you’re out shooting, it’ll give you some direction and keep you aware of your surroundings.

For instance, you might look for people making unusual gestures or expressions:

Or you might capture subjects that offer an interesting juxtaposition with background elements:

Note that your images don’t need to be eye-popping odd or laugh-out-loud funny. Just train yourself to notice interesting or confusing behavior – and as soon as it happens, raise the camera to your eye and take a photo. Some of the shots will work and others won’t. That’s okay! With practice, you’ll refine your style. In the meantime, have fun experimenting!

5. Find a great background and wait

There is a simple technique among serious street photographers:

You find an interesting location, such as a colorful background, an eye-catching display, or even a sign. Then you wait for someone to walk in front. If you pick an area with significant foot traffic, the right person will meander on through, and you’ll get your street portrait – one that combines a stunning background and an interesting subject.

Plus, when you continually gaze at one area for many long minutes, you become very familiar with it. You notice things that you didn’t initially see, and you start to understand what makes the location special. You may even decide to come back a second or third or tenth time – in different conditions, under different lighting, using different compositions.

Of course, this technique does require patience, which is a very good thing for a street shooter to develop (and something that beginners often lack). If you find yourself struggling to stay in one place for more than a few seconds, remind yourself that a good scene will appear; you just have to be ready when it does!

6. Make use of color

Some street portraitists prefer to shoot in black and white – but personally, I have always liked shooting in color. Color allows you to communicate different feelings, and you can use it to move the viewer, just the same as you can move them with light or interesting subjects.

So as you walk with your camera, look for color. Notice colorful backgrounds, notice the color of subjects’ clothing, notice the color of the shopping bags in their hands. And when you find pairs of colors that seem to work well together, take a photo!

You can also approach color street portraits in a more deliberate way. Colors communicate different feelings (e.g., yellow is warm and happy, green is peaceful, red signals confidence or anger). If you have a feeling in mind, you can find the right background colors – then you can wait (using the technique from the previous tip!) until the perfect subject walks through.

7. Don’t be afraid to ask strangers for a photo

Photographing people up close can be intimidating. But most people are happy to be photographed! That’s essential to remember when you’re going out and about with your camera.

It’s especially true if you ask permission first. Simply be confident and friendly. Say, politely, “Would you mind if I take your photo?” Sometimes, you can simply gesture to your camera, and you’ll get a nod or smile in return.

After all, humans are built to connect with other humans, and photography is a powerful form of connection. When you take someone’s photo, you are basically saying, “I see you! You matter.” And for most people, that’s a wonderful compliment.

But be ethical in your approach. Don’t photograph kids or the obviously vulnerable, and if someone doesn’t wish to be photographed, simply walk away. Photography is an exchange, and if you photograph someone, it should be with respect.

8. Pay attention to gestures

The more closely you watch humans, the more they reveal themselves through gestures. And it’s in that moment – when a gesture occurs and conveys something meaningful – that you can capture an interesting portrait.

Note that gestures simply refer to movements of the body. So a person can create powerful gestures with their hands, but also their eyes, their legs, their fingers, or even their feet.

When it comes to capturing gestures, you should pay careful attention to timing. A millisecond can be the difference between a stunning shot of an evocative gesture or a boring, flat shot with nothing at all – so practice hitting the shutter button at the exact right moment. (You might also consider using your camera’s continuous shooting mode, especially when starting out.)

I took the image below for a project on stomachs. Each photo from the project was totally different; the way that a person presented their stomach and the gestures they made conveyed so much about their personality and about how they feel about themselves.

9. Be yourself

When I lead workshops, I’m often confronted with concerns about originality. My students worry about how over-photographed the world seems. They worry they won’t have anything interesting to contribute and that it’s all been done before.

That’s the wrong way to think about street portrait photography.

Of course the world is heavily photographed, and it has been for years. But the world isn’t static. It’s an ever-changing, ever-moving organism. Nothing stays the same, so the possibilities for original and interesting photos are literally infinite.

Plus, while the world itself might be frequently photographed, individuals are not. Of how many street portraits have you been the subject? The answer is “not many,” right? My point is that, by finding individuals to photograph, you’re creating new and interesting photos.

More importantly, though, photography is an expression of who you are. You might start out by capturing unoriginal photos. But the more you fire that camera, the more you’ll create images that are a total expression of you: your passions, your experience, and your way of seeing the world. And that is enough to create the unique and interesting photographs you’re aiming for.

Street portrait photography: final words

Street portraits might seem difficult to create, but they’re not as tough as you might think. Hopefully, this article has helped you recognize how to get some beautiful results!

Now over to you:

What street portraits do you plan to take? Which of these tips do you plan to implement first? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Table of contents

Street Photography

• GENERAL
  • 10 Tips for the Aspiring Street Photographer
  • 7 Street Photography Rules That Should Be Broken
  • How to Approach Street Photography in 12 Easy Steps
  • 50 Things I Try to Avoid in Street Photography
  • 5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Help Improve Your People Photography
  • 5 Exercises to Improve Your Street Photography
• PREPARATION
  • 7 Steps to Get Over Your Fear of Street Photography
  • How to Plan a Street Photography Shoot When Traveling
• SETTINGS
  • Zone Focusing: How to (Always) Capture Sharp Street Photos
  • What are the Best Street Photography Camera Settings and Why
• LIGHTING
  • There is No Bad Light for Street Photography
  • Make the Most of High Contrast Lighting for Dramatic Street Photos
• COMPOSITION
  • The Importance of Capturing Gesture and Emotion in Street Photography
  • Seeing and Street Photography
    • 13 Great Subjects for Urban Night Photography
  • How to Avoid Distracting Backgrounds in Street Photography
  • How the Square Format Can Enhance Your Street Photography
  • Tips for Minimalist Photography in an Urban Environment
  • How to Improve the Impact of Your Urban Images Using Lines
  • How to Use Framing in an Urban Environment
• GEAR
  • 5 Reasons Why Shooting With a Rangefinder Will Make You a Better Street Photographer
  • Pros and Cons of a Telephoto Lens for Street Photography?
  • The Five Key Features on any Street Photography Camera
  • Which Street Photography Lens is Right for You?
  • 6 Reasons Why You Should Use a Standard Lens for Street Photography
  • A Look at the Fujifilm X100V in Action for Street Photography (video)
  • How to Use a Wide-Angle Lens for People Photography
  • Street Photography with $10 Ilford HP5 Film Camera
• ADVANCED GUIDES
  • 8 Advanced Street Photography Tips to Get You to the Next Level
  • Getting Close and Personal: 11 Tips for Close-up Candid Street Photography
  • 7 Tips for a More Anonymous Approach to Street Photography
  • A Cowards Guide to Street Photography
  • 6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography
  • 9 Tips for Creating Great Street Portraits

    • 1. Keep your photos simple
    • 2. Break the world into elements
    • 3. Use a slow, contemplative approach
    • 4. Look for weird or humorous situations
    • 5. Find a great background and wait
    • 6. Make use of color
    • 7. Don’t be afraid to ask strangers for a photo
    • 8. Pay attention to gestures
    • 9. Be yourself
    • Street portrait photography: final words
    • 1. Keep your photos simple
    • 2. Break the world into elements
    • 3. Use a slow, contemplative approach
    • 4. Look for weird or humorous situations
    • 5. Find a great background and wait
    • 6. Make use of color
    • 7. Don’t be afraid to ask strangers for a photo
    • 8. Pay attention to gestures
    • 9. Be yourself
    • Street portrait photography: final words
  • Street Portraits vs Street Photography: What is the Difference?
  • 17 Tips for Shooting Better Urban Portraits
  • What Makes A Great Street Photograph and How Do We Create Them
  • How to Tell a Story With Your Street Photography
  • In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography
  • 7 Tips for Urban Landscape Photography
  • A Street Photographer’s Guide to New York City
  • Urban Exploration Photography – Urbex
  • 7 Tips for Capturing the Decisive Moment in Street Photography
  • A Common Misconception About Street Photography – Just Take Photos of People Walking
  • What do I look for on a Photo Walk? Part 1 – City Walk
  • 8 Things You Should Know if You are Dating a Street Photographer
  • 7 Ways to Become More Spontaneous with Your Street Photography
  • 5 Essential Shots You Need to Get for Street Market Photography
  • Using Humor In Street Photography
  • Watch a Street Photographer Going about a Shoot [VIDEO]
  • Using Street Photography to See Beyond the Ordinary
• CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
  • 5 Tips for Shooting Glass to Enhance Your Street Photographs
  • Window Street Photography ~ Try Something New And Grow!
  • The Pros and Cons of Black and White Versus Color for Street and Travel Photography
  • 4 Ways to Add a Sense of Motion to Your Urban Photography
  • 7 Steps to Create Street Photography Silhouettes
• POST-PROCESSING
  • How to Enhance Urban Night Photographs Using Luminosity Masks in Photoshop
  • 13 Steps for Editing Street Photography in Lightroom from Start to Finish
  • How to Turn Day to Night Using Photoshop for Urban Landscapes
• BUSINESS
  • Model Releases: Working with People on the Streets
• INSPIRATION
  • 20 Beautiful Examples of Urban Decay Photography
  • 30 Street Photography Images to Inspire You
  • 33 Gritty Photos of Graffiti Street Art
  • 28 Diverse Images That Showcase People Photography
  • 39 Street Photography Images That Have Common Threads
  • Focus on Thomas Leuthard – Street Photographer
  • Focus on Street Photographer Eric Kim ~ In your face with a smile!
  • Focus on Chris Porsz ~ It’s All About The People
  • Focus on Scott Frederick – Urban Explorer
• OPINION
  • The Uncomfortable Truth About Street Photography
  • Street Photography: Exploitative vs Respect
  • To be or not to be a Street Photographer
  • Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

The post 9 Tips for Eye-Catching Street Portrait Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anthony Epes.

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Front Light Photography: A Complete Guide

The post Front Light Photography: A Complete Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

What is front lighting in photography? And how can you use front light to capture stunning photos?

In this article, I break it all down for you:

• What front light is
• When you should use front light (and when you should avoid it)
• How to work with front light to create the best images

Front light photography is powerful, it looks great, and it can certainly level up your portfolio – so if you’re ready to become a lighting master, then let’s dive right in, starting with the basics:

What is front light photography?

Front light illuminates the subject from the front, which means that the light itself generally comes from behind the photographer. In other words, the light travels over the photographer’s shoulder and impacts the subject head-on.

Because front lighting hits objects directly, front-lit photos tend to feature limited shadows and eye-catching, in-your-face subjects. Here’s an example front-lit image; pay attention to how the front of the hook is bright and lacks shadows:

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/8 | 1/100s | ISO 200

Note, however, that front lighting can come from high above the subject, far below the subject, or on a level with the subject. The angle of the front light source will determine shadow strength and positioning. While a scene that’s front-lit from the subject’s level will feature limited (or zero) shadows, a scene that’s front-lit from high above will generally have more noticeable shadows (e.g., shadows below a portrait subject’s nose and chin).

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/5.6 | 1/320s | ISO 200

When should you use front light?

Because front light produces minimal shadows, front-lit photography tends to look flat and lack depth. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re looking to create deep, three-dimensional images, side light – which comes from beside your subject and features lots of shadows – is often the better choice.

On the other hand, front light is great for capturing two-dimensional abstract shots:

Nikon D800 | 35mm | f/6.3 | 1/640s | ISO 200

It’s also good for many types of nature photography – including bird, wildlife, and macro photography – as it tends to clearly illuminate the subject and the background.

I’m a particular fan of using front light in portrait photography:

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/5.6 | 1/250s | ISO 200

Front lighting makes skin look smoother, particularly when the light is filtered and soft – while side lighting has a tendency to emphasize skin blemishes and wrinkles.

Plus, when a subject is front-lit, it’s easier to capture a well-exposed image.

Why? Front light tends to be very even, so your camera won’t struggle to determine proper exposure settings. For this reason, if you like to use your camera on an automatic or semi-automatic exposure mode, front light will often get you great results.

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/11 | 1/160s | ISO 400

Tips and techniques for front light photography

In this section, I share my key tips and tricks for front light photography settings, lighting choices, and more.

1. Use open shade for front-lit portraits

As I explained in the previous section, front lighting is great for portrait photography. However, you need to be careful when doing front-lit portraits; unless you’re working on an overcast day or late in the afternoon, a bright sun will produce all sorts of unpleasant shadows. It’ll also cause your subject to squint.

My recommendation? Maintain the front-lit direction, but move your subject into open shade. Position your subject near the edge of the shade, but don’t let them step over the shadow line; that way, their face will be softly illuminated and they won’t need to squint, but you’ll have plenty of bright light to work with.

By the way, you should also pay attention to reflective objects. Light can reflect off the ground, nearby cars, or building walls, and by positioning your subject near these reflective light sources, you can get beautiful effects.

Finally, if you’re stuck shooting with harsh midday light and you cannot move your subject into a shaded area, I encourage you to bring in some artificial lighting. A flash, an LED panel, or even a reflector will reduce hard shadows and add some shape to your subject.

Nikon D800 | 55mm | f/11 | 1/125s | ISO 200

2. Trust your camera’s exposure recommendations

As I emphasized above, front lighting is very even – which means that, when you point your camera at a front-lit subject, you’ll generally get a good exposure reading.

Of course, your camera can still make mistakes, especially when you’re shooting very light or very dark subjects. But overall, front lighting makes for easy exposures, whether you’re using Aperture Priority mode, Shutter Priority mode, Auto mode, or even Manual mode.

So when you’re working with front lighting, don’t stress too much about exposure adjustments and exposure compensation. Instead, review your images for exposure problems, but let your camera do the heavy lifting!

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/4 | 1/640s | ISO 400

3. Don’t be afraid to turn your subject

Front lighting can produce flat images.

And while flat shots can look interesting, many types of photography thrive off of three-dimensionality and depth.

Fortunately, there’s an easy solution:

If your shot is looking a little flat, then just turn your subject. This works great for portraits, and it’s also a good trick for shooting products and certain still-life subjects.

Of course, you don’t want to turn your subject too dramatically, but go for a subtle turn and see what you think. If you’re working with a portrait subject, ask them to turn slowly, and carefully watch how the light and shadows affect their face. (You may only need a slight turn to create a more three-dimensional photo!)

4. Pay attention to the light height

The height of the light source will dramatically affect your photos, so whenever you’re doing front light photography, you must pay careful attention to the light’s position!

Note that this is true for natural light and artificial light – though you do have more control over a flash or LED panel. If the sun is positioned too high or too low, you’ll often need to wait a few hours or come back another day, but if you don’t like the height of your off-camera flash, you can simply raise or lower the light stand. Make sense?

So when you’re using a flash or continuous light, experiment constantly with the light height. And as you work, watch how the light position affects shadows and creates different effects.

You’ll also need to watch out for unpleasant reflections. When shooting shiny subjects, for instance, a light positioned on a level with the subject will reflect right back into the camera lens, producing a distracting highlight. To avoid these reflections, try moving the light higher, lower, or (slightly) to the side.

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/16 | 1/200s | ISO 200

5. Shoot during the golden hours

Afternoon front light can look nice, but if you want to really level up your photos, I encourage you to shoot during the golden hours – that is, the hour or two after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low in the sky and the light is a beautiful golden color.

For one, the low sun produces very even front light, which offers minimal shadows and highly detailed results.

Plus, the light is more diffused – that is, softer – during the golden hours, so the shadows that do appear on your subject will look far more flattering.

And warm, golden light pretty much always looks incredible:

Nikon D800 | 35mm | f/5.6 | 1/160s | ISO 400

Front light photography: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about front light, when you should use it, and how you can adjust your settings and scenes for the best results.

So head out with your camera and do some front lighting practice. See what you think of the results. Carefully watch your subjects and review the images as you work. Pretty soon, you’ll be using front light like a pro!

Now over to you:

When do you plan to use front lighting in your photos? Have you taken any front-lit photos you’re proud of? Share your thoughts – and photos! – in the comments below.

The post Front Light Photography: A Complete Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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