Best Ways to Create Natural-Looking Light Indoors - Omega Broadcast & Cinema

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Best Ways to Create Natural-Looking Light Indoors

Best Ways to Create Natural-Looking Light Indoors

Shooting indoors is great; especially during warm weather. In the cold season or during the rains, you would rather be shooting outside. However, when you must shoot indoors, you need unique skills.

That is not as simple as it sounds unless you are working in a studio. Shooting indoors has challenges and requires specialist skills. Once you learn the art, you will look forward to indoor shooting.

Every photographer wants the ideal lighting conditions for every task. This is especially the case when you are photographing indoors. Trouble is many times when the lighting is not always ideal.

When used correctly, natural light indoors will work miracles, same way like outdoor lighting. That can offer you the chance for creative portraiture using shadows, contrast, and drama.


Make Use of Daylight

When taking pictures indoors during the daytime, you want to make the most of the daylight. Try and place your subjects near windows or doorways. The broad daylight enables you to create some even lighting.

Even when daylight is not your source of light for your subjects, it helps when you are trying to realize an outline or shadowy effect. When you have daylight as your source of light, turning off artificial lighting will prevent contamination.

Daylight may be good for photography, but you must avoid direct sunlight. The sun’s brightness is too harsh and doesn’t augur well for your images.





Move Close To A Broader Source of Light

Taking this step creates soft light that is essential for first-class images. Soft light suppresses texture and minimizes contrast. The broad source of light ensures more rays of light hit your subject from all directions. This eliminates the ghostly effect. When the light source is closer to the subject, it becomes bigger and broader.

Reduce Overhead Lighting

Try and reduce all overhead lighting. Only use overhead lighting when you intend to generate a shadowy effect. Overhead lighting tends to exaggerate the feel of the subject on your image.


When you must use overhead lighting, the subject should be placed several steps from the source of light. That prevents too much light shining directly on them.

Use a Reflector and Diffuser

Reflectors and diffusers are specialized camera props that allow you to ensure you have the lighting that delivers first-class photography. The diffuser makes light broader by scattering it.

This is especially essential when taking pictures in any environment with harsh lighting such as the bright sun. A white fabric, translucent plastic, a scrimp or a light tent work best in diffusing light.

A reflector bounces light off instead of scattering it. Reflectors are essential for nighttime and daytime photography. You can buy a reflector or create one yourself using a white piece of paper. Someone can hold the piece of paper to focus or reflect onto the subject. Reflecting or diffusing light reduces or eliminates the shadowy effect.

Apr 18th 2018

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