Today is the very first Monday Lesson!  What is it?  Well, many of my clients and friends come to me asking for tips & tricks on how to take better pictures of their children.  All of the new technology at our hands can make picture taking very intimidating and confusing.  So, I have decided to take a little time every Monday to share some advice and tech info with you.  I am going to try and tackle topics that I think you are facing and working with.  I am also very open to hearing ideas for lessons so if you have something that you want to know about feel free to suggest it to me in the comments section.  Okay, so here goes the first one!

Today I am going to talk about light and what kinds of light you should search for when taking a photo.  Photography is all about light.  If the light is ugly then usually the picture will be as well.  Your camera's flash is usually pretty unflattering too.  It causes harsh shadows, which can accentuate wrinkles and make the picture have a harsh feel.  Sometimes a flash is necessary but not always.  So, how can you avoid using a flash and still have enough light for an image?  You need to start looking for the light and moving your subject into the best light.  Now this is not always possible (you can't move your kid's soccer game) but when it is, you need to try and do it.  So here are some types of light to look for...


I am sure many of you have heard the terms "natural light" or "window light" but may not really know what that means.  So, natural light just means using the light that is available and not adding any light (like a flash).  Window light is exactly what it sounds like- light coming in from a window.  The thing that makes window light nice is that it is usually somewhat indirect and the window helps diffuse and soften the light making it more flattering and reducing harsh shadows.  On another Monday, I will post a lesson on how to use window light because it can be tricky.

Today I am going to focus on my favorite type of light for easy shooting outdoors- open shade.  Okay, so what does that mean?  Basically open shade is a shady spot that is not dappled or too dark.  It is open, fairly bright and free of unflattering shadows.  An bright overcast day is awesome!  It is like having open shade everywhere!  What is really great about an overcast day is that your subject won't be squinting and they'll be more at ease and your children can run around and the open shade is everywhere.  Where else can you find open shade?  Here are some places to look:  under a veranda, on the side of a building, or under a large tree.  Be careful under trees though!  You do not want dappled shade.  If you have little spots of sun and shade on someone's face that will not work well.  Also be aware that if the day is really overcast or dark it may feel too gloomy.  Oh, and one last thing, make sure your flash is set to OFF or you'll negate the nice, soft effects of the shade.

So, would you like to see a real life example?  I thought so.  I took this picture using my Canon EOS 5D in my backyard on an overcast day.  I took 13 shots in the series.  Here is the shot that I liked most.  It is uncropped and I did minor retouching (he had some little unknown crusty stuff on his chin).  Here is the tech info for the shot for those of you who are curious: F 2.8, Shutter speed 1/160, 28 mm lens, ISO 1600.  For those of you who understand ISO, you may think that 1600 is pretty high (and it can be) but the 5D handles high ISO shooting so well that it still looks nice and not noisy.  So, if none of that tech info makes sense to you, just blow it off and re-read the part about the light.  That is really the most critical part.  We'll start working our way through the rest next Monday!

I really like the shot in sepia and have it printed 16x24 at my studio.

So, there you have it!  Now, your assignment is to keep a lookout for a nice overcast day and go practice.  I'd love to see some of your shots too.  Feel free to comment and post links to your images. 

Stay tuned for next Monday's lesson and have a great week!