Digital Photography Lighting - Natural vs Artificial Lighting

If you are planning on taking high quality pictures that really capture the moment, digital photography lighting must be in place. Lighting is something that is often overlooked by amateur photographers, but it is a must for taking great photos. Lighting is one of the most important aspects of digital photography and is often the difference between a timeless photograph, and a photograph that gets deleted instantly.

When referring to digital photography lighting, some people might picture in their head elaborate light setups. However, natural light is usually all that is required to take great photos. Professional photographers will often say that the best natural lighting conditions take place during sunset and sunrise. Some photographers believe there to be a window of about 10 minutes during sunset or sunrise where the natural photo lighting conditions are optimum.

Photography in the middle afternoon house where sunlight is at its peak, is usually avoided by most photographers. This does not seem to stop many beginning photographers as they will attempt to take photos at times when the natural lighting conditions significantly reduce the chance of taking a quality picture. Even a polarizer will not help to reduce sunlight on these bright, sunny afternoons.

Along with sunlight, excessively overcast and cloudy conditions are often avoided by photographers as well. It is possible to get some great shots with an overcast sky, but it can be difficult. The photographer just needs to know the right angles and aspects to maximize the quality of the photo. The reality is, expert photographers can take amazing photographs in any lighting situation. However, for the novice photographer, it is best to avoid excessively sunny or overcast conditions.

Sometimes the natural lighting conditions are far from ideal, and a photographer just cannot work with them. At this point, many photographers will opt to use artificial lighting. Artificial lighting can be something as simple as a camera's built-in flash, or additional flash equipment. It could also consist of digital light stands or a complete studio setup with artificial lighting.

The lighting options you have available to you will depend on several things including your budget, the subject matter of the photograph, and the natural lighting conditions at the time of your picture taking. Natural lighting will almost always be all that is required for your digital photography lighting, and only in certain situations is artificial lighting necessary.

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