In photography, we cannot present an image without the use of light. The type of light we decide to use is what makes the process an exercise in creativity as much as skill. There is lighting which we deliberately set up to illuminate the subject, mainly flash units and light kits. Then there is ambient light, also known as available light, which already exists in the scene.
Examples of ambient light sources are sunlight, moonlight, candles, lamplights, incandescent lights and streetlights. One of the main advantages of ambient lighting is that it is often free and readily available since it is already found in the environment where you will shoot. The trick is to familiarize yourself its properties and the various ways they can light up the subject matter. Sunlight, for example, can illuminate the same subject in hundreds of ways depending on the time and the weather. Its intensity can vary from the harsh light on a cloudless noon hour to the very soft and diffused light on a misty morning.
same as the light when using a white cardboard. Why not have one of each and experiment with what works best for you for that particular shot.
Ambient light can create a strong mood in the shot since it is a natural element of the scene. Aside from providing illumination, it can also help tell the story or drive home the concept you want to present. By including the light source, for instance, you are introducing a prop which can support the emotional impact of the subject. The ambient light source can even be the subject itself. Certain ambient light sources, such as indoor incandescent light bulbs, leave a strong color cast that, if presented well, can further impact the mood of the shot. The more you practice using ambient lighting in your shots, the more aware you will become of its versatility and can then make full use of this fact.
Tags: ambient light, available light photography tips, lighting tips photography
Sunlight – What could be cheaper than sunlight? It's free, it's natural, it's available everyday, and it can light your subject in different ways depending on the hour. Popular belief maintains that the best time to take pictures with sunlight is when the sun is low in the sky. This would be early morning or late afternoon when the light rays still emit a soft and muted light and there are no harsh shadows. Sunlight can give off dramatic effects such as bathing a flower field in golden hues or driving home the heat with an image of a street vendor at high noon. It can be used for several kinds of shots that you can take in a studio, from macro to portraiture. With sunlight, you don't even have to go out of the house. As long as you have a window that lets in adequate sunshine, then you're ready to shoot.
