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You might have often found yourself asking these questions: “Which lighting must I use in my projects? Should I go with natural light or studio lighting?” The truth is that there’s no right or wrong answer as each photographer is allowed to have his/her own preference. I for one use both. Who says you can’t have the best of both worlds? What’s important is just to know the pros and cons of using each medium. Let’s start with studio lighting. Its big advantage is that it allows you to hold full control over the lighting you’ll need for a particular image. It gives you flexibility by giving you the ability to adjust the levels according to what the photo will require. Also, there are certain images that will require you to use this particular kind of light. When taking photographs of things like food, jewelry, and small toys, it would be extremely difficult for you to use natural light since those images will need highly controlled lighting. Imagine taking a photo of an ice cream in sunlight. No, it simply would not work. Artificial light in a studio will do the trick for that one. But then again, this is not to say that using studio lighting is the only way to go. Shoots that involve human subjects, for instance, will give you the freedom to choose between the two media. I have a few examples here that may help illustrate the matter clearly: 1. I have an experience in artistic nude photography and I am going to describe how the lighting worked in one photo I’ve done. The picture was taken indoors, but I used only natural light. It might seem pretty tricky since a perfect balance of light and shade is required in that situation. Moderate clouds were able to soften the much muted sunlight. And the walls, in addition to a single reflector in front, served to reflect light that filled the shadow areas. 2. The photo here was taken outdoors using the natural sunlight. 3. The next photo, on the other hand, was taken indoors using solely studio lighting. 4. The last example is a kind of image that can be taken using either sunlight or studio lighting. In this particular photo, natural light peering through a partially opened Venetian blind was used. The same trick using blinds can be achieved through studio lighting as well, as seen in similar shots taken by other photographers. In those illustrations, different sources of light were used to create three different photographs. You’ll often have the freedom to choose which medium you will use. There are moments, however, wherein you’ll be forced to choose one over the other. For instance, the sunlight might be inadequate or too harsh for you to insist on using natural light. On the other hand, studio lighting might not be available and you’ll have no choice but to use sunlight instead. There are different approaches one can use in creating beautiful images and it’s up to the flexibility and versatility of the photographer to decide which one he/she must choose. Links: 1. Standard 5-in-1 Reflector Disc (32"/80cm) • http://www.hypop.com.au/accessories/reflectors/standard-5-in-1-reflector-disc-32-80cm-by-hypop.html 2. 312 LED Dimmable 3200K-5600K Colour Video Light • http://www.hypop.com.au/continuous-lighting/led-video-lighting/312-led-dimmable-3200k-5600k-colour-video-light-by-hypop.html
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