Natural Light vs. Studio

[rachb]

So, this is the backstory. I have been doing portfolio building shoots for portrait photography. ALL of these have been outside using natural light, and I'm comfortable with where I am as far as lighting (nothing dynamic, but good exposures) and overall feel of the photo.

I am in training and one of my classmates asked me to take some boudoir photos for her last night for her husband who is deployed, knowing that I'd never done indoor shots or boudoir (it was a just for fun thing, she thought mine would come out better than her self taken P&S shots). Equipped with a speedlite, clamp light, and 5 in 1 reflector, I headed over and took ~200 shots, and she liked 25 of them... but from my standpoint, the lighting was TERRIBLE. Couldn't bounce the flash correctly, pretty sure the reflector was being used completely wrong, and each shot was lit differently. It was late (8pm) so I couldn't use window light. This isn't one of those "If I say they're bad someone will reassure me they were good" posts, they were horrible.

So... if I start a portrait business, is it imperative that I offer "studio" portraits as well as outdoor, natural lighting? I read on here a while back that if you say you are a natural light photographer that just means you don't know how to use lighting. Any thoughts on that? I know indoor lighting takes much more to master, but if I'm not looking to offer wedding/event photography, do I need to work towards perfecting it? I would appreciate any feedback. I had an idea in my head about how I wanted the photos to look, and I completely butchered it!!!

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by rachb

I read on here a while back that if you say you are a natural light photographer that just means you don't know how to use lighting. Any thoughts on that?

A well-natured joke among photographers. The best photographers know how to use both, independently and together. Your choices will vary depending on what you want to do with it.

If you want to get the best out of your speedlight, especially with your T3i: Get a simple stand/swivel/umbrella kit, in the 43" range. Get the flash off camera and into a diffuser and learn to shape it.

[BigFuzzy]

Hi Rachel,

I'm one of the guys that constantly says that it's my belief that MOST people who say they're natural light photogs say so because they don't know how to use or fear flash. It's clearly a broad generalization, but I'd wager I'm way more right than I am wrong.

The problem I have with differentiating is that you shouldn't. Taking photos is all about light as you know. If you're limiting yourself to one type of light, you're limiting yourself in what you can do to achieve your vision.

It's my opinion that a photographer should know how to use all types of light.. then they have a right to chose which to use to fulfill their 'style'. If, in the end, 95% of what you want/will shoot ends up being natural light, great.. but what about the other 5%. As a potential pro do you want to miss out on potential income because you don't know how? To an amateur it matters less, but to a pro lost business is big time, especially in photography.

What happens when you show up at a location and the light is shite? Wouldnt you still want to be able to take well lit images even if it means going away from your preferences? As a pro (and not just someone doing it as a hobby) you're #1 goal is always to get the shot your client wants, period. If you're limited and subsequently put out a crap product your name/brand takes a hit.

So, in my opinion, you as a pro (eventually) have to offer kick-ass images, period. And you should have all the skill/knowledge/kit/etc that gives you the chance to do that. So why bother specifying what type of light you use. Just say. "I'm a pro. I take good photos. Always." end of story.

I know I've over simplified a bit, but I think you get the point of my opinion.
PS It's not at intimidating as it seems at time, but it does take some work. But once you learn you'll see your knowledge of light as a whole take a huge leap forward as I assume your photography will as well.

[graciousness]

I'm in a pickle this weekend with my first paid shoot with THREE families. It's scheduled for outdoors at a park but the weather is not going to cooperate. I've been trying to rack my brain for ideas on plan B should it really rain, but the plan B, regardless, involves shooting indoors.

So this means using flash and whatever gadget required to make it work.

A few months ago, I was one of the newbies that was saying "I only like shooting in natural light" and I got pages after pages of pounding on the importance of knowing how to use flash. So one day a couple of months ago, I braved it and used my flash, learnt bounce and it certainly didn't take that long at all to get an idea that this flash thing is going to turn my world around with my photography.

This means I can have light when I need it!

Using flash and strobes doesn't necessarily mean that you can only do studio type shots. What it simply means is this: flash will give you available light at your command. You can still have candid, action shots of families and people indoors and with flash, you are either supplementing ambient light or adding light where it's lacking.

To give you an idea what I'm talking about, go to the first article on Neil van Niekerk's tangent blog - http://neilvn.com/tangents/.

If you are planning on going pro, you don't want to limit yourself with only one technique. You want to give yourself flexibility to capture the best images that you can anywhere and everywhere at any given situation. It doesn't mean needing a studio and requiring so many fancy strobes and diffusers and such; with the basic flash techniques, on and off camera, with the use of bounce or simple reflectors/diffusor, you can provide natural, looking photos indoors or out.

That is what they are paying you the money for as a professional and what will differentiate you from any 'mug' with a camera.

Once you start using flash and learning the simple techniques, it's going to turn your world upside down when you see the quality of your work increase dramatically. Trust me, it's all exciting stuff. I'm still learning now and feel that I will forever be learning, but that's all part of your journey as an avid photographer.

Cheers,

Grace

[graciousness]

Just one more thing, I promise.

I think we need to get to a point where we need to stop differentiating between 'natural' and 'artificial' light, but rather see only light for the quality and quantity that there is.

As a photographer, it's our duty to define light in our images and show that it's there were we need it. It doesn't matter how it's created. It's there, we saw it, we made it, we captured it. We use shadows to create a different or opposing dimension required to create shapes.

[zona5101]

Just keep doing what your good at and what you enjoy.
You should probably get a good grasp of fill flash for your outdoor work because you will find many situations where a little pop of light makes a big difference.
Then as time permits you can learn studio lighting - that will allow you to shoot year round and shoot other types of portraits.

[Jim Poor]

Do you have to offer studio work? No, it's your business, offer what you like and what you can deliver.

As far as "I read on here a while back that if you say you are a natural light photographer that just means you don't know how to use lighting."

You just proved it's true. That's not necessarily the end of the world, and some would consider that it's not even a bad thing. Personally, I find it limiting.

Originally Posted by rachb

So, this is the backstory. I have been doing portfolio building shoots for portrait photography. ALL of these have been outside using natural light, and I'm comfortable with where I am as far as lighting (nothing dynamic, but good exposures) and overall feel of the photo.

I am in training and one of my classmates asked me to take some boudoir photos for her last night for her husband who is deployed, knowing that I'd never done indoor shots or boudoir (it was a just for fun thing, she thought mine would come out better than her self taken P&S shots). Equipped with a speedlite, clamp light, and 5 in 1 reflector, I headed over and took ~200 shots, and she liked 25 of them... but from my standpoint, the lighting was TERRIBLE. Couldn't bounce the flash correctly, pretty sure the reflector was being used completely wrong, and each shot was lit differently. It was late (8pm) so I couldn't use window light. This isn't one of those "If I say they're bad someone will reassure me they were good" posts, they were horrible.

So... if I start a portrait business, is it imperative that I offer "studio" portraits as well as outdoor, natural lighting? I read on here a while back that if you say you are a natural light photographer that just means you don't know how to use lighting. Any thoughts on that? I know indoor lighting takes much more to master, but if I'm not looking to offer wedding/event photography, do I need to work towards perfecting it? I would appreciate any feedback. I had an idea in my head about how I wanted the photos to look, and I completely butchered it!!!

..........

[xxpinballxx]

I also believe that MOST not all "Natural Light shooters" are shooters who have not yet learned or have not been able to grasp artificial or studio type lighting. I see where both play big parts in photography and knowing how to use them both is the best way to excel but with that said if your thing is natural by all means use it and promote that aspect.
The problem with only doing natural is you are at the mercy of that light.....with strobes or constants you can make the light work for you.
I think the best thing to do is keep doing your natural light with clients but in your down time or when its slow get a decent set of strobes or like Osmosis said get a stand for the speedlight and practice!
Learn to use strobes, speedlights off camera, and constants so when that times comes that the natural light is not cooperating you aren't at a loss.

[sk66]

I'm with the others.... To me it's just about "light" and you need to know how to use it, modify it, and even "create" it when necessary.

I don't know how you could possibly run a portrait business and be entirely dependent on the weather. To me that is just way too inconsistent/unreliable. And I would think for many customers it could be too much of an inconvenience.