Still life photography is all about creating captivating scenes with inanimate objects. While natural light often provides a soft, ethereal quality, artificial light offers precise control and versatility. By combining both, you can achieve stunning results that elevate your still-life imagery. Oh, and it’s not just still life, consider using this technique for food photography too.
Why combine natural and artificial light?
- Enhanced Control: Artificial light allows you to shape and direct light exactly as you desire, complementing the natural light’s characteristics.
- Expanded Creative Possibilities: You can create dramatic contrasts, and subtle highlights, or even experiment with different color temperatures.
- Overcoming Limitations: Artificial light can fill in shadows, balance uneven natural light, or provide additional light sources when needed.
- Make the best of both worlds: When shooting indoors and the natural light is poor, artificial light can save the day. Consider shooting food in a restaurant and the windows do not let in enough light, artificial light can mimic natural light.
Tips for combining light sources
- Understand your natural light. Observe how natural light changes throughout the day. Consider the direction, intensity, and color temperature.
- Choose the right artificial light. Select light sources that complement your natural light. For example, use softboxes for diffused light or spotlights for focused accents.
- Balance the lights. Experiment with different ratios of natural and artificial light. Use a light meter to measure the intensity of each source.
- Control shadows. Use light modifiers like diffusers, reflectors, and flags to shape shadows and create desired effects.
- Experiment with color temperature. Balance the color temperature of your lights to achieve a harmonious look.
Lemon tarts
I used a combination of natural window light from the left and rear of the scene and the camera. A Zhiyun Molus B300 and 85cm Phottix G-capsule Softbox, on soft power (<50%) and angled in on the other side. This created some soft lighting but still allowed for deep shadows. This creates some interest within the scene. My window was roughly 2m – 3m away from my scene, while the softbox was only about 1m away, up high above my scene angled down.
Creative ideas
- Dramatic backlighting: Use natural light as a backlight and artificial light to illuminate the front of your subject for a dramatic silhouette effect.
- Fill light: Use artificial light to fill in shadows caused by harsh natural light, creating a more even exposure.
- Accent lighting: Highlight specific elements of your composition with focused artificial light, drawing attention to key areas.
- Color accents: Use colored gels on your artificial lights to add a touch of color to your still life.
- I used contrasting colors within my scene, the yellow from the lemons and tarts, the dark green leaves and the teal vintage timber door as my backdrop.
Additional Tips
- Practice: Experiment with different combinations of natural and artificial light to find your preferred style.
- Consider your subject: The nature of your subject will influence how you combine light sources.
- Use a light meter: A light meter can help you achieve consistent and accurate exposures.
By mastering the art of combining natural and artificial light, you can create stunning still-life photographs that stand out from the crowd. Experiment, explore, and let your creativity shine!