Photography: Natural Light and Shadows
The next time you try taking photos at home, you may want to experiment with some natural light, from the side, and create some shadow effect on your subject. Like what Anya and I did the other day.
Vai was fast asleep that afternoon, but Anya, who’s been trying to doze off, told me how she really couldn’t fall asleep.
So I told her, okay … come and help Mommy do some experiments then, hehe.
It was close to 5pm, and the harsh afternoon sun came through her bedroom window. I let her sit against the white wall just slightly below the window. The window grills allowed for some dramatic shadow effect, which basically was what I wanted to test out.
Then I told her she could do any silly poses she liked.
She stuck out her tongue. She scrunched up her face. She put one finger up her nose.
And when she burst out laughing after her own silly poses, I took a shot of her naturally laughing away too.
The above shot is one of my favourites.
A totally ‘free-to-laugh-out-loud’ shot of a happy little girl.
*smile*
Happy experimenting.
…
Here’re some quick and useful links from Kodak.com on:
– Natural Light
– The direction (position) of light
– What works in black and white
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Malini:
Hi hi … thank you 🙂
About the outdoor shoot, I’ll drop you an email yeah!
Cheers,
Hi…beautiful shots of u n family n almst everything….I’m jus keen to check out if u’ve nay promotion for outdoor beach photoshoot for family of 3. My gal is jus 14mths+.
Thank you
Malini
Hi Leonny
Tks for the tips!
I think I got what u are trying to say!
Thanks once again for your help!
ED
hi leonny,
my son has stopped crying/struggling on the 3rd day of school. but until now he’s still not into the idea of going to school.
every morning though we’ve no problem getting him into uniform and going to sch, but we often hear him telling us he doesnt want to go to sch.
when we asked him he just couldnt give us any reason. we tried to prompt him but still no clue.
after sch, he’d excitedly tell us abt all the fun he had in sch and then ended with “im not going to sch again/tmr”
it’s just weird. how wld he not like sch when he had so much fun?
i tried to catch up with his teachers but not wanting to say too much as i believe in giving him time to adjust himself (1mth i estimated).
teachers told me he was initially v scared. often has to hang ard the teachers closely. but now he’s much better according to them. i asked how’s his participation in class, they say he’s great. hmmm…
so i wonder anybody out there also facing the same situation.
zmm:
Thank you. I like how spontaneous her laughter is too 🙂
BB:
Hi hi …
Vai is all okay now with the idea of school (ie. since his 4th day of school).
We’d say good bye etc and he’d walk into the waiting room by himself and join his friends.
If you ask me, well … I personally don’t think it’s because we start them ‘late’ … because the younger the child, the more security he’d need from us, his closest family.
Kids who’re raised in closer-knit family will most likely find it ‘harder’ when it’s time to separate (like when it’s time to go to school for a few hours at a time) … but then again, I believe when it’s time (like, for Vai’s case … going to N2), then he’ll eventually be ready … and we’ll just need to be there for them so they know they’re never ‘abandoned’ by us …
hope your son is adjusting well by now.
Hi Ed,
When I shoot, I frankly don’t ‘think’ much about the technical bit 🙂 I tend to shoot when I like what I see 🙂
When there are shadows, I’d automatically see if they will complement my subject. eg. if I want my kid to be the main focus of the photo, then she automatically should be in the ‘light’.
The same goes with shots of say, a baby’s tiny hand holding onto Daddy’s finger, I’d personally place this ‘main focus’ in the ‘light’ too (ie. making it the first thing a viewer see when looking at the photo)
hope what I wrote made sense 🙂
this is a nice shot of your daughter.
Hi Leonny,
I was wondering: For B&W shots, what should be in the shadow or wat should not?
How do u decide which character of the subject to highlight?
how’s vai at school now?
my kid oso started nursery this yr. i duno why he’s so scared of going to sch everyday. but i can see tt he does enjoy the sch activities.
is it becos we started them too late? he’s born in 2006. i know of some kids born in the same yr went to sch when they’re 2-3yo. maybe at tt age they only hv separation anxiety to worry abt.
but now at this age, going to sch is like a responsibility, everyone is asking how’s sch today? i duno what they’re thinking, i wish i know.