How to make your photography better - Tip 1: Use natural lighting

We all have drooled over someone else's social media or website and wondered how their photos look so great. Let me tell you it isn't that they went to photography school or spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on photography classes (or maybe they have, but most likely not).

They just know the tips and tricks for great photos. Let me point out some of the small changes that you can make, and some cheap items that you can pick up to make your photos go from meh, to amazing.

Photograph by a window or outside. Natural light always looks best.

The style of photography that you see everywhere is very bright, and natural without harsh shadows and contrast. This is achieved through natural light. It just so happens to be the cheapest method of lighting photographs as well!

You don't have to have a nice camera, but you do have to pay attention to lighting.

1) NEVER photograph with direct or flourescent light. Natural light will always always always look better. Especially if you don't want to fork out the money for a lighting kit.

2) Place your subject or items next to a window or in shade. If you're outside, ideally take photos after sunset.

I literally took these three photos with my iPhone (in portrait mode), and then edited them in my camera roll. I like to increase the brightness and use the "chrome" filter. 

All of these were taken next to the window in my kitchen on a cutting board. 

This can mean putting your subject in shade or waiting for the sun to set. Direct light causes harsh shadows to form and white washes, or gets rid of the detail and color of the thing your taking a photo of.

3) You can use white poster board to reflect or "bounce" light back up onto the subject so that you fill more shadows and make the entire image lighter and give the "airy" feeling to it.

Now your job is to find a window, pull up a table next to it and start shooting! I took these with my phone (in portrait mode, which mimics the depth of field of a normal camera). I'm sure you can do just as nice of a job with things that you have lying around the house!

xo
Casi