8 Photography Lighting Ideas For More Creative Photos
Light can be the single factor in lifting a so-so photo into something awe-inspiring, so it’s definitely worth experimenting with some photography lighting ideas, in order to take your photos up a notch and make them more creative!
I know that natural light can seem intimidating at first, probably because it’s not something that is always in our control, but if we can learn how to work with light we’ve been given (or how to modify the lighting to suit our vision) then you will have unlocked the key to creative and otherworldly photos, so the payoff is definitely worth the time you’ll spend learning about it 😉
There are so many different types of light, and so many different ways to use it, so I thought I’d give you just a few photography lighting ideas so you can experiment using the light around you. My goal is simply to inspire you to pick up your camera, or maybe try something a little bit different!
Check out all 8 below…..
(But before you dive in - I just want to quickly let you know that I also have a freebie for you that will give you even more ideas for how to use light, along with an exercise to help you “see” the light around you, so it’s a perfect complement to this post. Grab it here, then dive into the blog post!)
#1 Partial Silhouettes
One of my favourite ways to shoot indoors is to capture partial silhouettes. Partial Silhouettes are when you shoot exposing for the light, but still allow some light on your subject so that they are not completely black, and therefore still have some detail on them.
You can see an example of this in the image below - the subject is almost dark, like a true silhouette, but there is still some light hitting the edge of the subject. It’s amazing how much the mood can change just by leaving a little detail on your subject!
You can do this outdoors too in the same way, so don’t feel like you’re limited to doing these indoors.
You can read more here on how to take pictures of silhouettes if you want some practical advice on how to take them!
#2 Flare
If you were only concerned with the technical side of photography, then you might consider flare undesirable….but if you want to get creative with your use of light in photography, adding in a little light flare can be a great way to add extra interest to your image, and also help set a warm, dreamy mood. (Mood beats technical perfection in my book any day!)
Flare is simply when the light enters into the camera lens and scatters, and it creates a hazy look to your images, and sometimes streak or orbs of light, like in the image below.
To get it, you’ll need to shoot into the sun, again, like the example below.
#3 Dappled Light
One of the first things you are taught about photography lighting is to avoid dappled light, and this is absolutely great advice for beginners!
But once you have more experience, playing with dappled light can be a fun way to play with the light and the shadows it creates.
The key with using dappled light is to be INTENTIONAL. You don’t want to have random shadows on your subject (as it will just look like a mistake) so you want to place the light and the shadows with intent.
In fact, you could even forgo the subject entirely and just make the dappled light the subject of the image!
#4 Starbursts
Another photography lighting idea is create sun or starbursts.
Sunbursts are simply when you create a “star” from the points of light in the image. You can do this with both the sun, or with artificial lights, and it’s really simple to do!
Grab your camera and set the aperture to the smallest setting, and make sure to include the point of light in the frame to create that “burst” of light. The more points of light, the more starbursts you will get!
You can get a step by step guide on how to create starbursts in your photos here.
#5 Lamp Light
Even after the sun has gone away for the day, you can still get creative with light! There are lots of different types of artificial light you can use, but one you are bound to have easy access to is lamp light.
Simply place your subject in the pocket of light created by the lamp for a wonderfully dramatic photo.
I wouldn’t worry too much about noise (that grainy speckly stuff that you can get in your image when shooting with high ISO’s numbers) as these types of photos don’t necessarily need crisp, sharp details. However if you are concerned, you can read more about why your photos are grainy and how to fix it here!
And don’t stop there! ANY light source can be used to create wonderfully creative photos, so let your imagination run riot!
#6 Rim Light
Rim light is a form of backlight, where the light highlights the edges of the subject, giving them almost a halo of light. You can go really dramatic with this and just have a sliver of light to mould your subject, or you can still have some haze in the image to create a softer form of rim light. Both help separate the subject from the background!
#7 Loop Light
This is my go to photography lighting technique for creating portraits. With this way of lighting your subject, the light should be about 45 degrees to the side and ever so slightly above your subject.
This will give you shadowing on the side of the face,, and just to the side of the nose, and a teeny bit under it. It’s universally flattering so you can use it on anyone, of any age!
#8 Pockets of Light
Another way to get more creative with light in photography is to seek out “pockets” of light, an areas where the light in shining on a specific spot, but is dark around the edges. Notice how the light falls off, and how you can cast shadow.
Using pockets of light really helps highlight your subject, give you more depth in the image, and give you a more dramatic look and feel.
Share YOUR Creative Photography Lighting Ideas!
Before you grab your camera to try some of these, don’t forget to download the free natural light starter guide below and you’ll get even more ideas, plus how to put it into action!
Then tell me in the comments below: will you be trying any of these out or have any different ideas you’d like to share? Share them below to inspire other photographers to use light creatively too!
As always, if you enjoyed this post, don’t forget to share! Sharing helps keeps small blogs like myself alive and kicking. Pin in to your Pinterest boards, share on Facebook or Twitter, or mention Live Snap Love on Instagram!
See you same time next week,
xo, Audrey
