How to get the best lighting for every shot
Consider the environment – When it comes to shooting events, there are many things to take into consideration. Is the event outdoors or indoors, is it during the day or at night? All these elements will affect your choice of lighting.
Lighting sources – The most important part of event photography is finding and capturing great moments. If the venue you’re shooting in is dimly lit, you may need the help of additional lighting sources. Whereas if it’s a bright outdoor daytime event, take into account the natural lighting and direction of the sun to avoid any unwanted shadows that can ruin your shot.
Natural light – Where possible, work with the natural lighting of the venue and avoid flashes as much as possible, or you can miss out on capturing the essence of the event.
Best event photography camera: Nikon D750
Food photos are everywhere at the moment. Whether they’re images on UberEats or you’re scrolling through the Gram and notice a drool-worthy photo by a food blogger, the key to any craving-inducing food photo begins with a good lighting setup. Good lighting for food photography requires three elements: sidelight, a diffuser and a reflector.
The sidelight – the light source being used next to your scene. This could be natural or artificial lighting. The key is to place your subject with the light falling onto it from either side.
The diffuser – should be placed between your subject and your light source to soften the light, creating a dreamy glow. Using a diffuser, helps to distribute and diffuse the light evenly over your subject.
The reflector – to evenly light your creation, place the reflector on the other side of your scene to fill in any shadows that are created. While a reflector does not create new light, it does redirect the existing light to the direction it is pointed. Use a reflector to bounce diffused light back onto your culinary creations, and lift any leftover shadows to showcase the detail of your subject.
Bon appetit, edible images in an instant!
Best food photography camera: Canon Rebel T6i
The goal of product photography is literally to show your products in the best light. Enticing window shoppers to purchase your scroll-stopping products requires the right lighting. When it comes to product photography there are three lighting fundamentals that will ensure you nail your shot every time: your key, fill and back lights.
The Key Light: your main light source, this should always be pointed directly at the product you are shooting.
The Fill Light: is a lower intensity light, used as your secondary light source and should be positioned on the opposite side of the key light. (Play around with placing the light further away to see what works for your shot.)
The Back Light: can either be a single light or two lights that are positioned behind, or behind and above the product you are shooting. The back light is used to give greater definition to the product, ensuring that it doesn’t fade into the background.
Best product photography camera: Nikon D850
Portrait photography is all about capturing the essence of your subject and presenting them in the best possible light. Whether you're shooting corporate headshots, fashion photography, or branding campaigns, mastering lighting techniques is essential to creating compelling and professional portraits. As a leading Gold Coast photography studio, One76 Studio provides the perfect space to experiment with portrait lighting and bring out the best in every shot.
Front Lighting:
Front lighting illuminates your subject directly, reducing harsh shadows and bringing out fine details in the face and body.
This technique is ideal for corporate headshots and commercial portrait photography, ensuring a professional and polished look.
To achieve the best results, set up your lighting so that shadows fall behind your subject, keeping the image clean and well-balanced.
Side Lighting:
Adding depth and dimension to portraits, side lighting creates beautiful shadows that sculpt the subject’s features.
Adjusting the position of the light source in your photography studio can enhance facial structure and create a more dynamic image.
This technique is frequently used in fashion photography, creative branding shoots, and cinematic portraits.
Backlighting:
One of the most striking portrait lighting techniques, backlighting creates a glowing halo effect around the subject, separating them from the background.
When using backlighting in a Gold Coast photography studio, be mindful of your camera settings—adjusting the exposure manually ensures the subject remains properly lit without overexposing the background.
Pro tip: Use a reflector or a flash in front of your subject to balance the exposure and maintain a soft, natural glow.
To effectively use back lighting, you will need an understanding of your camera’s manual mode. When placing a light behind your model, all the light’s shadows will be in front of your subject turning them into a silhouette. However, adjusting the exposure using the manual modes of your camera will ensure that your subject is properly exposed. Proceed with caution and adjust your camera’s exposure as need be because sometimes this can leave the background overexposed. An overexposed image is the result of too much light being allowed in during exposure, resulting in an over bright photograph. Overexposure can leave you with images that lack detail and prevent you from conveying the highlights or shadows of the subject you are photographing.
Top tip to prevent an overexposed background: Use a reflector or a flash in front of your model to provide a more even exposure, while maintaining a beautiful, soft backlit glow.
Best portrait photography camera: Nikon D850
Book a Professional Photography Studio on the Gold CoastLooking to perfect your portrait photography skills? One76 Studio offers a state-of-the-art photography and videography studio in Burleigh Heads, fully equipped with professional lighting, backdrops, and high-end gear to bring your creative vision to life. Whether you're a seasoned photographer or just starting out, our Gold Coast production studio provides the ideal environment for achieving stunning portrait photography results.
Book your session today at One76 Studio and take your portrait photography to the next level!