My ten tips to create beautiful lighting that flatters for that perfect selfie or as a professional photographer.

This is My Ten simple tips to create beautiful lighting that flatters for professional photos or perfect selfies

1: Use natural light whenever possible.
Natural light is often the most flattering and easiest to work with. Putting your subject in the right place at the right time of day with natural light can be the softest lighting to work with, and most effective.

All natural overcast day light

2: Experiment with different times of day.
The quality of light can change significantly depending on the time of day, so try shooting at different times to see what works best for you or your subject.

3: Use reflectors or a white card to bounce light back onto the subject.
This can help fill in shadows and add dimension to the subject. Bring out a glow to the eyes and under the chin to make an image more appealing to the eye.

4: Experiment with different light sources.
In addition to natural light, you can also use artificial light sources such as studio strobes or continuous lights. Even a simple ring light can be a creative tool or a small video light will add a pop to your pictures.

5: Pay attention to the direction of the light.
Light that is coming from the side or from behind the subject can create a more dramatic effect, sometimes a bright light from behind will result in a more silhouetted looking image.

Natural light with a reflector to reduce shadows and add a catch light to the eyes

6: Use diffusers to soften the light.
This can help reduce harsh shadows and make the light more flattering to the subject. A simple white sheet over a window will give a soft touch to any image.

7: Avoid shooting directly into the sun.
This can create harsh shadows and cause lens flare and in turn make the images soft with less contrast. Though this rule isn’t always bad. It can also be creative if used in the correct environment .

Bright side light from back lighting in mid day sun

8: Use negative fill to create shadows. By placing a dark object near the subject, you can create shadows and add depth to the image.
If you have a very light room from natural light through a window or a white bedroom this idea will be great, even a dark sheet/ blind or black card will reduce some light giving more depth to a subject.

9: Experiment with different apertures. Aperture controls the amount of light that enters the camera, as well as the depth of field.
This can be found on all manual settings in camera or on smartphones. This is perfect to add a little creative look when using a low F number ..

10: Keep an eye on the colour temperature of the light. Different light sources can cast different color temperatures, which can affect the overall mood of the image. Use a colour checker or white balance tools to help ensure accurate colour. For instance house lighting and sunlight can produce a warm tone to an image.. where a window lit by indirect light or even a snow scene will have a cooler more white look..

Please remember that these are my personal tips, we all have our own ideas. There’s nothing wrong with using a bunch of the above methods and then in your preferred editing software creating something much more refined or dramatic.

Let me know what you try and how it works out for you.

Follow me on here or on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/adriandayphotography to see more !

Instagram updates! New and improved edits and posts ! Check it out !

The last months been an eye opener! Learning new tips and tricks to up my photography and editing game.

Over on my @ADRIANDAYPHOTOGRAPHY there’s been some new stunning work popping up on my grid! Really have tried to up my quality and my social media presence!

If you get a moment head on over always welcome new followers and hey you will definitely gain a new follower if you follow me !

Below is some of the images coming over the next few days and also a few that have already been posted.

Image of client and friend Amber

Client and friend Jade

Model and client Vineta

Beautiful client and friend Hazel

Stunning friend and client Alice

Let us know what you think below! we would love to hear back from our followers

So many new photos being added to our Instagram @adriandayphotography if you see this post please head over and check it out

What would you like to learn about photography?

Been a while since I’ve posted a full blog post!

Now you all know I’m first and foremost a photographer .. a portrait and boudoir photographer predominately.. but over the last year I’ve been taking time out to gain skills in landscape and nature photography..

Also having won a number of competition with my landscape work I feel I’m doing pretty well! Like having my work shown at the fujifilm print life stand at the Birmingham photography show.

Fujifilm print life stand !

Now I know I’ve been doing short posts and running this is because I’ve been doing so many things I’ve not had time to do deep messages and long posts!

Well I’ve just started to add to that! Even more!

With a new section to my website and my Adrian Day YouTube channel this is going to be where I post tips, tricks and reviews of photography products and ideas to help all you guys and girls become better photographers and to enjoy the craft and the creative side of the industry.

But before I start posting videos and blog posts about this I would love to hear from others as to what you would like to see! .. I know what I look for but that’s me ! I don’t just want to post what I want to know .. I want to post at the needs of others !

See this could be anything for creative tips like using a prism or coloured lighting. Or it could be what I suggest to be the best lens for portraits or landscapes

It could be that you want to know about editing and how I edit my images using Adobe Lightroom or photoshop.. and what you want to learn specifically like colour toning or black and white conversion

Maybe you only have your phone to take pictures and that’s a perfectly great option as they say “the best camera is the one you have with you!” and want to know the best apps I use to edit the questions are endless!

But please feel free to comment below with your questions and I will write them all down and create future posts to answer your questions !

Also coming soon to help users of lightroom I’m going to start putting together downloadable products Things like brushes for photoshop and presets and Lut’s for both Lightroom and photoshop

These will be priced at silly prices ! So anyone can obtain them on the smallest of budgets to help them grow and learn faster! I currently have over 50 presets from colour to black and white! Ready to go! Just sorting out the website over the next few weeks to make them downloadable for you all!

There is so much more to come ! So if you have read this far please hit the follow button so that you can be notified when I post.. and as I say please leave a comment below if you find this page helpful and have a question you want answering!

Once again thank you everyone for your support and sticking with me over covid months ! It’s much appreciated!

BTW WHEN LEAVING A COMMENT .. YOU DONT NEED TO ADD EMAIL ADDRESS OR OTHER DETAILS BUT PLEASE LEAVE A NAME SO I CAN RELATE THE POST BACK TO YOUR QUESTION.. .. BUT PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BE GREAT TO CONNECT TO YOU ALL!

Coming soon a new personal project ! Something I’ve been thinking about for a while ! Mixing my three favourite things as a photographer, tattoos eyes and graffiti. Want to see more head over to social media and look for @adriandayphotography

The sky last night July 14th was beautiful! Like it was on fire! The sunset was like nothing I’ve seen before! And the moon was just as beautiful! #sky #sunset #moon

New post live over on Instagram search @adriandayphotography pop over and show it a little love please ❤️

Lockdowns coming to an end! Bookings for headshots, boudoir, and portraits, also new products coming in the Etsy store soon ! #photography #timex #productphotography

10 things new photographers may not know 1/10

Looking or asking about camera setting!

We have all done it! It’s a learning curve!

Now you may not think this is a stupid thing to do! In theory it’s not! But what new photographers don’t realise unlike photographers who have been shooting for say five years is,

Unless you’re shooting at the same photoshoot, at the same time with the same lens and camera mixed with the same lighting

Reading or asking for camera settings are pretty much worthless!

I’ve watched many of hours from amazing photographers showing their amazing images, showing the settings that come with the finished image.

Now this can also be a bonus if your looking at the bokeh or amount of grain in the shot but that’s evident from looking at any image!

Once again so much about photography is about the moment and working with what we have! Be that the location or the model as much as the gear used!

Most new photographers done understand that what works for Sony users differ from that of canon or Nikon for instance !

Also it could be that one user is using a full frame camera and ones using a crop sensor !

All the above would result in less light or a difference in quality, and so many other variations from they think they will get from looking at the setting other photographers have posted with their images

In conclusion, the best things to take away from seeing others work and setting is to see the benefits of what you can get if you mix those setting with the right lighting,

And then look at each of the following !

  • Look at the eyes to see what lights modifiers and reflectors have been used.
  • Look at the shadows to see where the light is coming from up down left right so on.
  • Look at the background is is in focus or out of focus this will tell you why they have used the settings if there is bokeh or depth of field then the setting would be 1.4 – 2.8 … if it’s in focus this could mean that the lens has been set to f6.3 up.
  • Has any light been used at all or is it just natural lighting
  • Then if you try shooting you can pick parts and set your camera to help replicate what your taking . Set camera for back ground darkness and depth of field .. bring in subject and then add light to light the subject!

Insta-post sleeping beauty

New post alert! New post alert!

We are now going to be posting short posts sharing our latest uploads to our main Instagram account !

Follow either this blog or our Instagram to be first to see our new work! We have some stunning images with amazing models well worth following liking and sharing!

Click below to see what you’re missing !

Business is first and foremost about making others happy

We get into business to pay the bills and to create something for our future!

This is true to a stage! What we don’t think about is that what we do ultimately makes others happy!

It’s something I’ve just found out. The bigger picture is that for 99% of businesses is that it’s ultimately making our customers or consumers happy.

Think about it like this, a baker makes cakes and you buy them to make your belly happy and that makes you feel good as the consumer but the baker is happy too because he is doing what he loves

Builder build a house with out thinking that what they’re doing is potentially making a house that will become a home for a family to grow and live happy ever after!

It’s the same being a photographer, though we capture images and we love what we do.. we are doing it to make others happy capturing your big day or taking that portrait of your grandmother who you love and want to always remember. It’s about making you happy!

It’s great that we can do what we love, while making a living yet at the same time making someone else happy!

I love that feeling of making others around me happy so remember everyone’s out to make you happy! Even when you don’t know it and take it for granted

I truly hope that what I do makes those who see it very happy and that it puts a smile on someone’s face! Here are a few images that I really hope makes you smile.

Model vineta – Photographer Adrian Day
Model Vineta – Photographer Adrian Day
Model Vineta – Photographer Adrian Day