One of the things that sets me apart from other photographers is that I actually have a diverse and expert understanding of how to use light. I love natural light and the effects it creates. But I also love created light and know that sometimes, in order to get the best images, I have to use light that I bring with me. In the image below, the forest was lovely and the image I had in mind could only be achieved with the use of external off-camera lighting. One light, set off to camera left allowed my subject to light up, literally, while still keeping that pretty golden hair light that was coming from the sun. Also, notice how much brighter her eyes are when using off camera lighting vs natural light. In natural light settings, especially ones that are not properly exposed, the subject’s eyes look like black holes. Catch-light in the eyes are one of the things that allow a person to come to life in a photo. And in this image, the only catch light available was due to light I brought with me (a Profoto B1 500 Air).
In terms of editing, yes it’s possible to natural light only image to bright her skin and eyes up, and the result can also be lovely, as below, but can appear washed out if not done properly. On the whole, whether using natural light or off-camera lighting, I definitely have all the tools at my fingertips to create images my clients love. And in my opinion, it’s better to have more tools than less! : )
