Recognize typical lighting mistakes: harsh midday shadows, mixed light, your own shadow, the built-in flash.
Lesson rule: avoid harsh overhead light and the built-in flash
Beginner lighting mistakes
A few situations in which even a good scene comes out unattractive:
— Midday sun from above. The rays fall almost vertically: deep black shadows appear under the eyes and nose (“raccoon eyes”), and the top of the head is blown out. The fix: move the person into the shade, under an awning or a tree, or shoot during the golden hour.
— The built-in flash (head-on). The phone's small flash hits the face directly: you get flat “passport-photo” light, greasy highlights on the skin, and red eye. It ruins a shot more often than it saves one. Better to find any existing light (a window, a streetlight, car headlights) and raise the brightness of the shot manually.
— Mixed light. When a warm lamp and cool daylight from a window are both in the frame, the white balance “doesn't know” which light to adjust to: part of the shot turns blue, part turns yellow. If you can, stick to one type of light.
— Your own shadow on the subject. If the sun is behind the photographer, your shadow can fall right on the person or thing you're shooting. Move to the side.
The main rescue on a harsh day: shade. Open shade (for example, on the shady side of the street) gives even, soft light almost like a studio's.
Lesson notes
Beginner lighting mistakes
A few situations in which even a good scene comes out unattractive:
— Midday sun from above. The rays fall almost vertically: deep black shadows appear under the eyes and nose (“raccoon eyes”), and the top of the head is blown out. The fix: move the person into the shade, under an awning or a tree, or shoot during the golden hour.
— The built-in flash (head-on). The phone's small flash hits the face directly: you get flat “passport-photo” light, greasy highlights on the skin, and red eye. It ruins a shot more often than it saves one. Better to find any existing light (a window, a streetlight, car headlights) and raise the brightness of the shot manually.
— Mixed light. When a warm lamp and cool daylight from a window are both in the frame, the white balance “doesn't know” which light to adjust to: part of the shot turns blue, part turns yellow. If you can, stick to one type of light.
— Your own shadow on the subject. If the sun is behind the photographer, your shadow can fall right on the person or thing you're shooting. Move to the side.
The main rescue on a harsh day: shade. Open shade (for example, on the shady side of the street) gives even, soft light almost like a studio's.