Daylight Archives - Lighting For Photo

Portrait of Swedish hockey legend Börje Salming, shot in natural light using only one window

This is a portrait lighting setup by Swedish photographer Frida Lenholm using only a window as a single light source. Since there is no expensive equipment needed, this is a lighting setup that anyone can test.

Frida: – I am very weak for portraits that are illuminated with window lights. For this portrait lighting with Börje Salming there was only one window in a dark room which created a nice contrast between light and dark.

The closer to the window you put the model, the faster the light will fall off, and give a stronger contrast. For more details regarding this, you can study the inverse-square law.

By placing Börje at an optimal distance from the window, I found a balance of contrast and even exposure that captures Börjes personality.

Portrait lighting setup using a window as a single light source.

Portrait of Alice Bah Kunkhe with a lighting setup using natural light from two windows

This is a portrait photography lighting setup from the Swedish photographer Frida Lenholm.

The photo of Alice Bah Kuhnke was for the cover of a local magazine in Sweden.

Frida: – Since I love backlight very much and had a short time, it was a good solution to us natural light and take the picture of Alice in the window.

The window in the back had the strongest light and was facing the sun. The transparent curtains reduced and softened the spill light around Alice. The window and the curtains also created a frame around Alice that accentuated the composition.

There was also a window from the side with less intense light, that worked as a kicker light that and lit up Alice from the side/front and made the exposure more even.

The photo is slightly overexposed and shot with a Canon 24-70mm /F2.8 lens.

Lighting diagram for the portrait in natural light

Outdoor fashion photography

Colorful and beautiful fashion photography

Outdoor fashion lighting diagram. The sun and a fill light is sometimes all you need to take impressive photos like this.

Photographer Hipolit Terpinsky from Poland gives us this great inspiration of what you can achieve with only a fill light and some mad skills. More photos from Hipolit is coming up in a near future. Stay tuned!

Full figure portrait lighting setup, using speedlights and natural light

Full figure portrait of swedish singer Martin Stenmarck.

Lighting diagram for the full figure portait lighting setup

Here’s a nifty full figure portrait lighting setup provided by photographer Johan Marklund.

– “I’m have many assignments that has to be done quick with little or no time for planning in advance and sometimes even less time for the actual shot. In my bag I always carry 2-3 small flashguns and a radio transmitter. These often has a tendency to boost creativity instead of getting locked in to the correctness that big machines can create due to there physical dimension (where to place and the hell of replacing).

This shot with musical artist Martin Stenmarck is one of those shots. We had some minutes and the hotell was not to keen upon having their lobby turned into a studio. Small flash on tripod from an angle to the right of me and another small flash behind Martin from behind to put some shine on his bike and some rime on him did the job easy and good. Exisiting bulb light for the background.”

Rock climbing lighting setup

Always bring your camera and lighting equipment when hiking in the mountains. Who knows? You might spot the Yeti, or maybe even spot the seldom seen mysterious naked rock climber.

Lighinting diagram for rock climbing action sports photography

Photographer Johan Marklund provides another great action sports lighting setup. Here’s the strory behind the photo:

– “We were shooting some bouldering in Ailfroide, France, Julien Turin got hot and took his clothes of. Lightning setup is simple, afternoon sun from behind lightning the background, Big flash from behind for over all lightning of the boulder (as was in shade) and small flashgun on slave hidden in the grass (some of it cloned out) for effect light from underneith.”

Daylight and Kinoflo lighting setup

Contemporary artist Marcel Dzama photographed for Vanity Fair

Lighting setup using both daylight and Kinoflo lightpanels

Photographer Mattias Olsson gives us this lighting setup. Shot with two Kinoflos and daylight. The Kinoflos are not strobes, but lightpanels with continous light.

Sport portrait lighting setup

Henrik Lundqvist photographed for Café Magazine.

Photographer Mattias Olsson shows us how to take better sport portraits, by sharing the lighting setup for this colorful photo of NHL player Henrik Lundqvist.

Portrait lighting with only natural light

Country singer Laura Cantrell photographed for Vanity Fair

Even without any lighting equipment at all you can take amazing photos like this.

New York based photographer Mattias Olsson has taken this beautiful portrait of Laura Cantrell without any artificial light or any reflectors. The only lightsource is the window to the side of the subject. Great inspiration for all us upcoming photographers!