Spring is on the horizon but with the long month of March ahead of us, shooting indoors is still very much the reality in my part of the world. Using natural light indoors is one of my favorite ways to make images this time of year. It’s easier than you might think. Start by studying the light, really studying it. As you go about your day, watch the light in each room and coming from each window. Since the light changes throughout the day, you have many opportunities for different lighting scenarios depending on which window you use and what time of day you shoot. So how can you use the window light you observe to create beautiful images?
First, position yourself with your back to the window and your subject facing the window. This is a tried and true way to get nice even or flat light on your subject. It works well for lighting multiple subjects and makes achieving proper exposure simple. Though flat light is considered the most basic and some might describe boring lighting scenario, it is a great first step toward lighting your images indoors. When shooting in a flat light situation, pay close attention to the background in your frame as it is well lit and more likely to draw attention away from your primary subject. When shooting in flat light, I typically choose a more wide-open aperture to blur the background.
To create some shadowing and more interesting light, try manipulating your light source by using only one window and closing the drapes or shades on all the other windows in the room. You can also partially cover the window you are using to make your light source smaller and create even more dramatic lighting. Position your subject at a 45-degree angle to the window to create some nice shadowing on your subject’s face. This additional shadowing gives your image dimension and helps to highlight the form of your subject’s shape.
Another way to create more dramatic light is to position yourself and your subject approximately 90 degrees to the window. This setup results in split lighting where the line between light and shadow falls down the middle of the face. Shooting 90 degrees from the window can also create stronger shadowing throughout the frame.
Placing your subject very close to the window will allow you to utilize the Inverse Squared Law, which can throw the background into relative darkness isolating your subject in the frame. Be sure to meter for the brightest highlights and watch the areas further from the window fall into the shadows. This works especially well when placing your subject in very bright or hard lighting.
Backlight is one of my favorite types of light to work with in my images and can enhance the dreamy and sentimental feel of an image. Position your subject with his/her back to the window and shoot into the light being careful to meter for your subject’s skin. Many times exposing for the skin will blow out the window to white and simplify the scene bringing the viewer’s attention to your subject. Using a reflector can be helpful in these scenarios to bounce light back onto your subject. In the image below, my subject was positioned on white bedding, which functioned as a natural reflector.
The last way that I love to use indoor window light is to create a silhouette or semi-silhouette. To create this type of an image it’s important to change how you meter to expose for darker skin or even meter for the scene outside the window. I personally like to leave a bit of detail for what can be described as a semi-silhouette. This can enhance the quiet, contemplative feel of an image.
So start studying your indoor light and using different windows in your home to create images. Open and close blinds and draperies to see how the light changes the look and feel of the images you capture. The possibilities are endless and you don’t even have to leave the house!
Addie Sheahin is a natural light photographer with a love of landscapes and finding beauty in the everyday. She is inspired by the grandeur of the world around her and loves to travel and capture the magic of each new sunrise and sunset. She also passionately documents her days and the lives of her growing children, the big moments as well as the small everyday details. She lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with her husband of 15 years and their three children. When not behind the camera you might find her exercising, holed up with a good book or enjoying a glass of wine with friends.
Find more of Addie’s work on the Web: Website / Instagram / Facebook
