Photography: This is how the right light is achieved

The right light can sometimes work miracles. In this practical tip you will learn how to use different lighting situations.

Photography: The right light for portraits

• The so-called soft light is very suitable for portraits. This means that there are no hard shadows and edges. In nature this occurs when the sky is cloudy.
• Another great effect can be achieved with grazing light: If bright light falls on the person from behind, this creates a separation between the model and the background.
• If you only want to photograph the silhouette of a person, you should work with backlight.
• When taking pictures with artificial light, you should make sure that you set the white balance correctly. Otherwise, the colors don't look natural. The most sensible option here is manual white balance. This will make your photos look the most natural.
• If the light does not fit from all sides, you can help with a reflector.

Put the landscape in the right light - how it works

• For landscape photography, it is best to take pictures in the so-called golden hour. This is characterized by a warm, reddish light.
• There is also a lot to do in the blue hour: shortly before sunrise and after sunset, the sky has an intense blue, which gives your photos a great effect. By the way: the blue and the golden hour do not last a full hour, but depending on the season and location in about 20 minutes.
• Night shots are a bit more complex, but definitely recommended. There are no limits to the artistic freedom in the choice of motifs. It is only important that you use a tripod and set a small ISO value.

In the next practical tip you will find further details on the correct aperture setting.