One thing I was told when I began photography was to specialize in one genre rather than trying my hand at multiple styles – and that advice proved incredibly misguided!
Not that I’m suggesting not master your craft or genre, but what I am suggesting is that you shouldn’t get stuck in one area of photography. After opening up the doors of photography for myself, I have become published wedding, sports, wildlife and portrait photographers with no limits to my portfolio other than those I set upon myself.
Lighting doesn’t just consist of flashbulbs and speed lights – natural lighting is also crucial to great photography! When shooting sports or wildlife in real-time action you don’t always get a choice over where the sun should shine; wildlife photography in Alaska often requires overcast conditions with sun still facing your direction of shooting for optimal wildlife photography results. Direct sun can cause reflections which create harsh lighting that’s unflattering to subjects being photographed – therefore understanding ALL forms of illumination is the first step to good photography – both natural and artificial lighting techniques
When I’m shooting sports, my goal is always to capture the best light possible. Sometimes this doesn’t always work out perfectly but my subjects usually enjoy having the sun hit them directly from behind; though in football that’s often not possible; sometimes players switch sides of the field so you get just what you want! Even still subjects such as wedding and portrait clients always ask about my preferred lighting; my answer: whatever’s available at that moment in time.
Wedding days can be extremely fast-paced, leaving me little time to set up soft boxes or umbrellas; however, sometimes the best available light can be more flattering. On those wedding days where my couples complain of it being overcast I respond by telling them “YES!” that means the sun is my light source and the clouds my soft box. Sure if I have time I can use soft boxes with exposure for sky exposures for dreamy buttery shots; but it isn’t always necessary; sometimes only minutes are available to take multiple shots so identifying and choosing THE BEST light is key!
Lighting is truly the key to becoming an excellent photographer; once you know its basics, anything becomes possible! No disrespect meant towards any photographer in their specific genres but once you understand its foundations you can become just as skilled at shooting any genre with equal ease.
I used to be terrified of flash photography! As a natural light photographer, I only ever used speed lights. Now, though, my camera forgets how to take advantage of natural light since all I did was use flash. But with time comes balance between both forms – no longer limited just by weddings or genre.
