Window Light

By photogbob written 5/19/06 8:44 PM, published 5/19/06 8:44 PM

My favorite type of natural light is window lighting. I use it often, especially for portraiture, and it works well for still life photography as well. Window light has a unique quality, one that is soft, diffuse, directional, and creates local contrast. Since I had no human subjects, I used some of my favorite things to shoot. I love food and cooking and I play guitar (my other passion). Anyway here are a few of the images I took.

Popup Link Still Life 1

Popup Link Grace and Beauty
Encore
Ovation

OK and for my three favorite images:

Popup Link White Flowers
Chrome Lilly
Lift Off

other Frontpage stories Digg Delicious Stumbleupon

Blizzard 5/19/06 8:51 PM

Nice work! I enjoyed the guitar shots. The color in lift off is beautiful. :)

- I want to pull your teeth
smalltown05 5/19/06 8:54 PM

Love the natural light shots. Beautiful styling and the lighting is outstanding...something I'm really not good at!

- blow.....hard
Jump1ok 5/19/06 8:54 PM

very nice still lifes...

- Misunderstood
photogbob 5/19/06 9:02 PM

Ya know, I meant to enter the challenge but forgot to check the box, well no matter. Thanks for the comments.

- One Image at A time!
photogbob 5/19/06 9:06 PM

Smalltown05 I looked at your portfolio (not to be nosey) and you've done some pretty nice stuff in natural light. Don't be so modest man, great stuff!

- One Image at A time!
smalltown05 5/19/06 9:20 PM

I can't (or haven't managed yet) to get that kind of isolated natural light that you're doing so well here. It drives me crazy.

- blow.....hard
photogbob 5/19/06 9:27 PM

Set up in a dark room near a window (preferrably north, northwest side) use a sheer window covering to diffuse the light. Shoot so that the light is comming in fron a side angle and just play around with exposure. I like to hang a black cloth 3-4 feet behind the subject to eliminate any distracting stuff in the background. Try it and let me know how it works for you.

- One Image at A time!
Jump1ok 5/19/06 9:32 PM

I just went back and noticed the window reflecting in the bottle on still life 1...very nice....

- Misunderstood
SimonHuang 5/19/06 9:52 PM

I disagree that "lift off" is natural light :) good pics.
photogbob 5/19/06 9:54 PM

Took the shot in the garden. Just a bit of post processing! Anyway, read the details of the challenge. The last three are supposed to be three of my favorite pics and not related the the natural light challenge.

- One Image at A time!
andreaeagle 5/20/06 12:42 AM

Your shot' s are true beauty. I am a lucky amatuer, how in the hell did you get that last shot of the tulip.

- come over for lunch
andreaeagle 5/20/06 12:42 AM

Your shot' s are true beauty. I am a lucky amatuer, how in the hell did you get that last shot of the tulip.

- come over for lunch
Don Phillips 5/20/06 1:40 AM

Absolutely awesome shots. Love your work.

- Don
bugaboo 5/20/06 4:16 AM

Still life, grace & beauty, and chrome lily are fantastic!! Great stuff!
Anonymous Hero 5/20/06 5:15 AM

Grace and beauty is a real beauty...wonderful work.
Sopris 5/20/06 5:18 AM

Incredible images. Thanks for sharing some tips!
BusyB1965 5/20/06 5:34 AM

Encore please, these are great.

- Blessings
Lidljo 5/20/06 5:43 AM

Wow, what a wonderful set - couldn't choose a favorite - all great.

- Flowers are happiness...
Penny 5/20/06 6:26 AM

"Grace and Beauty" and "Encore" are incedible shots! I love them both! I keep going back and looking at them.

- Smile
photogbob 5/20/06 6:55 AM

Just got up, wow! Thanks all for the inspiring comments!!!

- One Image at A time!
MrsMike 5/20/06 7:41 AM

This is what i meant in my last post about having all these great teachers....I will have to find another apple shot now...lol. Thanks for the knowledge....smiles and good morning.

- Big and Ferocious!!!
loweho 5/20/06 9:11 AM

All are fantastic, photogbob, especially like the instrument shot with the flowers nice contrasts there. The light in all is awesome. Great work!!!

- Fickle Finger of F8
muddy 5/20/06 10:20 AM

Great shots.
Birdie 5/20/06 4:41 PM

White flowers is awesome! THe others are great as well.
JustPeachy 5/20/06 6:28 PM

Wowsers! Grace & Beauty is outstanding. Enjoyed all of them.

- Good Kitty No More
photogbob 5/20/06 10:55 PM

Thanks once again everyone! I enjoyed doing this set and looking forward to a new challenge.

- One Image at A time!
Shutterbug 5/21/06 2:58 AM

These are all great images. You're truly an artist with an artist's eye. Love the guitar/flower images. tfs
photogbob 5/21/06 8:21 AM

Thanks Shutterbug, You made my day!

- One Image at A time!
KayN 5/21/06 2:37 PM

All are fantastic images.....you do have a good eye.....

- Ms.N
crzykty 5/21/06 5:36 PM

Great work. You can tell you give it the effort and it shows. Very nice.