Masterclass #3

Shooting with Natural Light

Photographers are often divided by the strangest of concepts. Canon vs Nikon vs Sony. Prime lenses vs Zoom. My Dad’s bigger than your Dad. And Natural light vs Strobes/Flash. There is a narrative that natural light shooters are beginners who are just afraid to learn how to use a strobe. Or that flash photography is for out of touch old farts.

But it’s nonsense, all of it. With all the technology at our fingertips you can shoot any scenario in any number of different ways, the only thing that really matters is that everything you do is done with intent. Intent is the difference between getting the exposure right and telling good stories. And lighting shapes the story just as much as any other element.

Natural light is all I used for a number of years, partly because I loved it’s softness and partly because decent Strobe lighting is eye-wateringly expensive. Natural light gorgeous, organic, available to everyone, and free, so it’s the obvious place to start.¹

The holy trinity of lighting for food photography is

1. A light source