10 Steps to Becoming a Full Time Photographer

How on Earth, when everyone is now a photographer, are you going to become a full time professional?

That was a question I posed to myself about 5 years ago. Fast-forward to today and I have just succeeded in making that leap. It has been a wonderful and difficult journey so I wanted to share 10 lessons that I learned along the way.

1. You gotta love it
I have never been very good at job interviews. I do not like explaining myself and I was never passionate about the job. The feedback was always something like ‘that was great Adam but Paul/Charlotte/Greg/Olivia wanted it more’. People always know when we do not love it. Faking it for a while might be possible; but eventually you will let your guard down and get found out. It has never been more important to be genuine, honest and transparent. When a photography journey starts as a hobby and a passion, the credibility will shine through and connect with people.

2. Video

Filming ‘Conquering the Camera Settings’. Ranked No.1 for ‘landscape photography’ on YouTube
Video is at number 2 for a reason. There might still be professional photographers out there who make a living only taking pictures, but there are not many new ones. I just can not see anyway in which a photographer in 10–15 years time is not doing video in addition to stills. Thankfully a photographer has a head start. They understand composition, light, exposure and the gear. Capturing great sound is equally, if not more, important than good footage. Sound is probably one of the biggest challenges for photographers moving into video. Once mastered it will quickly elevate your work. People probably won’t notice, but your films and movies will have a more professional feel.

3. Build a brand
How you brand yourself is a personal choice. Many photographers use their own name for their business. This is fine but be aware of your long term goals. To have the option of selling your business in future, avoid using your own name. My brand is First Man Photography. I use this because when people read my Polish surname, they always get it wrong. The little practicalities are worth thinking about from early on.

Most photographers, whether they are full time or not, are all looking to build a brand. When we dedicate time and energy and pour our souls into our work, we want someone else to see it at the end. We therefore need to draw attention to our work, have people remember it, and remember us once they see it.


Sandsend. Long exposure photography is a key focus of my work
Marketing and branding is a key element to the success of every full time photographer. Choosing to ignore tools like Instagram, facebook, websites, email lists, Youtube, Snapchat, Medium, Podcasts, etc could be a terminal mistake for a business. Even if the business survives on the all important word of mouth and reputation, it will be even bigger with a solid social media strategy.

Building and maintaining a brand never stops. Being a good person who is hardworking, honest, open and approachable, supportive and possesses a little bit of talent will mean there is nothing to fear.

4. Find your niche

A colourful and interesting niche
Life does not reward a jack of all trades. I have learned this the hard way. My interests are wide and varied and my photography is no different. When photography was just my hobby I explored absolutely all genres of the art. Even when I started my YouTube channel the videos I created mirrored this natural mindset. However people like to associate a specialism with a particular photographer so there are not many successful ‘all rounder’ photographers out there. Try and focus your brand down onto one or two genres. I am known for my landscape photography and macro water drop shots and I try to maintain focus on that. It is however possible to run more than one brand where you can expand your business or interests. The wedding side of my business, for example, does not feature on my YouTube channel and sits on a separate website.

5. Ignore conservative photographer
Conservative Photographer is a character to represent photographers who succeed by putting people down. I have written about him in detail before but he will do everything he can to stand in your way and make life difficult. He will appear supportive, whilst ripping your work apart under the banner of “critique”. He will comment negatively about your work or style without directly mentioning your name. He will run Google Adwords on your name so his website appears above yours when people search for you (this is a modern day equivalent of sticking your flyer over the top of the competition’s). He will call you naive to discourage you from trying. He is rude, unpleasant, dishonest and does not particularly care about his clients.


The lonely struggle against Conservative Photographer.
The good news is conservative photographer can be easily handled if you know a few other things about him. He is scared, he likes the status quo, he thinks his experience entitles him to continued success. He is afraid you will be better than him, he does not want to work as hard as you and he is also stuck in his ways.

Ignore him, do your own thing and send a little pity his way. Conservative Photographer, your time is done.

6. Figure out your USP
Figuring out what makes you special as a photographer is an important step. What separates you from everyone else and makes you stand out from the crowd? It is a completely personal thing and will be discovered by exploring self-awareness.

Thanks to the twice weekly schedule on my Youtube channel and hundreds of videos uploaded, I became very proficient at turning out 10 minute videos in double quick time. It has allowed me to offer an additional video package to my wedding clients on top of the photographs. The extra work is manageable for me and results in extra revenue from a single client whilst saving them the cost of paying for a full time videographer for the day. It is a unique selling point that has proved very successful so far.


Secondly I pride myself on being a pretty good guy. Having a stream of people in your wake that respect you and want to work with you again is pretty much the key to life. I share knowledge, I am kind, I work hard, I have a modicum of talent, I am interested in you, I am interested in the client and I build and maintain relationships. I want to succeed from a base of positivity and without sticking a knife in anyone else’s back. I am convinced this new social era is when nice guys start to finish first.

7. Ignore the criticism but listen to the market
People are happy to dish out feedback and criticism freely and cheaply. You see it all the time both good and bad. An image is posted on social media and a few people say ‘great shot’. It does not necessarily mean it is. Likewise people attend camera clubs and have their images pulled to pieces by people who take one photograph per month. Both things are completely irrelevant.


The Isle of Mull
Giving feedback properly is an art form. In photography it rarely benefits the photographer by pointing out what is not to like about the image. When dishing out feedback, firstly your intentions should be true. The feedback should not be about you in anyway. What you say should not make you feel better about yourself. Sadly this happens nearly all the time. Focus your feedback on the good points and suggest different things someone could try and be positive overall. If someone asks for your critique it is also a good tactic to ask what they think of their own image. They will often point out all the negatives in their own work for you. It is then just a case of gently agreeing with them and pointing out a few positives, leaving them feeling good.

Epic Photography Techniques

In my writings on photography, I’m often focused on what constitutes effective image-making — but sometimes I know you want to break out of the usual beautiful shot and do something totally epic.

The high-impact shot has the ability to define us as photographers and artists. Because the basics of photography are the things that most anyone can pick up, so the shots we take that look special and different from all the rest are often the ones that people will remember us most by.

But, as you’d expect, to get different results, you have to shoot differently. Which is why I’m concentrating here on techniques that veer into the extreme.

Extremeness appeals to us because it takes us to the edge and this is where we come to understand the limits of our humanity. This is why we are thrilled by extreme sports. Entertained by extreme emotion. And drawn to extreme imagery. So, for today, let’s go full speed ahead into photography that pushes the edges. Namely, through the use of extreme angles and extreme light.

Extreme Angles
One of the simpler ways of establishing a sense of the extreme is to position your camera in a way that takes an extreme view of something — often, either from very low looking up or high looking down. Though, as we’ll get into, it goes far beyond that.

Shooting Up


Photo by Josh S. Rose, 2017.
To grasp the fundamental principle of the extreme upward angle, let’s look at a building that is, in real life, a pretty normal box shape. It’s the John Ferraro building in Los Angeles.

Now, let’s get closer — to the corner of it — and look practically straight up.

What you notice is a forced angle, or perspective, that shape-shifts the building into a modern day pyramid that reaches up into the sky.

This building experiment is a simple way of showing how shooting from a low angle changes the dynamic of the image. And this works in many many different kinds of shots.

I like these extreme angles because they force the viewer to step out of his/her own shoes and leave the usual human mindset behind.

When you’re really low, looking up, you’re taking on the perspective of something much smaller — so it instills an immediate sense of exaggerated scale and awe into the image. Something otherwise normal now feels bigger, more important, perhaps even ominous or scary. This instills emotion into your composition before we even talk about subject.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Los Angeles, 2015.
Here’s an image using the same technique — the camera is sitting on the ground, angled way up. See how the lines head up to the heavens? See how our figure extends and takes on a kind of ominous presence? This is the power of an extreme angle. And it’s not reserved only for people and architecture, either.

Many kinds of photography use low angles to create a sense of majesty or importance, from portrait work to landscape.

Car photography, in particular, often entails images shot from only a few inches off the ground to make a vehicle feel more powerful or aggressive.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Los Angeles, 2015.
Shooting Down
An equal amount of emotion can be had looking down as looking up, but with the change in angle, so too do we experience a change in emotion. A view from the sky can make us feel powerful, free, or even anxious.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Los Angeles, 2016.

Photo by Josh S. Rose, 2017.
And, with drones, the options from above are only growing, so it’s no surprise to see a growing number of contemporary image-makers offering never-before-seen shots with aerial photography.


Video by Ming Chen, 2017.
Extreme Close-Up
But low and high are not the only extreme ways to position your camera — one oft-overlooked one is getting up close.


Photo by Josh S. Rose, 2017.
Portrait photographers will often establish a look to their portfolios through extreme close-ups. Important to note that the effect of putting your camera up close to a person is much different (and more epic) than using a longer lens or cropping in post. There is just some way the mind understands — probably through a hundred small ways — that you are actually right up next to the person. It’s powerful because it breaks through the normal barrier we have between us and others, offering a form of extreme intimacy.

A famous photographer, named Robert Capa, once said, “If your photos aren’t good enough, then you’re not close enough.” And certainly a lot of photographers have taken that in-your-face approach to photographing people, to great (and epic) effect. Probably none more famous than Bruce Gilden.


Photo by Bruce Gilden.
That’s pretty epic.

Super Wide
Yet another way to think about extreme angles is in the angle of your lens. A wide angle lens, used properly, is an extreme view on the world as it incorporates more of it than your eyes normally see, or take in. It can be a tricky way to add epic-ness to your image as the viewer isn’t always aware that you’re doing it. The added visual information and range of view allows for more relationships and sense of the whole.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Santa Monica, 2016.
This image of a lifeguard tower in Santa Monica was taken with a super-wide lens (15mm). And while it’s not immediately apparent that this is a super wide angle shot, something in your experience of it feels epic, simply due to how much you’re seeing. If for no other reason than the space around the lifeguard tower which adds to the amount of attention that seems to be being put on it.

Extreme Perspective

Photo by Josh S. Rose. Los Angeles, 2016
Finally, I want to talk a bit about perspective. Perspective, as you likely already know, is the sense of distance or depth in an image. We know it by the way things recede into the distance, most iconically through the lines of a road heading off toward a horizon. But things start to get really epic when you push that perspective even harder, to truly foreshorten your lines in drastic ways. The most common method is to find parallel lines and then, by getting very close to them, create an extreme sense of going from very wide to very narrow in short order.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Los Angeles, 2017
These wide-to-narrow lines are dramatic ways to tell the viewer where to look. It quickly throws your eyes toward a subject, creating an immediacy that feels purposeful and filled with intention.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Montreal, 2016.
So, that’s a bit about angle. But equally important as your angle in creating powerful images is your light.

Extreme Light
Nice light is nice. But EPIC light can do things that you don’t see in your usual well-lit composition. When incorporated in extreme ways, light adds emotion. There’s many ways to use extreme lighting to bring great impact to your photo. Here’s some of my favorites.

Rays of Light
Because it comes from the heavens, light can have an other-worldly affect on a photo, creating a whole lot of wow.


“The Conversion of St. Paul” by Nicolas Bernard Lepicie
There’s a reason that some of the most renowned religious art features light streaming down from the sky. It is, as they say, biblical. But even aside from the religious connotations, the sun holds the power of life. It’s no wonder that when we see light pouring into an image, we attribute an emotional value to it. It is the essence of life.

As in the image here of Paul’s Conversion, with its shaft of light from the heavens, the cover image at the very top of this article also uses light in a similarly epic way. The trick in capturing rays of light is in making sure there’s atmosphere in the sky to see it with — fog, smoke, clouds, dust and haze are all conditions that lends themselves to epic rays of light.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Ottawa, 2015.
But it doesn’t always have to highlight a figure. Sometimes the light itself just creates a sense of otherworldly epic-ness.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Los Angeles, 2016.
Back Light
Having a light behind your subject can also be a very effective way of creating high, epic drama.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. San Diego, 2015.
The back light tends to create a silhouette of your figure, but also causes the viewer to wonder about the thing that shines the light. A mysterious light coming toward us in the night can be powerful, scary, even extraterrestrial.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Los Angeles, 2017.
A back light often feels more purposeful than your usual fare and does unique things to a figure or object. Notice the rim lights in all the examples here.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Los Angeles, 2016.
A rim light draws a literal line around a person, accentuating the human form and causing it to stand off a background in a more distinct way than normal.

In this image of a man walking under a freeway, we’re seeing multiple techniques that we’ve discussed working together: perspective, wide angle, angling up and back lighting.

In fact, if you start to observe images that seem to come across as epic, you’ll probably see multiple things discussed here working together in those shots.

Light Trails
If you follow my work at all, you know that I’m a big fan of long exposure light trails. For an advanced understanding of techniques in long exposure, you can read more here. For me, there is just a huge satisfaction in using light in this way to guide the eye or create epic, sweeping curves and lines that have incredible impact and drama. And I’ll employ this technique on any trip I’m on to create unique views of things that people shoot all the time, yielding images that standout.


Photo by Josh S. Rose. Los Angeles, 2017.
This image is also using a super-wide angle lens and the camera is placed on the ground. Again, we’re looking at multiple extreme shooting techniques that we’ve gone over here in combination to create an epic image.

There are other techniques, of course, that create epic-ness. Especially things photographers do in post. If it seems like a popular subject, I can follow up with more. In the meantime, hopefully this inspired a few new shots for you to try in your own photography. Happy holidays and happy shooting!

Tips for beginners and wedding photography

The prices of the current reflex cameras are not prohibitive, shooting in digital does not involve the expense of doing it in analog and with a little skill and later editing, and not very good photos can be saved. And if we also add the economic situation, then it is evident that who cannot pay what a report by a professional costs will have to choose those alternatives if he wants, and is entitled, to have his photos.

All this is more noticeable when we talk about weddings. For these important events many opt for one of these photographers or directly face a family member or friend who loves photography, their photos. Since everything is a personal matter, I will not value whether they do right or wrong. I of course opted for a professional for that day; I did not want risks or be aware of whether I was doing it right or wrong.

Anyway, if you decide that a family member, friend or even a non-professional photographer — for economic reasons — I do the photos of your wedding or you are the one who will do them here are a series of tips so that everything is not in a perched looking the camera and lack of naturalness.

Tips for wedding photography

Making wedding photos should not be different from any other modality. The only drawback is that here the moments do not repeat themselves. The hug of the bride with her father before leaving for the church or place of celebration, the look of a mother to her son or a kiss between the couple are things that cannot be repeated. Therefore, a series of basic tips:

Have the equipment ready, the objective you are going to use and the camera settings for the location. Control the white balance, type of measurement, manual or automatic focus, ISO, etc. It would not be the first time that with the emotion of the moment one starts shooting and through the viewfinder of our SLR very well but when we visualize … horror!!! The shooting speed was high and the photos have gone dark or too low and are moved.

Be creative. Do not force with ridiculous postures. Photographs the bride as she prepares, looks out the window, breathes deep to fight nerves, smiles at her mother … Those situations are what will then transmit the feelings that those days emerge.

Play with the elements that surround you. A reflection in a glass, mirror or the furniture that surrounds you can be perfect for a different, attractive composition. There are elements that can even help us as a framework to frame the scene.

Do not disturb the couple with continuous requests. That was one of my requests. When I hired my photographer I told him that I wanted everything to be natural. I did not have the feeling after each picture was prepared. For something like that I would already do a post wedding if I wanted to. That day was to enjoy and the photos should be a fun time.

Within the planning careful to the hours of light. Take care of the time you use in each photo, in each location as it may be that when you reach the last exteriors it is already dark.

Shoot in RAW; you will have more room to maneuver if the settings were not correct.

There are many important points more like having a camera in case the main one fails, several cards, batteries, flash … Also other techniques but those are known with practice, with many sessions, based on mistakes in some cases and observation and learning in others. Although on the internet we can find photos to inspire us.

My last advice, has to do more with the own ethics of each one, if you think that you are not prepared however much you like and you are good to be sincere and advises the couple to hire a professional or look for another person.

10 hits and 10 mistakes in a wedding … if you’re the guest

This article Presented by wedding photographers in Srirangam.

Hits

1.- Short dresses always . Only the godmothers, the witnesses, the sisters of the couple and the intimate friends go if the brides ask for it. The rest of the women of a wedding goes short. Always. Be the time of the day.

2.- Simple and natural dresses . A short is not a cocktail. They have the same measure, but one is simple and the other festive. Be careful with this. The party is never for a wedding ceremony.

3.- In tomorrow’s wedding optimistic and natural colors. Never white, nor broken, nor chalk. That is exclusive to the bride. Yes to the stridency of color in the guests. Why not?

4.- In evening / evening weddings, yes to solid colors and more ready-made dresses.

5.- Yes to the tacozano. Any time. Eye, the heel does not imply night. Beware of party shoes.

6.- The bags and purses will be small and manageable . Simple, no XL crystals, no gems to clog pipes.

7.- In weddings of tomorrow pamelas without discretion. At evening / evening weddings touched if blush.

8.- Loose and natural hair , without headdresses or hats, are also a hit regardless of the time it is.

9.- Natural make-up in the mornings and measured at night. No to war paintings .

10.- Carry in your hands what we are going to use. Nothing else. A light guest is always a success .

Mistakes

1.- No to the show guests who drag long dresses like sirens without age . Terror.

2.- No cocktail dresses because one day is a day and I want to shine. A party dress, even a short one, is a vulgarity in a ceremony.

3 .- No word of honor because I’m worth it , unless the wedding is evening / night and very summer.

4.- No to night shoes. There are perfect day heels. No to glass, to the trays on the feet … It is not a red carpet.

5.- No to excess without measure in jewels and jewels . There is nothing more terrible in a woman than throwing herself on everything that she believes will make her shine.

6.- When we choose eyeballs, they should not make our sight or life difficult . Much less those of other guests.

7.- The headdresses are never removed from the head, eye also with this. If it bothers us is that we have chosen badly. It’s never good to get rid of him in the middle of the wedding. A woman goes out and comes in from home.

8.- No to the integral Black . Black is a terror in ceremonies tomorrow. In the night is not an error but a boring joker.

9.- No shoes matching the dress . Running away from certain past fashions would be fine.

10.- Nothing about the shawl, the jacket, the bowling alley, the shawl, I do not know what the flies are … It is better to go out to the car after arriving as itinerant merchants .

The Complete Guide To Mastering Reflections In Photography (Capture Or Remove)

How is it possible?! With what we are fascinated by the reflections and what we have talked about them and we have not yet dedicated an article to them as they deserve? Ok, yes, we have made challenges and a gallery in an inspiring way, but we have not sat down to tell you how to master them. Because of course, we love capturing their magic, but … do we always want them in our photos? Sometimes not. Sometimes we break our heads to avoid them because they are only a distraction, not a nice reflection that adds attractiveness.

Well, my intention today is that you learn to master them, either when capturing their beauty and attractiveness or to leave them out of the picture when they get in your way. Take note that these tips will come to you from the movies. Let’s go there!

Has it ever happened to you that you were trying to capture the beauty of crystalline water and the stones or little fish that were underneath and the only thing you have achieved has been a luminous surface? Or try to portray someone looking in the mirror and the flash appears in the photo. Or perhaps want to photograph the decoration of a room and that the reflections in the crystals spoil the whole harmony … These cases are quite common. But, luckily, there is a way to prevent them from happening. Let’s see how:

1. It uses a polarizing filter
In addition to providing you with a beautiful contrast between the blue of the sky and the white of the clouds, helping to eliminate the haze of landscapes or increase the saturation of colors, this filter reduces unwanted reflections. You can use it for landscape, interiors, photographing cars or when you need to reduce the reflections of any reflecting surface (glass, metal, water …).

2. Turn off the flash
Unless it is essential, do not use the flash and you will avoid its reflection. If you can not avoid it, follow the following advice.

3. Change the angle
This trick serves both time to avoid flash reflection as when a portrait someone who wears glasses, for example. Many times you will be able to eliminate the reflections you do not want by simply changing the angle from which you take the picture. You can also change the position of the reflective surface, for example, in the case of the portrait, it may be enough to turn a few degrees his face. In short, moves the light source, either a flash or lamp and if you can not, try to change the position of the object or shoot from another angle. Many unwanted reflections are eliminated with this simple gesture.

4. Stick the lens to the glass
When photographing through a glass, stick the lens well to the east. Except when you are in a moving vehicle, such as an airplane, a car or a train, in which case you must leave a centimeter of distance to avoid vibrations and your photograph is moved.

5. Turn off lights
Do you want to photograph the exterior from a glass? In addition to following the previous advice, turn off the lights, if they are on.

6. Clean crystals
The cleaner the crystal is, the purer its transparency. Whenever you can, make sure it is clean to avoid reflections that do not touch.

7. Photoshop
When none of the above works, it resorts to San Photoshop. If you can avoid it with the previous tips, much better for you. The result will be of higher quality and you will invest less time. But if it is not possible, pull it, the resources are there to use them. If you do not know how, look at Youtube, sure there is a tutorial to eliminate that reflection of that specific surface you are looking for;).

Not all reflexes are annoying, on the contrary, there are extreme beauty and interest. Surely you already know and that you have tried to capture them more than once and two times. In this section I will give you some tips to get spectacular reflex photographs.

1. Clear reflections
If what you want is to capture the reflection in the water, try to do it one day that does not make much wind or waves, the calmer the water, whether on a beach or in a lake, the sharper the reflection.

2. Abstract reflections
On the contrary you can play with the movement of water to create abstract or textured images. Well with the water moved by the air, by the passage of a boat or because you throw a stone into the water and form attractive waves that break the symmetry.

3. Silhouettes
The silhouettes are very attractive, if you capture their reflection, double attractive;). Backlit photography during sunrise or sunset and … voilà!

4. Creativity
Creativity has a lot of room in the reflections theme, turning the unreal into real, making the reflected motive the protagonist, investing, turning around, breaking patterns or anything you can think of to surprise will be welcome.

5. Angle
If changing the angle can help you reduce or eliminate annoying reflections, it can also help you capture those that interest you. A monument in a puddle, the reflection of an interesting face in a shop window, some children running by the sea at sunset. Duck or drop to the ground if necessary, try different angles until you get to the right place.

6. Composition
Take care of the composition, skip the rules if necessary, for example to look for symmetry. But take care of every element of the image. Decide exactly how you want to frame. Your reflection may be wonderful, but if the composition is not good, it will not help.

7. Clean crystals
Do not let a stain on a mirror or glass ruin your reflection. Try, whenever possible, to clean the surfaces where you want to capture your reflection.

8. Nocturnes
Take advantage of the night to capture the reflections of the lights.

9. Lighting
A reflection is best captured if the subject is well lit while the reflective surface is not. Take it into account also when photographing landscapes, when the light is dimmer and less overhead your reflections in the water will be much more spectacular, so the sunrise and sunset are very good times.

10. Get closer
The closer your camera is to the surface, the better you can capture the reflection.

11. Manual mode
Although it is not essential (the photo above is made with a mobile and automatic), using your camera in manual mode offers many more possibilities when it comes to master your reflexes. For example:

Use a small aperture to capture an entire reflected landscape
Work with a large aperture to focus attention on a foreground reflection and blur the rest
Use slow speeds to achieve better night reflexes or reflections
Control light exposure
Etc
In short, a manual mode increases your possibilities to infinity (and beyond …;)).

12. Skip the rules
The rules are for skipping them. Definitely. In the blog we teach them, we recommend that you keep them in mind, but also that you break them. Knowingly, of course. Here is a picture with dirty glass and annoying reflections, however, in my opinion, it is what makes the portrait interesting and different.

13. Inspiration
Finally, fill yourself with inspiration. In this article you will find many ideas and photos that will make you want to leave immediately in search of reflections. If you seem few, you can go here or here .

I hope I have helped you to master the most untamable reflections and to capture the most beautiful ones. It does not matter that yours are the landscapes, the portraits, the macro or street photography , to name a few. You can capture reflections in any discipline. Photograph them and enjoy them. Come on, your camera is waiting for you!

Pss, pss, do not leave so fast … If you found this article interesting, it is very likely that some of your contacts with whom you share photographic passion will also be useful. For this reason, I will thank you infinitely that you make it arrive sharing it in your favorite social network. Thanks and see you soon.

100 Quick Tips To Master The Light

100 Quick Tips To Master The Light

Light is a must in photography. It is as important as it is necessary, at a technical and creative level. That's why today, in our series of 100 express tips, I dedicate this article to you. I hope you enjoy it and that you keep these 100 tips safe to dominate the light, to have them always at hand, because ...

... if you learn to master the light, you will dominate photography.

1. Light can be the protagonist by itself.
2. Light is a great creative component within the image.
3. Learn to master the triangle of light.
4. Through light you can awaken different feelings.
5. The portraits with hard light are much more dramatic.
6. Get portraits with diffused light in the shade of a tree, on a porch, under an umbrella or under a bridge.
7. Or at sunrise or sunset.
8. In an interior, approach whenever you can to a source of natural light, a window, a door.
9. Otherwise, place your subject near a lamp or any other artificial light that you have.
10. Use the fill flash when shooting backlit and do not want a silhouette.
11. Turn off the flash if you're looking for a silhouette.
12. Draw the outline of your subject's light by shooting against the light.
13. The backlight will also serve to highlight transparencies.
14. When the light falls directly on the window, you get diffuse light by placing a white curtain or white tissue paper.
15. Dress in white to reflect light.
16. It uses reflectors and diffusers to dominate the light.
17. Get a light box to photograph small objects.
18. Take advantage of hard light to draw shadows.
19. With the hard light of midday the colors are more vivid and bright.
20. Take advantage of the hard light moments for your street photography.
21. Low key photography to awaken feelings of melancholy, sadness, loneliness, mystery, etc.
22. High-key photography to evoke feelings of peace, tranquility, purity, joy, etc.
23. Use the high key to photograph more subtle nudes.
24. It emphasizes the forms, textures and volumes of the architecture with hard light.
25. And take advantage of this light also for high-contrast photographs .
26. Try to edit the latter in black and white.
27. Use a spot measurement in portraits with hard light.
28. Use matrix metering when there are not too bright or too dark elements in the scene.
29. When you're indoors, open as many doors and windows as you can, and open the curtains.
30. If this is not enough, turn on all the lights.
31. When you use different lights, especially artificial ones, take good care of the white balance.
32. Try to capture your portraits near a window.
33. Test your camera to know perfectly from what ISO value noise appears.
34. Make noise in your photo when you want to add mystery or achieve a photo with great nostalgic weight.
35. Use bright lenses when shooting in low light conditions.
36. Use the flash as a creative element to achieve original and different photos.
37. Get a tripod to shoot at slower speeds.
38. Play with lightpainting.
39. In high-contrast photographs, use the spot metering mode .
40. Shoot in RAW for better control of light in the edit.
41. Where there is light there is shadow, learn to make the most of shadows. 
42. Take advantage of the blue hour for architectural photography and urban landscapes.
43. Photography desert landscapes with hard light to enhance the feeling of aridity and warmth.
44. Use front light to highlight details.
45. It uses lateral light to enhance the shapes and textures.
46. Avoid overhead light in portraits.
47. Use contra-centric light to achieve unnatural effects.
48. Read "The register of light" by Michael Freeman.
49. If you just started photography, then read our Lightbook better, also for you.
50. When you use external flash try to bounce it on the ceiling or on a wall (better to be white).
51. Avoid the built-in flash except when you need it as a fill flash.
52. Photography translucent elements against backlight .
53. To achieve a backlit silhouette, expose to the background. The more light contrast there is between the background and the figure, the better result you will get.
54. The golden hours are perfect to capture silhouettes and more elongated shadows.
55. In winter the shadows are more elongated.
56. The best backlit portraits in profile.
57. In macro photography uses ring flash.
58. Use the Beauty Dish in your studio portraits.
59. If necessary, upload the ISO, sometimes a photo with a bit of noise is better than a dark photo or no photo.
60. Capture lights in long exposure.
61. Leverages color temperatures more warm for warmth and romance to the image, such as the golden hour.
62. The colder and bluish color temperatures , such as cloudy days, will help you transmit coldness, loneliness, isolation, distance, etc.
63. The light changes according to the hours of the day and according to the seasons.
64. Take advantage of cloudy and foggy days to get diffused light.
65. The flare or flares do not have to be a mistake, you can also force them to include them as creative element.
66. Look for contrasts of light and shadows.
67. Follow beams of light.
68. Take pictures at different times in the same place and study the light.
69. Photograph an illuminated object from different directions and observe the differences.
70. When photographing the snow, overexpose 1 or 2 steps.
71. The turquoise blue of the paradisiacal beaches stands out with the hard light of midday.
72. To add a point of aggression to your model, retrieve it with hard light.
73. The overhead light is ideal for very general planes and adds depth.
74. Check the histogram when you take a picture.
75. Learn to read the histogram ;).
76. Edit your photos with Lightroom if possible.
77. Plan your sessions well to optimize light to the fullest.
78. Use applications, like this one , to help you plan the light.
79. The low light of sunset and sunrise highlights the reliefs and textures of the landscapes. 
80. Do not even think about trying long exposure photography with bright midday light, unless you have a neutral density filter. 
81. Use Bracketing or Exposure Bracketing when you want a scene that is uniformly illuminated and has many contrasts of light and shadows.
82. Avoid portraits outdoors at noon to avoid encountering unwanted shadows. A trick to save this situation is that the subject looks up and convert the overhead light in front. You will have to photograph from a higher place;).
83. The midday hard light flattens the scene and reduces volumes. In winter it is somewhat less flat, because the sun is lower.
84. Take advantage of the midday hours of a very sunny day for infrared photography.
85. Transmit peace and calm in your photos by doing them in the twilight.
86. The blue hour is perfect for capturing reflections.
87. Go for a tripod and get nocturnal landscapes with the help of moonlight.
88. Illuminate your model laterally to achieve very dramatic or mysterious portraits .
89. Make good use of lighting in portraits and you can disguise imperfections or enhance beauty.
90. Try using a light window as a background in your high-key photographs.
91. When it comes to portraying someone with glasses, change the angle to avoid reflections in the glass.
92. Soften the expression of your model with diffuse light.
93. In landscapes, lower the ISO value and pull the tripod.
94. Black and white photographs tolerate light ends better, for example, midday contrasts.
95. Use silver molds for cakes as a light reflector.
96. If you like studio photography, get some spotlights of continuous light.
97. To have a complete domain of light, try using a photometer. 
98. Learn how to use manual mode to master light.
99. Observe the light, whether or not you have a camera. Study it when you walk down the street, when you go on an excursion, analyze how it affects, how it changes, how the landscape changes at different times. 
100. The light speaks, listen to it. And enjoy it.

I hope that these 100 tips will help you understand the light and learn to master it. When you get it you will see how you will have taken a giant step photographically speaking. And, if you have found it useful, give your contacts this article to enlighten them by sharing it on your favorite social networks. Thank you and see you soon!