Find the light

Where is the light coming from?

Every photo is made of light, so start by finding its source: the sun, a window, a lamp. Then notice which way it travels. Light falling on the front of a face shows the eyes and skin clearly. Light from the side adds shape and texture. Light from behind your subject, shining towards the phone, is called backlight: the bright background fools the camera and the face comes out dark. Big, even sources, like a cloudy sky or a large window, give soft light with gentle shadows. The midday sun or a bare bulb gives hard light with sharp, dark shadows.^[3][4]

Turn them to face it

You rarely need to change the light itself; change where people stand. Indoors, move your subject so they face a window and stand with your back to it, a little to one side so your shadow does not fall on them. Outdoors on a sunny day, look for open shade, such as under a tree or beside a building, where the light is softer. The phone's flash is a last resort: it fires straight from the front, flattens faces and makes the background go black.^[4][5]

Practice: Walk round the window

1. Stand a person, or a mug if no one is free, with a bright window behind them. Take a photo.
2. Swap places so they face the window and you have your back to it. Take a second photo.
3. Turn them side-on to the window and take a third photo.
4. Look at all three and say which one shows the face or the mug most clearly, and why.

1. 1.A friend stands with a bright window behind them. What usually happens to their face in the photo?
   It comes out dark✓ (correct answer)It comes out blurryIt looks too orangeIt looks too sharp

   ✓ Correct. That is backlight: the bright window fools the camera, so the face comes out dark.

2. 2.Which of these gives the softest, most flattering light on a face?
   Harsh sun at noonA bare ceiling bulbA cloudy sky outdoors✓ (correct answer)The phone's own flash✗

   ✗ Not quite. A cloudy sky is a huge, even source, so shadows are gentle. The flash fires straight from the front and flattens faces.

3. 3.What should you do first, before taking the photo?
   Switch the flash on firstTurn the phone upside downPick a filter to useFind where light comes from✓ (correct answer)

   ✓ Correct. Finding the light comes first: it tells you where your subject should stand.