4 : S AY C H E E S E !
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The second way to light your images outdoors is to use the light that occurs during the
“golden hour” of the day. This is the time period that occurs one hour after sunrise and
one hour before sunset (many photographers are more likely to use the evening light
since it’s more convenient). The quality of this light is soft, warm-toned, and very pleasing
for portraits (Figure 4.4).
When to Use a Flash
I’m not usually a big fan of using the pop-up flash or any type of on-axis flash, which is a
light source that comes from the same direction as the camera. It usually results in light-
ing that is very flat, and often adds harsh shadows behind the subject. But you won’t
always have the perfect lighting situation for each photograph, so keeping an on-camera,
ready-to-go flash on hand can be very practical. It’s also good for those moments when
you just have to get the shot and there’s not a lot of light available, for example, if your
baby takes his or her first steps in a darkened room. You wouldn’t want to miss that, and
the pop-up flash is a handy tool to help capture those moments.
Figure 4.4
This image was photo-
graphed in the evening,
just before the sun had
set, adding a nice warm
rim light on the little
girl’s hair.
ISO 160 • 1/60 sec. •
f/2.8 • 50mm lens
