One of the main subjects I found myself reflecting on while away on my little escape was Light. Natural light, the reflection of light, what light exposes, what it hides, and so many other variations. It was awesome! I found myself almost enraptured with the subject and wrote page after page while tucked in a coffee shop’s back corner. So I thought it would be fun to make today’s Tip for Moms on light, specifically breaking the rules! 🙂

The image above is one of my favorite “breaking the rules” shots. The kids were playing in our bedroom, climbing all over Brian, and the sun had just started to set. You know when the sun has that intense glow after a rain fall? I grabbed the camera and decided to shoot right into the light. I could hardly see the kids through the view finder, and my camera was freaking out at how overexposed I was, but I knew that for this shot I just wanted to ignore the camera and see what happened. The result was so fun! And I even like the cool sun spots and rings that came through.

Photographers often say one of the first rules of thumb is to have your back to the light. You want the light to be hitting your subject’s face. And while this is often true, you don’t want to miss out on the other types of shots when you shoot directly into the light.

After the kid’s shot, I was hooked and wanted to make it happen on our weddings! This image is from a winter wedding we’re working on right now. The bride was so precious as she waited for her groom to get ready to see her for the first time.

Brian was shooting her from the other side of the limo, getting these great shots of her peeking out the window. I loved the winter light coming through the car and wanted to see if I could get a shot where I let the sun shine right into the lense and hopefully illuminate her veil and dress. I was so excited with what happened! You can even see the little green sun spots in the image.

Did I get it right the first time I tried? No. But that’s the glory of digital! I can look at what I’m shooting, adjust my settings and try again. And if it doesn’t work (and I’ve still got time), I try one more time! 🙂

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Exercise for “Breaking the Rules with Light!”

1. You’re probably wondering why this exercise when our days are so gloomy, especially in the Pacific Northwest for all my native friends. Even though it’s been raining a lot, we’ve had these crazy sun breaks. And because of the rain fall the light seems to shine even brighter. So the next time you see a sun break, take the kids outside or put them in front of the window!

2. Put your camera setting on Manuel. Bring your aperture up to a F 5.6 for starters. Put your shutter speed at 200 to start. Let the sun shine right into your lense.

3. Look at your shot, and if the image is to dark then lower your shutter speed to keep the lense open longer and let more light in. You could even lower your F stop too if you wanted!

4. Play around with the settings. No one’s looking, so it’s okay if you don’t get it right the first handful of times. What’s important is you’re getting to know your camera and how it reacts to bright sun when you shoot right into it. Believe me, you’ll walk away with so many “ah-ha’s” from this, you’d be surprised.

5. Send me what you get if you want some input! I love what you’ve all been sending me! It’s awesome to see your results and hear how much fun you’re having!

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To learn more about me visit About Me Ra.

To find out more information on our photography workshops, visit “Documenting a Child’s Life.” We are taking names for our Waiting List of upcoming 2007 speaking workshops and conferences! Let us know if you’d like to be added!

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