Natural Light Or Artificial (Studio/Speedlight) Light. Which Is Best?

This is a question I get asked from time to time, and a topic often discussed and talked about in the photography world.

Are you a natural light photographer or do you use artificial lighting?

 When scrolling Instagram, Facebook or googling to search for a photographer, you may see some describe themselves as a ‘natural light’ photographer or state that they only use ‘natural light’. It has become quite a buzz term in the photography world.

 But do we actually know, or see the difference, in the final images. Well, that all depends on how light is used.

 Whether a photographer uses only natural light,  only studio lighting (flash, off camera flash, continuous lights, a light wall, or strobes) or a combination of both natural and studio, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that the photographer understands light, how to use it and how it impacts the final images.

 First up, let’s quickly go over what each type of lighting is when it comes to photography. 

 What is ‘Natural Light’ Photography?

 Natural light is just that, the natural ambient light around us. The light the sun creates.  Regarding outdoor photography, it is self-explanatory - using the natural sunlight whilst taking photos. For indoor/studio photography, it usually means using the natural light that streams though a window or a door.

 Creating beautiful images with only natural light is not as simple and easy as it may seem. There are many things to consider, such as angles, positioning and of course the time of day.  It takes practice and skill to truly harness and use natural light to its full potential to create stunning, emotive images.

 Some natural light photographers may also use aids such as scrims and reflectors to bounce and play with the light whilst shooting.

 Most photographers, when first starting out, would be classified as ‘natural light’ photographers. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, learning photography can be a massive learning curve. Adding flash or studio lighting when one is still getting their head around camera settings, and how to pose people would be full on. Secondly, photography in general is expensive. Adding studio equipment and speedlights/flashes when you have just purchased a camera and lenses, and are barely making any money (or not yet charging) would probably require a second mortgage or a personal loan (joking here and slightly exaggerating), but it is crazy expensive purchasing lighting. Lastly, when first starting out we often think ‘natural light’ is the way to go.

What is artificial lighting? – Studio and flash

Strobes, speedlights/flash, continuous lighting, a light wall etc are all forms of artificial light. They may be used to add to the natural light that is already available, or in isolation to light up a subject.

Artificial light takes time to master. It is not as simple as changing a few settings on your camera. You must learn how the light moves from the source you are using, the distance you require your subject to be from the light (this depends on the ‘look’ you are after), as well as the modifier you are using on the source. 

When it comes to studio-based lighting there are many different types: a light wall which mimics a ‘window’ look, strobes which fire as you click the shutter on your camera, continuous lighting (a source that offers a continuous light, not a flash), or speedlights (flashes) which you can use on your camera or take off (known as ‘off camera flash’). 

All these also come with many different types of modifiers (add-ons that change the look, direction, size, and softness of the light), for example: beauty dishes, shoot through umbrellas, bouncing back umbrellas, soft boxes, octoboxes and the list goes on.

Just as with natural light, creating beautiful images with artificial light is not simple and easy at first. It takes time to master, and just like natural light, requires knowledge of angles and positioning.

So, which is better?

 Neither.

What it comes down to is how the photographer reads and uses the light they have available to them. Understanding light is fundamental to photography. Knowing when to shoot, how to shoot in different lighting environments, the angles and positions, are vital, and it is something that comes with practice and experience.

Whether a photographer is a natural light photographer, or a photographer who to utilises artificial light or one who is competent with both, it really doesn’t matter. If they understand light, they will be able to choose the best lighting environment and settings to suit their photography style.

Understanding and being able to use both, natural and artificial, does have advantages, but using both is not necessary. It simply means the photographer can shoot in pretty much any environment.

One scenario could be an evening party with fairy lights. A natural light photographer would struggle once the sun has set and would have to rely on increasing their ISO (which adds noise to an image) to allow more light in their camera. Whereas a photographer who understands and uses a speed light (flash) wouldn’t worry about the setting sun, and could continue shooting through the entire evening capturing images that are correctly exposed.

Another scenario could be an in-home photography session. On a beautiful sunny day the light may stream through the windows and allow for perfectly lit images. However, if it ends up being an overcast, cloudy day there would be a lot less light to utilise making it harder to rely on only natural light.

So, what do I use?

I use a combination of both. It all depends on the situation, the environment, how much natural light is available and, of course, the vision I have for the final product. 

One of my aims is for my clients to be able to print their images (the bigger the better). I want to limit the amount of noise in my photographs. Noise is the grainy look we sometimes see in images which obscures details and reduces image quality. Grainy images seem to be on-trend currently. They have a romantic, vintage feel and look beautiful on social media, but often don’t print well, especially large ones

To avoid noise, images should be correctly exposed. To correctly expose an image, I need to understand my light source, my angles, positioning of subjects and, of course, my camera settings.

Outdoors I will usually opt for natural light wherever possible. I love shooting towards the sun, so my clients end up with that beautiful rim lighting around them, especially in golden bush settings.

In-home sessions I love to use natural light as much as possible but I always have a speedlight in my camera bag as a backup and for those dark rooms or cloudy days.

 In my studio I use a combination of both. I have three strobes and at times will use all three to create a certain look. I also have a beautiful big, glass sliding door which I love using for gorgeous natural light images.

Some advice for you

 As mentioned, there is no ‘better’ type of light. 

Light is light. 

The secret is how to read and use the light available that makes all the difference. 

It also depends on the vision I have for the final image. Some photographers want grain in their images. Some want them dark. Some want dramatic shadows, and some want them slightly over exposed. It comes down to the photographer’s vision and their style.

 So, when scrolling through Instagram, Google or Facebook for your next photographer, don’t worry about what type of lighting they use, rather focus on the style and look of the images they create with their chosen light source. Choose a style you are drawn to.

 Below are some examples of both studio lighting and natural lighting.