Artificial lighting — do you really need it?

Here’s a funny thing, some photographers will ONLY use natural light, claiming they don’t NEED artificial light … while some studio photographers claim they ONLY use artificial light.

Often (but not always) these photographers only use one or the other as they haven’t really learned the power of the other. There is true power and versatility in learning how to harness both types of lighting. Both can be used at different times, but also at the same time.

Artificial vs. natural light

I use both artificial and natural light. There is power in both, either together or separately. So I put together a list of articles, covering the best tips I know of for both.

Natural light

• How to harness your light for still life photography

• Creating soft beautiful images with natural window light

• Capturing portraits in natural light

• How to take great photos with almost no light

• How to take great photos with bad lighting

Artificial light

• Getting comfortable with studio lighting

• How speedlights work

• Three one-light setups for dramatic and artistic portraits

• Three effective two-light setups that work for any portrait photoshoot

• Creating beautiful portraits with clamshell lighting

• How to photograph still life with studio strobes

• Capturing the action in the studio with High-Speed Sync

So, do you really need artificial light or not? I honestly think that the best course of action is to learn how to master both. That way you can make informed decisions on the mood and needs of your shoot — whether it’s in a studio or outside — once you’ve mastered lighting you can have the best of all worlds.