You may have heard people talk about photos in terms of “studio” or “lifestyle” or “natural light” Light makes a big difference in photography. The wrong light can ruin a photo and the right light can make you feel for a photo. Many times if you are searching for a photographer you may have an idea of the photos you like looking at but you may not know why. I want to explain some options that I offer to give you a better idea of what types of images you can expect.

Studio light

Studio light images are very common in my work. I use a one light PLM system. That may not mean a lot to you, but what you can expect is lighting that comes from one side of your face or subject. Some studio photographers use up to 4 or even 5 lights. I prefer the simple one light look for my images. It’s also much easier to use with a moving child! I use a series of backdrops and backgrounds to give variety to your gallery. With newborns I use the floor and also a posing table for images, but still using that one studio light.

Natural light

If we are doing photos outside I will be using natural light (the light provided by the sun) If in studio, we have some options between studio light and natural light. My studio light work happens in my main studio area. Natural light occurs in a separate room. Because having a natural light studio option is newer (2022) to me you will see less examples, but I’m hoping to add as I have more! My natural light studio has one window that we will use in a variety of ways. This studio is much smaller, so isn’t appropriate for a larger group. This studio is powered by the sun, so you will see changes on a cloudy day vs a sunny day. We also need to schedule natural light images during the daytime hours. Natural light gives darker shadows and I tend to do more lifestyle and natural posing in this area.