The #1 key to good smartphone photos is lighting! Especially when we’re working with natural light, we often don’t have much control over our lighting. But understanding a few basic things about smartphone photo lighting and taking into account a few simple pointers can really level up your smartphone photography!

First, an example of what NOT to do.

While this picture has a good message, it’s actually one of my least favorite photos because of the lighting!

This picture was taken in December when the sun sets around 5:30 pm in my neck of the woods. By the time I got around to taking this photo, I was left with no natural light and forced to rely on the overhead light in my dining room.

If you look at the top right corner of my face, you notice that my forehead is quite overexposed. As we move diagonally down my face, you’ll notice dark shadows under my eyes and uneven lighting across my face. I look like I haven’t slept for a week!

Let’s talk about what we could have done differently.

Here are some basic actions I could have taken to make a much more appealing photo:

• Turn off overhead lights
  • As we noticed above, overhead lights cast heavy shadows.
• Open curtains and blinds to let in natural light
  • We want to capitalize on natural light when we’re able!
• Position subjects facing the natural light
  • This will give you the most evenly lit photo!
• If it’s dark outside, supplement with light coming from the sides, like lamps.
  • Light coming from the side will create different, softer shadows on faces compared to overhead light.
• Use your camera flash
  • When in doubt, let your camera help you out!

Using natural light from windows

In the first photo, my back is to the window with. It is a bright, sunny day, so the light behind me is quite harsh, thus shadowing my face.

In the middle photo, I turned my body so that my right side faced the window. Now we see half of my face is well lit while the other half is still shadowed. This can be fun if you’re going for a moody, artistic look. But if you’re looking for a consistently well lit photo, it still won’t be our best option.

In the third photo, I turned so I was facing the window. In this photo, you’ll see my face is well lit, there are no shadows, and my skin looks smooth and even. This is the best option for solid photo lighting.

Now that we’ve learned some basic indoor lighting techniques, grab your phone camera and snap some photos! Practice makes progress, so try this out over the course of the day as the light changes. Try turning on and off overhead lighting as well as lamps and notice the difference it makes in your photos.

After you’ve tried these tips out, share one of your favorite photos to your Instagram story, and be sure to tag me, @HannahGaebelDorn!