Look at those windows right!? I know, I’m not going to lie – this is what sold us on this house last year. These are gorgeous windows and provide wonderful light! However, I quickly noticed after we moved and settled in, that because of the location of the house, the size of the rooms, and the window placement, that really they were my ONLY good windows for natural light for my photography. This left me feeling a bit worried that all my images from my home would end up looking the SAME because they would mostly all end up in front of this space. Insert my lesson on making the best of what you have!
Well, a little more than a year has gone by, and I can tell you that with some creative use of light and some effort you too can make your favorite spot VERSATILE.
10 Ways I Used One Window
Let’s look at this first set.
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Image 1: ISO640 135mm F2.8 1/125sec
We had temporarily moved a couch in front of the window (yes don’t be afraid to move in a favorite chair or something to get your desired look.) The window is right behind his head and it lets the light peek over and sort of envelope him. This was taken midday.
Image 2: ISO1000 200mm F2.8 1/250sec
This shot was in the morning before school. I had pulled a stool over in front of the window and had him lean forward. I wish I had been a bit more straight on so the background would be better alignment but I still love this creamy and bright image.
This was in the afternoon and I loved the shadows on the floor. I purposely underexposed to enhance the shadows and the lighting on his face.
Image 4: ISO400 85mm F2.0 1/125sec
This image was taken at about 4pm and my older son is in almost the exact same spot as my younger son in Image 3 (puzzle shot). By turning it black and white and getting rid of all the games and the books in the background it really gave it a whole new look.
Image 5: ISO4000 85mm F3.2 1/80sec
This one was taken just as the sun was going down so it was pretty dark. He is facing the window, which is letting very little light in. I wanted a warm gentle tone for this one.
Image 6: ISO1600 27mm F4.51/160sec
This was later in the day and overcast too. I grabbed my wide angle to try for a unique perspective of the craft we had done.
Image 7: ISO400 85mm F2.0 1/125sec
You can guess – he is laying on the floor and getting great light from the windows to the side of him.
Image 8: ISO3200 45mm F2.8 1/250sec
An overcast day, but we were going to play! This is almost a silhouette look just by turning it B&W and enhancing the blacks…it gives it a different feel than the first image.
As the seasons change and the sun moves I find it comes in the windows differently; sometimes I would be able to catch sun flares, haze, and different shadows. If you put your mind to making the best of what you have, you can make your one great window work for you all the time.
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