Natural vs. artificial light

Daylight changes with weather, time and where the subject is positioned. Window light can be soft and controllable indoors, while direct sun can produce hard-edged shadows. Natural does not automatically mean soft or flattering.

Artificial light

Household lamps, LEDs, flash and studio lights are all artificial sources, but they behave very differently. Their advantage is control and repeatability. Their colour can also differ from daylight and from each other.

Mixing the two

Mixed lighting can produce different colour casts in different parts of the photograph. Sometimes that is attractive; sometimes it is distracting. If colour matters, try switching one source off, moving the subject or choosing one dominant light source.

Try it for yourself