However lovely the weather is where you live, it’s a statistical improbability that you’ll have perfect weather every day. And if you’re shooting outside in any shape or form, you’ll probably have to work with flat lighting at some point. So, how do you get around this and still take great photos even in poor light? In this guide, I’ll give you some tips and tricks to get great shots even when the weather itself isn’t great.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What is flat light and what causes it?
- Camera settings
- How to get rid of flat light
- How to shoot in poor lighting conditions
What is flat light and what causes it?
Flat light is light with minimal contrast. You’ll see it when there’s bright light with no shadows, or it can also happen in shadows where there’s no direct bright light. It’s not the same as soft light or harsh light and, in fact, you can get flat light with both these types of lighting.
Flat light flattens an image and can make it look two-dimensional, which can be very dull in landscape photography. Of course, it can also be useful in certain photography situations as it produces even lighting (and you can also use this to your advantage in landscape work, as we’ll come onto). Flat lighting is often used in fashion and beauty photography, as it can reduce the look of imperfections on the skin and keeps shadows off the face.
Although flat lighting can be caused inside by indirect and diffused indoor light, or by using direct flash (on-camera flash will produce flat light), I’m concentrating on flat light you can experience outside. The most common cause of flat and poor lighting is an overcast day, or a snowy sky. Clouds cover the sky in a similar way to a giant softbox, which gives a lovely soft light but also causes contrast to decline rapidly.
Camera settings
A quick note on camera settings – as always with photography, you can expect to alter these as you go along. Always shoot in RAW if the light is challenging. You want to capture as much data as possible to give yourself options in post production. I’d recommend always using a tripod – you’ll need your shots to be as steady as possible and you may well need to use longer exposures. Get into the habit of exposure bracketing your shots to allow you to capture as much dynamic range as possible.
I’d recommend keeping your ISO as low as possible – digital noise on your images will only make dull light look duller. Your shutter speed and aperture will depend, to some extent, on how windy the day is. You’ll need faster shutter speeds if elements in your landscape are being blown about by the wind and, consequently, a larger aperture to let more light in. For some situations, of course, you might be focusing on a small element within a scene, so you’ll want a smaller depth of field and larger aperture. You will need to vary your settings within the exposure triangle as needed.
Make sure you’ve also got control over your focusing – even if you’re shooting a scene where you want everything sharp. Pick an AF point – keep it in the centre and move around as needed to focus on a particular point in your scene.
How to get rid of flat light
Sometimes you don’t have any choice but to shoot in poor light. But there are a couple of ways to ‘fix’ the light to a certain extent, giving a little more depth to work with. Of course, you can avoid flat light altogether by not shooting on those days and, if you have the opportunity, waiting for a day with more suitable lighting for your shooting needs. Keeping an eye on the weather and planning in advance, if possible, can give you more control.
However, if you are shooting outside and the weather is only giving you flat light, a simple reflector could help. Even when there’s a cloudy sky, you’ll still have some light to bounce around, helping to create a little shadow and depth where needed. Alternatively, if you’re shooting elements of a landscape, consider adding in a little fill-flash. You will ideally need to use your flash off camera, allowing you to angle it so that you’re not flattening the light further.
How to shoot in poor lighting conditions
Let’s look at some ways to shoot in poor or flat lighting that make the most of the situation.
Photographing snow
Snow is beautiful, but it can make the light flatter than in any other situation. Snow filled overcast skies, combined with the glare of the snow itself leads to a difficult shooting situation. So how best to capture stunning snow images?
Your camera will want to make everything mid-toned, and this can lead to problems when shooting snow. Brilliant white snow confuses your camera, and it can lead to under-exposed shots … and snow that looks gray in the final image.
You’ll need to help your camera out in one of these three ways:
- First, frame your shot and focus. Then zoom in to a bright area of snow in the scene. Using your exposure compensation button, dial in a value between +2/3 to +1 2/3 EV, depending on the brightness of the snow. Take a meter reading, remember the settings, switch to manual, and dial in the new shutter speed and aperture. This overexposure will ensure that the snow looks white, but it won’t blow out other objects in the photo.
- If any mid-tone objects (such as a gray rock or building) are visible in the scene, take a meter reading off these. Setting your camera to these settings will then help it to render the snow correctly. You may have to dial in a little negative compensation (such as -1/3 EV) to stop the highlights in the snow from being blown out.
- Alternatively, you can just use your camera’s histogram to correct exposure. Take a test shot and check the histogram. If it is slightly “humped” in the middle, then just dial in a little positive compensation to add brightness. If the graph appears to fall off in the right hand edge, then just dial in a little negative compensation to stop blown out highlights.
Don’t forget to use a lens hood when photographing snow. As snow is so bright, it creates a lot of flare that can make photos look very hazy. And don’t use a flash to photograph a scene whilst it’s actually snowing, as the flash will turn snowflakes into distracting balls of overexposed light.
Create depth
Flat or dull lighting can make photos look two dimensional and lacking in any interest. To give more life to a shot and create a three-dimensional feel to images shot in poor light you’ll need to look to create depth in your photos. Trees are one of the simplest ways to do this in a landscape. An isolated tree or small group of trees stands away from a background and helps to create an engaging point for a viewer. Look for shapes and textures that differentiate from each other so that you can build layers into a shot.
Look for colours
One of the big advantages of an overcast sky is that light is very soft and gentle, which can help to bring out colours that might not be visible in strong sunlight. Greens, blues and soft purples can come to life in dull light so focus on these to create interest in a shot. Another tip to help bring out colours in flat light is to shoot just after rain has fallen. Droplets of water will illuminate and saturate colours, helping them to appear brighter in your shot. I’d also recommend carrying a polarising filter – it can help with brightening these colours further.
Zoom in
Overcast days are a great time to zoom in and focus on details in a landscape. Firstly this allows you to cut out large areas of drab and dull sky from a shot. Secondly, the light is (as I previously mentioned) very soft. This gentle light works like a giant softbox, softening shadows and providing even light across a scene. Woodland works particularly well for details and benefits from the softer light when it comes to preventing hard shadows being cast by the trees. Rain and raindrops will again work well in this situation! You could also try your hand at photographing local wildlife, as the soft light will help to stop them being hidden or partially hidden by shadows.
Long exposures
There are several ways to get better photos in poor light by using long exposures. Shooting moving water with a long exposure will give you an ethereal, milky feel to the water which can lend itself to the feel of an overcast day. But the real magic can be achieved by using a neutral density (ND) filter. These darkened pieces of glass come in different stop ratings (commonly 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) allowing you to shoot longer exposures in daylight without overexposing your image.
As well as helping with the aforementioned effect on water, a ND filter will help to emphasize colours that aren’t necessarily visible to the naked eye. The longer exposure will bring out colours and tones, as well as adding depth to an overcast sky.
Black & White
Shots that look dull and unappealing in colour can suddenly work far better in black & white. This can be particularly true in a situation where you’re working with flat light. Cloudy skies can lead to high contrast black and white images that add drama and intensity to a shot. These shots can be quite simple, with a stark contrast between black elements and the slight tinge of grey in an overcast sky lending a dramatic elegance to an image. By the way, you can choose to shoot in monochrome on your camera, but I prefer to convert afterward in editing as you have more control over the shot.
In conclusion
It’s the law of averages that, at some point, you’re going to find yourself in a stunning location with boring, poor or flat light. The key is knowing how to deal with this and not being put off. There are still so many opportunities for great photos, even when the light isn’t necessarily in your favour. You just need to follow these tips and think creatively.
