Most people know that lighting is the key in most photographs. If a scene is under lit the subjects are lost; too much light and the scene is washed out; unbalanced light and the effects are lost – most photographs can be greatly affected by light.

How does a photographer adjust lighting? There is equipment as well as techniques that photographers use to address difficulties or issues with lighting in a scene or of a subject.

The first tool is the flash. While the flash can often over-light a scene, cause red eye or ruin the affects of natural light, it can also be used by a knowledgeable expert to balance a scene or create great effects. Many photographers compensate for overly bright daylight photography by using a flash to softly fill the subject they are capturing. This means that a person with a brightly lit background can be lit by the flash and stand out in the image rather than remaining a darkly shadowed figure against the light of day.

Additionally, many photographers use diffusing techniques and equipment to control lighting. This can be both in a studio setting as well as “out in the field”. For example, some wedding photographers know how to effectively “bounce” light off interior walls, such as those of a church, to properly light a scene and reflect attractively on the bride and groom. Some photographers use the popular “umbrella” shaped diffusers to light their subjects. This delivers complete control to the photographer who can easily replace the harsh or garish light of day with a much softer and flattering form of pure light.

There are specialized lighting products for almost every photographic need – bulbs meant to enhance jewelry, tents for indoor and outdoor subjects, flash brackets that deliver a much more effective flash lighting effect, and all kinds of lamps and gels for creating color, tone or mood in an image.

What if a photographer cannot afford lots of lighting equipment? There are many alternatives and “do it yourself” options. One of the first methods of handling light without breaking the bank is to adjust camera settings, use a tripod and choose to perform exterior and landscape photography during the “sweet light” hours of early morning and late afternoon. In fact, many photographers are encouraged to learn about all the ways and methods of manipulating light before relying on a flash to do the work. In this way they can learn a lot of techniques and the real art of photography while saving some money!

For example, it is of great benefit for any photographer to know all about backlighting, side lighting and diffused lighting before investing in additional camera equipment. When it does come time to purchasing artificial lighting the photographer will know what they really need versus making a good guess at it.

Amy Renfrey writes a bi-weekly/occasional article for The Corner Blog. Amy is a digital photographer, a photography teacher, and author of the popular Digital Photography Success package as well as her ebook Powerful Landscape Photography. For more information, or to purchase her Photography Package, visit her site: Digital Photography Success and Powerful Landscape Photography. Amy also publishes a monthly photography ezine called Focus eMagazine which includes dozen of articles and tutorials, as well as hours of video each month. Click here to find out more and subscribe to Focus eMagazine.