Get the natural look

Move away from the pop-up flash. Jason Parnell-Brookes shows you how to emulate natural light with an artificial light source in six easy steps

Move away from the harsh pop-up flash and use a flashgun to emulate natural light – it’s perfect for environmental portraits

while it’s oh-so-easy to plop your flashgun on your Nikon’s hotshoe and rattle off shots, the results often look unflattering and it’s easy to tell that they weren’t taken in natural light. So, this issue we’re going to show you how to mimic natural light with an artificial flash.

The easiest way to do this is to take an existing source of natural light, like a window or a doorway, and control the light through that space. By putting a flashgun outside said window or door, you can mimic the effect of natural light flooding into your shooting area. Diffuse it with a simple bedsheet and it can produce some of the best light around – no need for an expensive octabox.

You can do this shoot with things you already own, so why not head down to your local café or craft workshop and ask to take some photos of the staff there at work?