Can anybody give me some tips at lighting? I just have a Canon PowerShot, not a fancy camera, and I'm pretty new at this so I don't know much. Any tips or pointers would be great, thanks! (:
It is difficult to change the light that your flash produces with a compact camera, but you can try thin tissue paper (or tissues) to soften the light, and even coloured paper or silk for daramatic colour casts. I once used a red silk scarf over my flash with a film camera many years ago, for dramatic effect (and it worked well).
But if you are simply trying to improve the quailty of your light, you are going to be restricted with such a camera. Instead, you will need to look for good available light. That can be sunlight, or artificial light - it will all come down to how much of it there is and what you camera can handle without making noisy images.
Look for shade (clean shade, not dappled) near areas of open sun. Windows are good for this. If the sun is shining straight in the window, you can use a plain white sheet over the window to create a beautiful soft-box style light. Overcast days are also great. And look for the sun coming out for the first few minutes after rain - that light can be magical. Direct sunlight is usually best in the first hour after sunrise, and in the last hour before sunset.
When photographing a subject that's close to you (like a person, pet, statue etc), try walking around it (if it is a person, get them to keep facing you) so you can see how the light changes as you change direction. Once you get a feel for that, you'll start to look for the light you want for a particular shot. When I'm shooting lifestyle portraits, and outdoor shots for weddings, I'm often telling my subjects that I'm "chasing the light" when they look at me strangely, wondering why I can't stand still. Once you start, it is hard to stop. ;)
That's a really great question, and a helpful answer! Light can literally make or break a shot! At first, lighting was just something I took for granted, or just didn't notice. I've heard photographers say that they will never take a shot outdoors if it's not in the golden hours time frame, i.e just after sunrise or sunset! It's definately worth experimenting with different lighting!
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But if you are simply trying to improve the quailty of your light, you are going to be restricted with such a camera. Instead, you will need to look for good available light. That can be sunlight, or artificial light - it will all come down to how much of it there is and what you camera can handle without making noisy images.
Look for shade (clean shade, not dappled) near areas of open sun. Windows are good for this. If the sun is shining straight in the window, you can use a plain white sheet over the window to create a beautiful soft-box style light. Overcast days are also great. And look for the sun coming out for the first few minutes after rain - that light can be magical. Direct sunlight is usually best in the first hour after sunrise, and in the last hour before sunset.
When photographing a subject that's close to you (like a person, pet, statue etc), try walking around it (if it is a person, get them to keep facing you) so you can see how the light changes as you change direction. Once you get a feel for that, you'll start to look for the light you want for a particular shot. When I'm shooting lifestyle portraits, and outdoor shots for weddings, I'm often telling my subjects that I'm "chasing the light" when they look at me strangely, wondering why I can't stand still. Once you start, it is hard to stop. ;)
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for example: http://365project.org/hawk/365/2010-10-27