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Softening the Look of Your Shots

You don’t need to drain your wallet purchasing a high-end DSLR and loads of expensive accessories in order to snap photos with a soft appearance. The eye-pleasing look can be achieved by following these simple tips:

Manipulate Light: When it comes to capturing images with a soft appearance, lighting is a major factor. Before you start shooting, adjust the brightness of your camera’s flash so it won’t cause harsh shadows on your subject’s face. One trick is to combine a soft flash with natural light to create a smooth, soft look. Another option is to use a light diffuser. Whether it’s an umbrellas or a panel made of fabric, the goal is to place something between your light source and subject to filter the light. If you’re taking pictures in the great outdoors, allow Mother Nature to help soften your shots. By shooting at dawn or dusk, when the sun casts a warm glow on subjects, you can capture soft photos.

Focus: Another major factor is focus. Remember, you don’t want a blurry shot; rather, you are looking to snap an image with a slightly soft focus to create a warm feeling in the picture. To do so, lengthen the exposure time of your shots. The extra time the shutter is open produces a natural softening. Also, consider experimenting with depth of field. To give your shot a soft feel, set your aperture for a narrow depth of field, then focus in on what you really want to highlight. The rest of the shot will be slightly out of focus, which helps create a soft appearance.

Subjects: Some subjects are easier to soften than others. For example, a person’s face looks much better when it’s not captured in harsh light. Direct light creates unwanted shadows and exposes flaws and imperfections on your subject. By using a soft, warm light and a slightly soft focus you can give your subject an almost angelic look.

Related Articles:

Telling A Story With Your Shots

Natural Framing

Spicing Up Your Shots

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About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.