Lighting Direction

• The direction of the lighting in relation to the photo's subject plays a large role in the lighting effects. Shooting the photo with the light source directly facing your subject offers the most detail and definition. Taking a picture with the sun directly behind your subject gives her a radiant glow, outlining her body. Side lighting works well for creating dramatic shadow and lighting effects, helping detail stand out.
  
  

Timing

• Use the time of day to your advantage by recognizing how lighting changes throughout the day. For example, morning light often has a blue, crisp tint to it, while late afternoon light gives off more red, orange and yellow. Experiment with different times of the day to determine the best lighting and shadowing for the photograph. For example, a portrait during sunset with the light directly facing your subject gives her radiant, glowing skin.
  
  

Weather

• Even without perfect sunshine, you can still use natural lighting to create dramatic and well-lit photographs. Shooting on an overcast day helps defuse the light and reduce shadows. Really thick cloud coverage produces pictures with a darker tone than slightly overcast days. Rain can also be used to your advantage. If your photograph has the ground in it, notice how the water reflects light and use the ground's reflective lighting to your advantage.
  
  

Shadows

• You can use shadows to your advantage to bring out the focal points of your photo and help set the mood. Placing your subject in a well-lit area surrounded by darker, shadowed areas draws the subject out and commands attention. Heavily shadowed pictures may give off a darker, more dramatic mood, while sunny photos with few shadows set a more up-beat mood. Placing the subject in the shade helps reduce shadows while evening out the light on the subject.
  
  

Shooting Indoors

• You can even use natural sunlight for certain indoor photographs. Open the window shades and let that sunlight shine in. You can control the flow of light by only opening the shades on specific windows. For portraits, you can get a dramatic side-lighting effect by having your subject stand close to the window. To even out light on the darker side of their face, use a mirror to reflect light onto the dark portions. Move the mirror around to experiment with the intensity and angle of the light.