Enjoying some natural light for this flat lay overhead shot.
Apr, 2020Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken in my bedroom in Toronto, Ontario. As a self-taught photographer, I like trying new shots/angles that I'm not used to. I'm glad I was able to nail this one on my first try.Time
As we've been in lockdown for months now, one of the goals I had was to improve my photography skills and take advantage of the extra time I have. We've had several cloudy days which helps for great photos. I decided around 3:00 pm EST with the clouds lingering and the light coming in my bedroom window would be a good time to try this shot. I set up a tripod beside me on the bed. Since I was sitting in bed the tripod was not as sturdy which means I had to make sure it stood still long enough to take the photo. 10 tries later, I was able to get the shot I wanted at 3:30 pm on April 15, 2020.Lighting
Since we're mostly at home these days, I wanted to capture what a day working from home would look like. Instead of the usual sitting at a desk pose, I thought I'd try an overhead/flat lay angle since the light coming in was just perfect. Working from home can mean working in the kitchen, in a home office and yes, even in the bedroom for days when going through emails.Equipment
This was shot with an iPhone 11 Pro Max (Portrait mode), a UBeesize tripod (it holds a cell phone and a DSLR), and a wireless remote. No other equipment was used.Inspiration
Scrolling through social media, I saw a similar photo and wanted to try the same for myself. I get inspired by others' photos when it's a perspective I haven't tried. Overhead/flat lays have become quite popular in the last couple years. I thought, it's time to try this type of shot. And, if there's one thing I've learned over the years is to find ways to expand your photography skills. The natural light coming in was perfect at the time. The new iPhones have great cameras and quite impressed with how this turned out.Editing
Natural light photography, if taken with the right settings, requires minimal post-processing. In this case, I made minor edits: cropped and straightened the photo a little, slight increase in brightening and added some contrast. I normally do post-processing using Lightroom Mobile, but the iPhone's camera app editing tools worked just fine for edits.In my camera bag
I always make sure my Canon 50mm is packed. This is my favourite lens to shoot with. I've had good success with my Canon 18-55mm kit lens too, especially in my earlier years of doing photography. The Canon 18-135mm lens is also a must in my bag-I've taken several photos with it, from portraits to sunsets. The combination of these three has helped a lot with my photos. I love having a choice of lenses depending on where you are. Normally I'll plan my shots with each lens but when you arrive at a place, you'll sometimes discover the other lenses work just as well.Feedback
Even if you have natural light at home, the time of day matters as well. The colour of the light is warmer first thing in the morning and closer to the end of the day. Around mid afternoon the light can be cooler or neutral. Since you're photographing in natural light, ensure all other lights are turned off. Electric lights will affect white balance and the naturalness of the photo. I didn't use a reflector for this but you can use one to bounce the light back to you. It will also help lighten up the shadows. Lastly, a tripod with a horizontal extension arm is helpful.
