Available Light

In photography and cinematography, available light or ambient light refers to any source of light that is not explicitly supplied by the photographer for the purpose of taking photos. The term usually refers to sources of light that are already available naturally (e.g. the sun, moon, lightning) or artificial light already being used (e.g. to light a room).[1]. It generally excludes flashes, although arguably flash lighting provided by other photographers shooting simultaneously in the same space could be considered available light.

The use of available light may pose a challenge for a photographer. The brightness and direction of the light is often not adjustable, except perhaps for indoor lighting. This will limit the selection of shutter speeds, and may require the use of shades or reflectors to manipulate the light. It can also influence the time, location, and even orientation of the photo shoot to obtain the desired lighting conditions. Available light can often also produce a color cast with color photography.

Levels of ambient light are most frequently considered relative to additional lighting used as fill light, in which case the ambient light is normally treated as the key light. In some cases, ambient light may be used as a fill, in which case additional lighting provides the stronger light source, for example in bounce flash photography. The relative intensity of ambient light and fill light is known as the lighting ratio, an important factor in calculating contrast in the finished image.


Shooting available light can be both liberating and enslaving.

Sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it? In fact, shooting available light frees you from all the encumbrances of dragging strobe equipment around with its stands, modifiers, strobes and possibly even power packs. On the other hand, shooting available light chains you to whatever the light is willing to do at a given time of day. So you see now how it can free you or chain you up. There are a few tips and techniques you can use to tame available light and bend it to your will in many circumstances. Best of all, you don’t have to purchase a thing to use this technique.

First of all and most obviously, try your best to avoid shooting in straight up, high noon daylight. We all know that is the worst light of the day and there is very little you can do to modify it other than just picking a shady spot to do your photography. Having said that, if you are shooting in the forest during a high noon, it may not be such a bad thing. If you can adapt your subject to a high contrast environment then you can shoot successfully even then. If you can avoid high, overhead direct sunlight and shoot either early or late you will be doing yourself a favor because the shadows that kill you at high noon can be your friend during other hours of the day. Remember this, light illuminates your subject but shadow defines it. The direction and quality of those shadows can really make a subject sing.


Azahairi Abd Aziz ©