If you have been shopping for a photographer, you may have noticed that a lot of them advertise that they are “natural light only” photographers.

I know that our brains tend to automatically think that natural must be better, but is that true in this case?

The short answer: No.

Natural doesn’t automatically mean better in this instance. But it doesn’t mean worse, either.

Allow me to explain:

A photographer’s job is to use any available light to get the best results.

That’s it. Sometimes natural light is all you need. Other times, there is no natural light available, so flash or LED lights are used to light the scene. Still other times, a blend of both is needed to get the best results. It’s not that one way is better or worse than the other- it just depends on the job, the photographer’s style and skillset, and what equipment they have access to.

At the end of the day, when making your decision, understand that “natural light only” really doesn’t mean much to you as the consumer, as it really has no bearing on the outcome of the photos. It’s really just something that has become an photography industry buzzword that is actually pretty misleading.

Instead, make your decision based on whether or not you like the photographer’s portfolio, and whether or not your style and personality jives with theirs. That is guaranteed to make a bigger difference in your satisfaction with their work than the type of light they use.

See the below examples. The top photo was shot with exclusively natural light coming in from a large window. The bottom image was shot using flash. As you can see, both images are acceptable. Natural light and flash are both just tools in a photographer’s toolkit.

About the Photographer

Hi, I’m Cheyenne.

I’m a portrait photographer located in the small town of Belen, New Mexico. I proudly serve the families of the greater Albuquerque Metro area and create beautiful, unique, and timeless portraits for families, children, and pets.

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