Natural light photographers are skilled at making the most of every lighting situation. 

I know because I consider myself a primarily natural light lifestyle photographer. In fact, I never used flash during in-home lifestyle sessions for the first seven years of my career.

But that doesn’t mean I didn’t struggle with lighting in dark New England homes. In the city of Boston, where many of my clients live, there are plenty of antique colonials, basement apartments, and overcast days—all kinds of settings that make things tough for even the most seasoned natural-light photographer. 

I had heard that mirrorless cameras were better in low light, so they were the first place I turned to solve the problem. I switched to a Sony mirrorless with a higher ISO and saw some improvement. But going mirrorless still didn’t completely quiet my anxiety about shooting in low-light situations. 

Then, I photographed a newborn session in Charlestown, and everything changed. 

As I walked into the family’s garden-level, converted row home, my worry about lighting started to surface. The windows throughout the home just barely peeked above ground level. My heart sank when I walked into the absolutely beautiful nursery that the parents clearly had put a ton of work into decorating. The nursery had absolutely zero windows, just a pair of French doors leading to the living room. 

We took most of the photos in the living room and primary bedroom, where there was at least a bit of natural window light. But it was clear that they were so proud of the nursery, and I couldn’t imagine not including it in their newborn images. 

During the session, I told the parents candidly that nursery moments would be tricky to capture because of the limited light. 

It felt terrible to share this disappointing disclaimer, but they were incredibly gracious, and we did our best. With no lighting experience in my arsenal, I did my best to brace my arms and use the slowest shutter speed possible to capture a handful of nursery images. We turned on the overhead lighting for some, but as most photographers know—overhead lighting does not produce the most flattering look. 

When I got home and checked my SD card, the images from the nursery were not at all what I’d hoped for. Even after using noise reduction software to painstakingly edit each photo individually, I was only able to deliver a handful of images. 

Then and there, I decided I HAD to add artificial lighting to my toolkit. 

I didn’t want to have to rely on flash every time, but I never wanted to land in such a frustrating and embarrassing situation again.  

First, I experimented with using on-camera flash, but it felt way too harsh and was not at all in alignment with my style. I wanted my images to look like they were taken in spaces filled with natural light—even when they weren’t. 

I realized that off-camera flash could offer the solution I was looking for. 

I had used off-camera flash when photographing weddings and had a general knowledge of how to set things up. Still, using a flash setup in an in-home lifestyle session was an entirely different thing. 

By experimenting in my own home and seeking advice from fellow photographers, I eventually found the ideal setup to mimic natural light photography in even the darkest spaces. 

I know how overwhelming it can feel to dive into flash for the first time as a natural light photographer. 

That’s why, after years of working with off-camera flash in my own business, I put everything I taught myself through hours of trial-and-error into a knowledge-packed course designed for lifestyle photographers who want to learn to flash well and fast!

Off-Camera for Natural Light Lovers is the course I wish I had access to back when I was fumbling toward perfecting my setup. Whether you’re a total flash newbie or you’ve been using flash but want to achieve a soft, natural look, I’ve got you. Get ready to:

• Learn to assess each room for the best flash stand placement 
• Perfect simple settings to mimic window light with your flash
• Watch me work in two different homes so you can see the techniques in action

Add flash to your toolkit today!