Your Best Light

Have you noticed how the light changes in August just around the time school starts? The sun comes up a little later and doesn’t rise as high in the sky—the angle hints of change on the horizon. 

Around this time, school starts, and with it, there is a change in routines, new clothes, and pictures. Pictures and more pictures. The internet is flooded with pictures of kids on their first day of school. And then those lovely school photos. (Does anyone ever look their best in those?)

This morning, I adjusted the angle of my desk. During the day, the brightest light in the room was coming from the window behind me. It didn’t seem like an important thing since I wasn’t trying to take a picture. Still, the way it was bouncing off my monitor gave me eye strain and affected how I felt about writing. 

Once I moved my desk, it improved my mood and had the added bonus of making me look better in video calls.

This change brought me back to lighting. And photos.

Selfies. Video calls. Family photos. School photos. Why do you look great in some and so horribly tired in others? 

How many selfies have you deleted before you got one you dared to share? How many times have you jumped on a video call and been surprised by the “imposter” staring back at you? You frantically search “How to look good on video calls” and scroll through tips about windows, lamps, and backlighting. 

The secret is lighting.

It’s all lighting, my friend. 

That’s the difference between “who is that old hag?!” And “Wow. I look kinda awesome.”

It’s not a copout to say, “the lighting was bad.” When you get an awful family photo, you can blame the lighting because it’s absolutely true.

All the new school clothes, sassy hairstyles, and makeup in the world won’t help if the lighting is wrong. Yes, your real self is still your real self, but the best lighting will illuminate your best self.

A glamorous photo at the beach is not just a bunch of naturally perfect people in bathing suits; it’s a whole crew of cameras and lighting equipment, including all kinds of reflectors and devices to adjust the light. Even a beautiful body has to be in the most flattering light to look “perfect.” 

Light can be angled, reflected, bounced. It can be filtered and blocked. The best photographers know how to make use of light. 

How do you make use of light in your life?

Do you put a bright interrogation light in your face and examine all your flaws? Do you keep the light so dim that you can’t distinguish your best features? Do you allow yourself to fall into the shadows? 

Right now, you may be scrolling through those summer vacation photos. Have you already deleted the ones that didn’t put you in the best light? Hopefully, you have some you want to frame and always remember that moment. 

I’m not a photographer. I can’t give you lighting tips to take better photos. (Although, I know some very talented photographers who can!) But I can share something I’ve learned. We’re all beautiful. We’re all different. We all have a “bad” angle and a “good” angle. So consider the lighting.

Next time you want to criticize yourself, stop. Instead, think; am I putting myself in the best light? What is my light source? Where is it coming from? What is the filter I’m looking through? 

And if you have a friend who takes amazing photos of people, have them take an amazing picture of you. Remember, it helps to see yourself in a flattering fit, so use your best lighting.

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