You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, and then you think about your lighting cause that's what it's all about. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!
When you take a picture, dear friends, before you even start to worry about your exposure, check your lighting.
Where is your light?
Do you have enough light?
Do you have too much?
How can you use your light to give you the effects that you want?
Pay attention to your light. Go outside and look at your beautiful baby's face. If she has shadows all over her face, don't take the picture there! Just don't do it. Baaaaaaaaad lighting.
Pop her under a tree with her back facing the trunk. Have her look up at you. Now that's gooooooood lighting. Nice and even and what is called "open shade". We love open shade. It makes eyes sparkle, like diamonds.
I love diamonds.
SOOC image (straight out of the camera) Chichi, in open shade. DIAMONDS!
![2009 08 28_2235](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uDcoa3bnip1W2RPXcQrG9s0Lo-l94ymZHcq9uwA9YvpnicWcBXGGp4PkWkAjTJRAdZBPg3Vs7jLAHQqRzvrbaxdjwXOQ6WRV89OqAXJH9ruilXJNaB2llSvw4O_hSAKm8=s0-d)
SOOC image Queen NaNa, not so much. In fact, facing the opposite direction. She's naughty.
After a little bit of photoshop love:
![2009 08 28_2233B&W](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u7KMlpdhXXMAfrNo-f1RthkjcnTi_jSjcV9eJoC7KrAFoswMtaah5hGWDaZDgI8jxWo1O_J-3DNg7f23iHAazuWb6U1zGzM9-B7WVXon-zdVjxpdUmQ_-zCtuOy9czW059=s0-d)
Think think think about your light. Look at your subject's face, make sure the lighting is even, and then pat your self on the back because you thought about your lighting. Awwwwwe, you missed the shot.
And give some love to open shade. Word.