Lighting (or lack there of)

So it has been crazy rainy at my house which made it very difficult to get outside to take photos. I wanted to play with the sun and the shadows more but that just hasn't been Mother Nature's plan. I did manage to sneak outside with my daughter in between rain clouds to take some photos but it was a very overcast day. Still I managed to try some different settings on my camera...

1) This is the auto setting, outside, without a flash.

2) Auto, outside, no flash, different angle

3) This is the cloudy setting with no flash

4) This is the cloudy setting with the flash.

There is really no difference between photos 3 & 4 with or without the flash. They both look much dimmer than the auto setting. I also tried using the daylight setting on my camera but it still didn't seem to do much.

5) Daylight setting with flash

The we decided to head inside. We took some photos at the front door.

6) This is her facing the window.

7) This is the auto setting with the flash. 

8) This is with the window behind her.

 Number 7 adds a little too much light while Number 8 leaves her face in the dark. So we went into the dining room to play with the lamp. The lamp had no shade and had an incandescent light bulb.

9) This is the dining room's overhead light and the camera's flash.

10) This was my camera's setting for indoor incandescent light.

I couldn't believe how dark the alternative settings were turning out with my camera such as in 10.

11) This was auto setting, with flash, and a lamp to the left of her.

12) This had the same settings, just a different angle.

I like how the angle of number 12 took away the shadows. Part of that would be the way she titled her head up as well. 

13) I put the lamp on the floor and pushed it back to the wall.

14) I held the lamp up above her head (which makes it
difficult to take a photo one handed).

Number 14 does increase the features of her face. There is more of a cleft to her chin and you can see her dimples and the curves of her face better. But my favorite photo is ...

15) The lamp is on the floor on her right side but pulled slightly in front of her (about a foot or two). I went to her left side to take the photo, capturing the silhouette on the wall. I think this shot also highlights her facial features (her cheekbones, her upturned nose). I may have to play with this technique a little more.

I did crop photos but I did not use any editing techniques to tweak how the lighting was captured. I have to play with the lighting more so I will be more comfortable to explore off auto setting.