LEVEL UP YOUR PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

WITH GABRIELLE TOUCHETTE

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Welcome to Week 27 of 2025!

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In today's e-mail, you'll get:

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TIP OF THE WEEK: An Advanced Lighting Lesson

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Waiting For The Decisive Moment

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RESOURCES YOU MIGHT LIKE: A Visual and Sound Feast in Paris

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TIP OF THE WEEK

Manipulating Available Light

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I think you're ready for a more advanced lighting lesson today.

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I'll show you how to control natural light so you can create the exact look you want for your flatlay photos.

First, let's see if you can spot the difference:

Photo 1 has natural window light on the right. Notice the dark shadows on the left of the pastries and cutting boards. This creates deeper blacks and a higher contrast look (moody).

Photo 2 also has natural window light on the right, but a white reflector was added on the left to bounce light. This brightens up the shadows and creates a more even lighting across the pastries.

Neither Photo 1 or Photo 2 is better than the other. It's a matter of deciding what kind of lighting you want for your photo.

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If you stick with one light source (for example, just one window on the side) you'll get a moodier, higher contrast lighting like in Photo 1.

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If you add a second light source (like a white reflector) on the opposite side of the main source of light, you neutralize some of the deeper, darker shadows and create a more uniform light across the image like in Photo 2. This brightens things up and makes it less high contrast.

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I used dollar store white boards and taped them together:

This is a great way of manipulating available light without having to use studio lights or finding locations that have multiple windows.

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Next time you're doing a flatlay, bring your subject close to a large window and try these reflectors. Experiment with them in and out, and see which lighting results you prefer!

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The Decisive Moment

One of my favourite photographers, Henri Cartier-Bresson, is known for his incredible ability to capture "the decisive moment". This is the precise moment when all the visual and emotional elements in a scene come together in a split second to tell a powerful story. His photos have a lot of impact because of this.

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I try to incorporate "the decisive moment" in my photos as much as I can, and I hope this inspires you to try it as well.

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Next time you're taking photos of a scene, think about waiting a few seconds to let the story unfold, and at just the right time, take the shot.

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This might be waiting for someone to be mid-air in a jump. Not standing on the dock, not in the splash, but just before.

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RESOURCES YOU MIGHT LIKE

When in Paris...

This is not a photo, but a video showing a stunning visual (and sound) feast! I know you appreciate visual arts, so when I came across this art installation, I knew I had to include it in today's e-mail. Absolutely stunning work by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot in Paris. I would love to go there to photograph it!

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