Natural light

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Natural light is light which comes ultimately from the sun, and comes either directly or through diffusion or reflection. Types of natural light include:

• direct sunlight
• north light - blue sky seen in the north (for the northern hemisphere)
• overcast light
• natural ambient light, such as the light seen in shadows, reflected a variety of objects
• sunset and sunrise
• light diffused through foliage
• window light
• moonlight

Each of these has a different colour temperature, ranging from up to 20,000 K for North Light to 2,000 K for sunrise or sunset.

Because of our life-long exposure to it, natural light is the only kind of light which can be always mixed in the image at such extremes without appearing unnatural.

Flashguns and studio strobes are generally balanced at 5500 K, or thereabouts, depending on the model, to make them easy to integrate with natural light.