Move into the light

Light from a large window is great, especially when it’s overcast outside. A cloudy day diffuses the light, which is perfect as it produces soft shadows, whereas bright, direct sunlight will introduce hard, harsh shadows. It’s hard to balance the exposure in direct sunlight, too, with deep shadows and bright highlights pushing the extremes of the dynamic range. We used mountboard as a reflector; it’s great for bouncing light back into your subject. You can use one, two or even more, depending on your requirements.