Shoot outSide

Capture flattering portraits with the power of natural light

Conducting your shoot outside allows you to use the natural light, which is arguably the quickest method as you do not need to think about creating light from scratch. Daylight has a flattering, natural colour tone and whether you have bright sunlight or an overcast sky, there is plenty of it to play with.

However, it does also pose challenges; you can’t move the sun or turn its intensity up and down, and depending on location and time of year, it can either create harsh light and therefore hard shadows, or be completely flat and dull. This means you need to think about how you position your subject relative to the sun and how you can the shape it to create engaging images quickly.

Follow these simple ideas on how to successfully shoot quickly in natural light.

1

USE THE SHADE

The quickest and easiest thing to do is place your subject in the shade; look for the shade created by buildings, archways, trees or walls. The area in shade needs to be large enough to eliminate any light falling on the part of subject you want to include in the frame. For example, to create a full-length portrait, their whole body will need to be shaded. The idea is to ensure an even, soft light on them that will make creating the correct exposure simple.

2

PICK THE RIGHT CROP

Look at your location and decide how much of the environment you want to include. The location may be part of your story, or it may just be a distraction. Remember the more background you include the more elements you’ll need to consider – which might slow you down. Passing people and traffic or changing light will all compete for the viewer’s attention and complicate your exposure. Keep it simple; look for textured or coloured surfaces like a wall or fence to photograph against.

3 REFLECTORS FOR ALL CONDITIONS

When working outdoors, a reflector should be your go-to accessory to add light into a portrait and create catchlights in the eyes. It is often assumed reflectors only work in bright sunlight, but they can be just as effective in shade or overcast conditions. A silver reflector gives you a bright, punchy light – useful when the light is flat, while white is better on bright days. You can control the intensity of light with the distance from the reflector to your subject and the angle in relation to the sun.

Left LONG CROP i used the lines of the wall and the building to create a contextual shot including the tate Modern. the background is quite clean, so it’s not distracting and the subject is still the focus Above MID CROP here i focus in, showing the...

AFTER AFTER Adding a silver reflector brings up the light on the face and evens the skin to make the image more flattering

BTS Using a reflector under the tree cover pushes light from the overcast sky back to the subject’s face, and helps to create depth and separation from the background

BEFORE BEFORE The light is limited under the cover of the trees, making the face look flat and dull

Above AFTER Using a silver reflector brings the light back into the subject’s face, creating catchlights and evening out the exposure AFTER

BEFORE Above BEFORE On a bright day, facing the subject away from the sun means you use the sun to create a beautiful rim/ hair light, but the face will be shaded and underexposed

right BTS Use a silver reflector in harsh light to quickly and effectively add light to the face when the subject has the sun behind or to the side of them BEFORE

AFTER