If the shadows are too dark, use a collapsible reflector ($20-$100), as shown in Figure 6-16, to bounce light back onto the model’s face, or use fill flash to balance the interior light with the exterior light. Reflectors typically are silver on one side and gold on the other; the gold side warms the lighting a bit.
I carry expandable diffusers and reflectors to soften natural lighting for outdoor portraits.
Reflectors are perfect for filling in shadows, while diffusers will help you soften light. When shooting in direct sunlight, position a diffuser between the model and the sun so that the model is in the diffuser’s shadow. For softer light, flex the reflector so that the middle of the reflector is curved toward the subject. For more focused light, flex the reflector so that the middle of the reflector is curved away from the subject.
To watch a video about diffusers and reflectors, scan the QR code or visit:
sdp.io/Diffuse
Figure 6-15: When the sun is low in the sky, you
can use it as front lighting (160mm, f/11, 1/200th). Figure 6-16: A reflector on a stand.
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If the shadows are too dark, use fill flash or a reflector to balance the interior light with the exterior light.
When you review your first set of natural light portraits, you’ll be shocked by how much lighting streaming through a window and softly
reflected off interior walls can be very pleasant.
As when working outdoors, avoid direct light.
If the sun is visible through a window, use sheers or blinds to diffuse the light.
For traditional portrait lighting indoors, have people stand facing a window several feet away. If the sun is shining directly into the window, draw sheers or thin white curtains to diffuse the light, creating a giant soft box.
This type of lighting is called butterfly lighting, and it’s particularly flattering for women. For Figure 6-17, the model also had a window with white sheers drawn behind him, creating a high-key background often used in stock photography—without spending a dime on backdrops or studio lights. As you can see from the reflection in his eyes, the main light is a bit lower than butterfly lighting should be.
Having the light source directly in front of your subject minimizes texture to hide blemishes, but it also removes depth. Figure 6-18 shows a three-quarters portrait with the window positioned to the left of the frame; if you look closely, you can see the reflection of the window in the model’s eyes. Because the main light is illuminating the side of the model’s face that’s turned away from the camera, this type of lighting is called short lighting or narrow lighting. Short lighting has a narrowing effect on the face, making it especially flattering for people with round or broad faces. The lighting in this picture could also be called Rembrandt lighting, because there is a triangle of light under the model’s eye on the darker side of her face. Notice that the background is very dark in this picture because the light was falling on the model’s face, but not the background.
For more dramatic lighting, move the model closer to open doors or windows. Even in well-lit rooms, direct sunlight will cause powerful highlights, and everything not directly illuminated will be in dark shadow. If the light is too hard, use sheers or curtains to soften it.
Figure 6-17: An indoor, natural light high-key frontal portrait with direct front and back lighting (135mm, f/2.8, 1/60th, ISO 400).
Figure 6-18: An indoor, natural light three-quarters portrait with Rembrandt lighting (100mm, f/2.8 @ 1/250th, ISO 1600).
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light between the nose and the ear, creating deep shadows and a moody effect. Because the light is shining from the side of the frame, it highlights the texture and lines in my face.
Because the sheers are diffusing the light, it is still soft in this example, as illustrated by the gradual, smooth falloff of light across my face.
Hard light would have drawn distinct lines between light and shadow.
Clothes
Unless you’re shooting fashion, the subject of a portrait is the person, not the clothes. Clothes should never be distracting. Solid colors are better than patterns, and the fewer logos, the better. For waist-up photos, tell the client to wear a long-sleeved shirt so that the upper darker the shadows are in the pictures than
they seemed in person. The human eye has a dynamic range many times greater than that of a camera, which means that what we see in shadows with our eyes is completely black in a picture. Similarly, if something seems bright to your eye, it’ll probably be completely overexposed on camera.
While your eye perceives indoors and outdoors as similarly bright, there’s a reason you don’t wear sunglasses indoors—direct sunlight is about 10-20 times brighter than a well-lit room.
Figures 6-17 and 6-18 were taken indoors, using only the sun for light. In both pictures, the extreme difference in brightness between indoors and outdoors causes dramatic lighting and extreme shadows. For Figure 6-19, the model stood in an exterior doorway with the sun providing backlighting. The backlighting creates a rim of light around the model and illuminates her hair.
Figure 6-20 shows the author close enough to the main light to cause a dramatic falloff of
Figure 6-19: Heavy backlighting by the sun creates powerful rim lighting (100mm, f/2.8, 1/250th, ISO 400).
To watch a video on creating a holiday backdrop, scan the QR code or visit:
sdp.io/HolidayBackdrop
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Figure 6-20: Standing close to the light source creates dramatic lighting (70mm, f/2.8, 1/500th, ISO 400).
arms (rarely attractive in a photo) are hidden.
Especially in group photos, nobody should wear shorts; the brightness of their legs would distract from the faces.
Black clothes are very slimming in photographs and will look good with just about any background. However, you should avoid shooting black clothes with a black background, or the body can disappear completely.
For casual or glamour shots, be creative; use a hood to frame the face and focus the viewer on the subject’s eyes. Fur-trimmed hoods glow nicely when backlit.
People often want to look thinner in their portrait, but they must resist the urge to fit into clothes that are too small for them. Small clothes pinch the skin and actually make a
person look heavier. Even if the clothes look okay while the person is standing, they might be too tight while the person is sitting on a stool.
For traditional portraits, urge the client to choose timeless clothes. If they wear clothes that are too fashionable, the portrait will just look silly sitting on their grandparents’ coffee table five years from now.
Urge men wearing a button-down shirt and slacks to get them dry-cleaned before the shoot.
Wrinkles become much more noticeable in pictures. If there’s any possibility that a strap will show, urge women to hide their bra strap.
For families, it’s good if everyone sticks to a theme when picking out their wardrobe to make the group seem unified. For example, everyone could wear pastel polo shirts and khakis, or jeans and white shirts. Don’t have one person wear black and one wear white, or the picture will be too contrasty. For women, tailored clothes that show shape are better than baggy clothes, because it will make them look thinner.