portrait lighting

[zoe08]

I need some tips for taking good portraits without using flash for lighting. We tried some in class today but I think they all turned out with to dark of shadows because of the direct light. We can take indoor or outdoor as long as we don't use the flash. I would appreciate any tips you could give me for lighting and just really any tips on portraiture also!! Thanks!!!

[engstrom]

You might want to wait for suggestions from the real portrait photographers but one thing you might do is get a reflector to reflect sunlight onto the shadowed side.

[zoe08]

can I make a reflector?

[brad]

Yes! By all means make one... all you need is something broad, flat, and matte colored (preferably white, though you could put tin foil over it for an interesting effect)... I use a large sheet of white foam core from Office Depot all the time.. costs like $3.

Another good natural light portrait is to do a profile shot at a window.. expose for the subject and the light in the window will blow out:

[srwatters]

Overcast day + one 42" round gold reflector + one seriously cute 6 year old =



A reflector is priceless when shooting outdoor portraits. If you don't have a cloudy day, find some shade that is near some sun and put your subject there. Try to NOT have them looking into the bright sun to avoid squinty eyes. Use the reflector to bounce the light onto part of the face as you would use a strobe. Feather the bounced light to get the right brightness. Try white, silver, or gold bounce surfaces to get the right amount and warmth of light. Buy a 5-in-1 reflector kit. They collapse into a small circle like those car sun screens for your dash. In fact you can even use one of those in the matt gray color if you want (I've done it, target has them for $5).

Good luck!

[engstrom]

Like Brad said, a good white board makes a nice reflector. The other two common colors of reflectors are silver (aluminum foil maybe?) and gold (I don't know if there's gold foil available - maybe there's gold foil gift wrap?).

[jheiliger]

You can get a half sheet of White foam core at a local art shop or frame shop for less than $10. GREAT reflectors on the cheap!

The attached is an image I shot this weekend. Natural light through a window camera right, reflector for the shadow side of the face to the left.

I think it came out pretty well.

Windows are a great souce of light when used correctly.

Joe

Edit.. come to think of it, I believe I popped a little bounce flash on this one... See the shadows in the back by the plant?? Oops... let me find another image.

[jheiliger]

How about these?? All shot with natural light - No Flash.

Some tips...

If you are going to shoot outside, try to do it before 9:00am or about 1hr before it gets dark. This will prevent the harsh shadows and most of the "Squintyness".

Definitely get a reflector, and bring someone with you to hold it.

Window light is great. Try to use one that faces north as the light you get will be a bit softer than otherwise. And, Try not to shoot the window unless you like that effect. I don't like a completely blown out background as I think it detracts from the subject. It's up to you....

Try to avoid facing the body directly at the camera. It is usually more flattering to turn the body to one side or the other and then turn the head back toward the camera. Makes the person appear thinner than they actually are.

Be smart... don't do things like shoot a person with a big nose in a profile pose. Try to shoot them in a way that flatters them and emphasizes thier best features.

Hope this helps,

Joe

[zoe08]

thanks for the help everyone!! I will try the reflector and see if I can figure that out. please post any other portait images you want so that I can get a good ideas of poses and such also!! Thanks!

[shutterflypro]

Another fun thing you can do is put your reflector on the floor and aim a flash or strobe directly into. This will give them a bottom lighting effect that seems to be quite popular in the fashion world.

[engstrom]

shutterfly - that is a cool effect but Zoe said in her original post that they aren't allowed to use flash for the picture.

[zoe08]

i would also like to mention the only flash that I have is the one attached to my camera

[shutterflypro]

Damn, you know that speed reading class didn't do anything for me...... hehehe

[Holly]

#1 - taken with setting sun to camera right, round silver reflector to camera left, placed close to the subject to give harsher light.
#2 - same setup, but with the reflector moved just a little bit further away from the subject.
#3 - no reflector, setting sun to camera right
#4 - no reflector.

First 3 shot with film, so excuse the bad scans....

[engstrom]

OK, here's a stupid question. "Camera right" - does that refer to the right side of the picture or to the subject's right? I would think it refers to the right side of the camera which would be the right side of the picture and the left side of the subject but that doesn't match with the pictures Holly posted.