Slideshow:Natural Light Portraiture Set

When it comes to photographing people, I’ve always avoided portraiture in favor of candid photography. For one, I’ve always thought you needed expensive or complicated lighting and studio space and two, I prefer people’s natural expressions and emotions to posed ones. After taking the Natural Light Portraiture workshop at HCP with Delise Ward, I have a new appreciation of and an interest in developing the ability to use natural light at any time of day to capture the human personality. While studio light is predictable and affords a great deal of control, natural light is ever-changing and provides a wide range of creative opportunities. Most photographers advise against taking photos of people during mid-day in favor of the golden hours of early morning and late afternoon and evening. However, with a few simple tools and maybe the help of a friend or assistant, beautiful portraits can be taken whenever or wherever the subject or scene presents itself.

What I learned:

Build rapport - Since many people are shy in front of a camera, a photographer’s skill at establishing a rapport with the subject is crucial. The ability to put your subject at ease is important in being able to successfully direct and compose your subject and show them in the most flattering manner. The class started with the typical instructor and participant introductions followed by some discussion of equipment and accessories. Then it was time for the shoot. I don’t think any of us were prepared to be the subject or model in the workshop and I think most of us were nervous at first. Most photographers I know prefer to be behind the lens instead of in front of it. The instructor broke the ice through instruction and demonstration. As the shoot went on, with each of us taking turns being the lead photographer and the model, we became more comfortable with each other and the results showed in the images I got throughout the day.

Eliminate distractions - Contrasting clothing (in color or pattern), excessive jewelry, big watches, even stud earrings can be a distraction to the viewer – their eye will find them. You want the viewer to be focused on the person not the bling.

Composition - As with all photography, composition and framing are important. It’s what’s actually in the image that matters. Leave out everything that’s not necessary and use geometry and basic composition rules to good effect. In life, when people look at each other, their eyes generally go first to the face and upper body, so a portrait should usually include those features. Hands are important and can be a dramatic subject in and by themselves, but are not so necessary in a portrait since the mind will fill in what is assumed to be there.

Positioning your subject – Be aware of what the light is doing (its direction, quality, and depth). You can use shadow to create mood or sculpt your subject. Stand where your subject will be and notice what the light source is and its angle. Since skin is reflective, notice what is in front of or to the sides of your subject (green leaves, lawns, trees, colored buildings, etc) that might cast unwanted color onto your subject.

Background - When framing your shot, pay attention to what’s behind your subject. Use outdoor backgrounds to your advantage, such as colorful leaves, or broad expanses of color such as the sky or distant scenery. Be mindful, however, of things such as tree branches, tree trunks, sign posts, and other lines and objects that might be a distraction. Using a long lens and/or wide aperture can reduce the impact of a distracting background by blurring them out of focus. You can use a grey or black cloth as a background and a diffuser behind a subject with a reflector in front can produce a dramatic effect as well.

Accessories - While I’ve learned that natural daylight is probably the best possible light for capturing the human personality and provides many opportunities for creative expression, I’ve also learned that you have limited if any control over natural surroundings and lighting conditions. Reflectors and diffusers can help when natural light is too strong or not where you want it to be.

Reflectors, used to reflect natural light back on to your subject when in a shaded area or to eliminate harsh shadows in bright areas, come in various shapes and sizes as well as colors – white, silver and gold. There is also an multipurpose 5-in-1 set if you’re on a budget or won’t be using them that often. It has a diffuser with zip-on or slip-on shades to provide different reflector colors and effects. You can control the angle and intensity of the reflected light by adjusting the angle of your reflector and moving it closer to or further away from your subject.

Except in the morning or evening, you should try to not put your subject in direct sunlight. When the background is perfect, but the subject would be in direct sun, diffusers can be used to soften the light. Diffusers can also be used as a background for a dramatic, studio quality effect. When using reflectors and the light being reflected back on the subject is too strong, you can place the diffuser on top of the reflector to bounce softer light back onto the subject. As with reflectors, the softness of light from a diffuser can be adjusted. The closer to the subject, the softer the filtered light will be.

Environment - Using reflectors and diffusers most often requires an assistant or two. Windy days are especially problematic and the larger your reflector(s), the more of a problem the wind becomes. On cloudy or heavily overcast days, there isn’t much light to bounce back onto your subject. You may have to get in very close to the subject to be able to use your reflectors effectively.

Lenses – Wide angle lenses tend to distort faces when close to the subject. Unless this is your intent, either use a longer lens or provide enough space between you and your subject to minimize the distortion. Medium to long zoom lenses and fixed fast primes such as the Canon 85mm f1.2 and f1.8 as well as the 135mm f2 and f2.8 or equivalents seem to be popular choices. Based on the instructor’s recommendation, all my shots were taken with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens. I am very pleased with the results. In combination with its wide constant aperture, it rendered the subjects in sharp focus and the backgrounds were blurred with a beautiful bokeh.

Aperture - Depending on the amount of light available and the desired depth of field, a wide aperture can produce great portraits. A wide aperture can throw a busy background out of focus as well as minimize distracting objects you can’t avoid.  Be careful not to have so shallow a depth of field as to have parts of your subject out of acceptable focus.

Other props – A small step ladder can allow you to adjust or change the angle of your composition and a small stool can provide additional posing opportunities for your subject.