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Snow Rider in Late-Day Light
© Kerry Drager
All Rights Reserved
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Creating Priceless Pictures of People
Shooting portraits is always a creative pursuit, as demonstrated by BetterPhoto photographers. That's especially true with outdoor portraits - and whether formal, casual, or candid, such scenes feature the beauty of natural light.For a fantastic monthly "lesson" in outdoor portraiture, analyze the portrait images among the BP contest finalists and winners. In addition, consider the following thoughts:
Portrait of Kristin - Overcast
© Kerry Drager
All Rights Reserved
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Lighting
A solid overcast sky acts like a giant white umbrella to cast wonderfully soft and even light - ideal for portraits. But early-morning or late-day sunlight can put your subject in a beautiful warm glow. Also, sidelight or window light can create a striking mood portrait. Harsh, sunny midday? Even up the lighting extremes ... by either filling in the shadows with fill-in flash or a reflector, or by moving your subject completely into the shade.
Composing
Full-length photos and head-and-shoulders shots always make for strong images. But don't stop there! Successful portraits also take the form of facial close-ups. Another option involves the environmental portrait - which shows a subject at work or at play, around the house, or on holiday. The trick to capturing priceless pictures of people in a natural environment? Make sure other elements in the scene don't detract from your star attraction.
Background
Simplicity is often the key word here. But that's not so easy for many visually busy outdoor backdrops. The solution? A narrow depth of field - or selective focus - that features a sharp subject set against a blur of out-of-focus shapes and colors. Obtain this "selective focus" look with a large aperture (low f/stop number), a fairly close-up subject, and a good distance between subject and background. A telephoto or tele-zoom lens completes this sharp-vs.-blur approach. Don't miss ... seeing how these and other techniques are put to creative use in BetterPhoto's "Priceless Pictures of People in Natural Light" gallery.
About Author / Instructor / Photographer, Kerry Drager
The content manager and an instructor for BetterPhoto.com, Kerry Drager is also the author of Scenic Photography 101. In addition, he teaches two online photography courses at BetterPhoto: Creative Light & Composition and Creative Close-ups. Kerry's Pro BetterPholio Web site offers an assortment of galleries and illustrated how-to articles on photography. In addition, kerrydrager.com was featured in Shutterbug magazine. His work has appeared in Outdoor Photographer and other major magazines; Hallmark cards and Sierra Club Calendars; and in advertising campaigns for American Express and Sinar Bron Imaging. He is also the photographer of the photo-essay books The Golden Dream: California from Gold Rush to Statehood and California Desert, and is a contributing photographer for the books Daybreak 2000 and Portrait of California. He lives with his wife, Mary, in the country near Sacramento, California, with their six Newfoundland dogs, six cats, two horses, and a mixed terrier.
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