 Ken Pang |
Natural lighting of a portrait I'm doing some pre-formal photos for a friend next week. This is the first time I have really gotten someone who wants to do more than just a few casual impromptu portraits and I want to do a good job of it. I have a silver reflector, a white diffuser/reflector a 54Gn Canon Speedlight and 2 20GN slave flashes. I want to use as much natural lighting as much as possible, only using the fill flashes when the reflector is inappropriate. Problem is, I don't know how to use a reflector properly. Does anyone have a good article on doing natural lighting, both inside and out?
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Stephanie Adams |
Hi Ken, if you have good natural abvailable light, you won't need a reflector at all. If you shoot your portraits outside in the late evening, around 4:00pm is usually good, then you will get the warm colors of the late sun and your portrait will have that warm look to it, all natural. Or, shoot outside on an overcast day. The over cast light offers very nice light for portraits. If you shoot on overcast days, you will most likely need an 81 A,B or C warming filter. Good luck!
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Jeff S. Kennedy |
I have to disagree with Stephanie here. I use a reflector on almost all my shots with natural light. Flash, on the other hand, I rarely use. The key to natural light is to look for soft light like under overcast skies or open shade. The ideal position for the reflector is near the camera to "wrap" the light around your subject but it can be placed to the side as well. The closer you place it the softer and more effect you will see. Reflectors are actually quite easy because what you see is what you get unlike flash.
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Ken Pang |
Thanks Stephanie and Jeff for your replies. I do have to also disagree that natural lighting is sufficient. I have reams of photos where a flash has softened harsh shadows on the face, but still signficant enough to spoil the photo a little. The problem with this particular shoot is that the "model" has some preconceivevd ideas in mind - for example, she wants to be photographed with the fountain spraying in the foreground out of focus. That means that I have to accept what light I have and fix it as much as I can with a reflector. Jeff, just to clarify on yuor point, you're recommending closer to the subject, or closer to the camera? I'm relying on the wsyiwyg concept, because I don't have a a chance to practise! Thanks, Ken.
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Jeff S. Kennedy |
Yes, fill flash requires practice an experience before you get good results. One thing to keep in mind, you don't have to accept whatever light you find. You need to choose the time of day and type of day you shoot so that the light is the best it can be. The reflector, as with any light, the closer you put it to your subject the softer it will be. This is due to it's relative size to the subject. Larger light sources are softer.
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