Theweather is unbelievably unpredictable, so it is
importantto plan for the worst and perfect skills that
willenableyou to shoot in any light
Be adaptable
Okay,soletsbehonest, being based in
Englandthedaysofblazing sun, cloud-free
daysarerare.Afarcry from the predictability
ofaCaliforniansummer, the English summer
dayscanbedraband wet, or soaked by a heat
wave.Wintersarenoless predictable, cloud
freesunnydaysgiveway to overcast and
grey,andthatcanallbe in one day! Shooting
portraitsoutsideinthese conditions makes
lifealittleharder,theunpredictability of the
weathermeansarephotographers we rarely
knowwhat’sgoingtohappen from one week
tothenext,letaloneover the course of a few
hoursshooting.
It’sessentialthatas a portrait photographer
youhavealockerofideas of how to use
varyingconditions–anything from hard
sunlightwithnoshade, to dark and overcast- andtheabilitytobeflexible and adapt your
ideasonthego,aswell as seek out and create
the lighting conditions you desire. To simplify
matters, I break light into two main categories- hard and direct. Think summer or winter sun
with no clouds, hard shadows and the inability
to open your eyes towards the sky. Or diffused
light – really any sun that has either partial or
total coverage by some form of cloud, from
drab overcast grey days to the hazy summer
clouds. Both types have many differing states
depending on the time of year or day, and of
course each is affected by the environment in
which you are shooting – buildings and trees
can create shade or offer diffusion, whilst
working inside can all but eliminate the sun
with the exception of using window light.
Both forms can be used to create portraits
using the natural light, or combined with flash
to manipulate shadows and highlights, to
balance the light, in fill shadows or overpower
natural light.
Techniques