ing. Also, be aware of who is outside your window! My bay window faces
the parking lot, so I have to be careful that other clients aren’t able to see
the woman in the middle of her boudoir session. Always respect your
client’s privacy.
Outdoor Lighting.
This winter outdoor portrait session was created for the subject’s husband
several Decembers ago. My Mentor, Ohio studio is located near the shores
of Lake Erie, and our winters can be harsh. This session was actually shot
at the beginning of a major snow storm. In order to make going on loca-
tion worth my time and effort, I set a minimum order of $500 and guar-
antee a wall portrait. My client called three weeks before Christmas and
requested a 24x30 wall image rushed for the recipient’s Christmas gift. I
I used all available outdoor light to create the image series shown below and on the facing page. The overcast sky and snow
filtered the natural light. It was like the sky was a giant softbox. The temperature was only 30 degrees, so the subject was wear-
ing a heavy jacket. I brought a white mosquito net to use as draping. The winds were high, and I knew the breeze would lift
the mosquito netting to create a unique effect. The model was wearing a very lightweight bodysuit, so I had an assistant avail-
able to get her jacket on as soon as possible after each shot. If you work with an assistant, make sure you have worked with
that assistant before! I carefully train each of my assistants to ensure that they work well with me and understand exactly what
I need from them. They should know the proper way to use a reflector, a light meter, and they should know what every other
piece of equipment does. This situation requires that you work as fast as possible. If you and your assistant know your equip-
ment, you can work fast but still get amazing results.