5 On Location
Here we will examine the fundamentals of location
portraiture,usingboth natural lightand off-cameraflash
units to create stunning images within a natural
surrounding.Thecorrectchoiceoflocationisconsidered,
andparticularlyhowthiscanaddmeaningandcontextto
animage.Thephotographer’sabilitytoscoutoutlocations
forpatterns,leadinglinesandtexturesisdeveloped,along
with understanding how these can add perspective and
dimension to an image.
Thischaptercoverslearningtoreadthelightinalocation
setting with various indicators used to determine this.
Thereismorein-depthanalysisofhowusingthelight’s
shadowsandhighlightscancreatemoodandatmospherein
the final piece. We also consider the correct use of
reflectors anddiffusersand howthesecanbe utilizedto
manipulateandcontrolthelightonlocation,forsuccessful
portraiture.
Wediscussthebesttimesofthedaytoschedulealocation
portraitureshootandwhy,withdetailedexplanationsofthe
goldenandbluehours,andwhentheseoccur.Welookat
howtheeffectiveuseofdepthoffieldcancreateimpact
andisolatethesubjectfromabackground,andthekeyto
creatinganattractivebokehishighlighted.Usingavailable
lightinsideiscoveredhere,includingwindowlightsand
howtheycanbesuccessfullyutilizedand howreflectors
and diffusers can benefit the photographer in thelower
light scenario.