shutter speed,and ISOas needed.For the most accurate results, it’s advisable
to use an incident light meter and monitor the amount of light that is actu-
ally striking your subject, then set your camera accordingly. You also bracket
your exposures (shoot some above and below the meter’s recommended ex-
posure setting) to ensure you capture all the critical details.
Cloudy Skies.Somebeginningphotographershidewhencloudscoverthe
sun. The seasoned professional, however, realizes how beneficial this lighting
can be. It is as if the sky has become a huge softbox, softening the hard light.
Film and digital imaging equipment have a difficult time recording the high-
contrast scenes created by bright sunlight. When cloud cover softens this
light, however, the range of contrast between shadow and highlight is low-
ered. Color is more vibrant and shadows are not as overpowering. The softer
light is also easier on the model’s eyes. If desired, the images captured on a
cloudydaycanbewarmedupeitherwithanon-camerafilter,byadjustingthe
white-balance setting, or after the shoot in Photoshop.
Practical Example: Bright Sunlight.Sunlightisthe major sourceoflight
for photography—in fact, we’re usually only imitating it when we use studio
lights.Therefore,photographersmustlearntoworkwiththevarietyandqual-
ity of light given by the sun on any particular date and time.
For this demonstration, I will address five varieties of sunlight and the ad-
vantages and disadvantages of each. The photographs in this series are
56 LIGHTING TECHNIQUES FOR PHOTOGRAPHING MODEL PORTFOLIOS
4-1(left). The high contrast in this
scene, shot in bright sunlight, wasn’t
captured optimally using the camera’s
autoexposure mode.
4-2(right). Switching to the manual
mode allowed the scene to be recorded
more appealingly.