WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN A PORTRAIT- LIGHT, LOCATION OR SUBJECT?

After so much studying on what makes a great portrait, exercising drills from the “Studio anywhere” book and many, many location shoots, I’ve come to accept the harsh reality that a beautiful subject in an awesome location can be ruined by poor light. So when you’re organizing a shoot, looking for good light should be the first thing you do.

Why? A beautiful subject in an awesome location can be ruined by poor light.

So when you’re organizing a shoot, looking for good light should be the first thing you do. I know plenty of photographers who create amazing, gorgeous images using only natural light. Natural light can be beautiful, but natural light is also fickle. It will never look the same twice. You can get the shot, but can you get it twice?

Be prepared!

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
–Benjamin Franklin

25 years in the Army taught me many memorable things. Always prepare for the worse in all situations. Photography is no different. I learned that before I aim my camera at anyone, I should be confident that my lighting and my settings are correct. It’s important to have my equipment ready and my settings set before my subject arrives for the shoot. Having all this figured out boosts confidence in both my subject and myself. You see, the longer your set-up and testing process takes, the more everyone loses confidence in you, including your subject. So it’s important to get it all done before your subject is in position. Learn more at PHLEARN.com

Keep it simple!

Using 10 lights won’t make your shot 10 times better. I learned that the hard way. In the beginning I thought that if I didn’t use lights and props my subject would think I didn’t know what I was doing… but that’s just not true. Shooting well in natural lighting is a skill all on its own. You just can’t beat Mother Nature and when it all comes together – your model, location and beautiful light – it’s incredible.

I’ve read many books like “Understanding Exposure” by Bryan Peterson and many others. It’s important to learn how to see the potential in the light around you and use it to bring out the best in your model. And then to learn how to recreate it, well. Go to Bryan Peterson’s lesson here:

So, understanding your lighting will help you tell the story you want. Unfortunately, there isn’t one lighting scenario that will work for everyone and it’s important to match your lighting to the mood and the person you are photographing. For example, hard light enhances every line. It’s perfect for capturing character lines in a portrait because hard light creates more contrast.

Soft light, on the other hand, will fill in shadow areas of a portrait and create a more flattering light. What type of look are you going for? Pick the best light for the job. Experiment and develop your own signature lighting style.

Soft diffused light coming in from the window makes this a very soft dreamy moment of father and infant daughter

Mirror..Mirror..on the wall….low ambient light is used to light up this image. A high ISO is used due to low light in the room.

High contrast and low light of a mountain ridge

What about the light?