As the weather gets warmer, it’s the perfect time to take outdoor portraits. These helpful tips will improve your photos.
Coming to you from Gavin Hoey with Dorama, this informative video shares four essential tips for improving your positional personas. Hoey begins by emphasizing the challenge of taking photos in full sunlight. While this may seem ideal, direct sunlight can create harsh shadows on the subject’s face. Hoey demonstrates the use of a 5-in-1 reflector to diffuse light, creating a softer and flattering effect. However, he suggests the simplest solution is to move the subject into the shade for softer, more even lighting.
Hoey also focuses on finding small locations within a larger context. Sometimes, the entire location may not be suitable for your shoot, but a small part of it can serve as the perfect backdrop. For example, a bush or a simple wall can provide a clear, consistent background that helps you focus on your subject. He recommends using a zoom lens to isolate your subject from this background, making the scene more engaging.
Finally, Hoey emphasizes the importance of perspective. Changing the shooting angle can significantly change the appearance of the photo. For example, lowering to the ground can bring in a different background, such as the sky, which can add interest to the image. In these situations, manual camera settings become necessary to properly expose both the subject and the background. Using a flash to increase the light on your subject will ensure the subject is well lit against a bright sky. Watch the video above for the full scoop on Hoey.
If you want to continue learning about portraiture, be sure to check out our many tutorials on the subject in Fstoppers store.
