As the weather gets warmer, it's the perfect time to take your portrait photography outdoors. These helpful tips will improve your shots.
Coming to you from Gavin Hoey with Adorama, this informative video shares four essential tips for improving your location portraits. Hoey starts by emphasizing the challenge of shooting in full sunlight. While it might seem ideal, direct sunlight can cast harsh shadows on your subject’s face. Hoey demonstrates using a 5-in-1 reflector to diffuse the light, creating a softer and more flattering effect. However, he suggests the simplest solution is to move your subject into the shade for gentler, more even lighting.
Hoey also focuses on finding mini locations within a larger setting. Sometimes, an entire location might not be suitable for your shoot, but a small part of it can serve as a perfect backdrop. For instance, a simple bush or a wall can provide a clean, consistent background that keeps the focus on your subject. He advises using zoom lenses to isolate your subject against these backgrounds, making the scene more compelling.
Finally, Hoey highlights the importance of perspective. Changing your shooting angle can dramatically alter the look of your photo. For example, getting lower to the ground can provide a different background, like the sky, which might add more interest to the image. In these situations, manual camera settings become essential to properly expose both your subject and the background. Using a flash to fill in the light on your subject ensures they are well-lit against a bright sky. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Hoey.
If you would like to continue learning about the art of portraiture, be sure to check out our range of tutorials on the subject in the Fstoppers store.
