Have you ever tried to do outdoor portraits? Surely yes. And surely you have taken more than one disappointment. We always think that outdoor portraits are usually more beautiful, in fact they can be, you simply have to take into account a series of aspects so as not to fail. Because while they may be easier or more accessible than studio portraits, don’t be overconfident.
A pretty face?
And no, it is not about having a pretty face posing for you so that the exteriors look better. This aspect has no influence. A beautiful face can give a completely bland portrait while another apparently less graceful one will make you sigh.
Are other aspects the ones that influence when it comes to achieving a portrait of those that leave you breathless, that captivate you from the second zero, that catch you without knowing why, that stirs you a I don’t know what inside when you see them, it doesn’t matter be it from an old man, a girl, the fishmonger on the corner or the chief of the tribe you met on your last trip. What does it depend on?
In this (complete) article we are going to see all the keys so that your outdoor portraits look wonderful. You will see how this summer, everyone will want to pose in front of your camera. Take paper and pen 😉 .
- Outdoor portrait lighting
- Composition in outdoor portraits
- Connect
- What lens are you going to use?
- What do you want to tell?
- The importance of the background
- Outdoor portraits in black and white or color?
- How to find locations
- 10 Location ideas for your outdoor portraits
- Locker room
- poses
1. Outdoor Portrait Lighting
Lighting is the key. It is the most important factor that you must take into account so as not to fail with your portraits.
In exteriors you can use both natural light and artificial light or even combine it, we will talk about both, but we understand that being a portrait outdoors you are more interested in exploiting natural light, so we will dedicate special attention to it.
Natural light and artificial light
The natural light basically offers more natural, warm and close results. In addition to its nature, it is less invasive than a flash or a continuous light pointed at the face of your model.
In addition, in the studio it can be very comfortable, but outdoors you have to carry equipment and unless you can leave the car nearby, it is usually a hassle to carry artificial lighting devices.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons to use natural light, surely you will have your own.
The artificial light also has its advantages. In outdoor portraits, which is the subject at hand, it can serve as a fill light to eliminate shadows or to achieve more dramatic effects, or even a more commercial air. Also in night portraits, which does not have to be with any accessory you wear but taking advantage of the ambient light from outside. Here are plenty of ideas for outdoor night portraits.
Beware of fill flash, keep in mind that it has to tone down the shadows and not remove them completely. The flash is very powerful so you should use a diffuser or shoot at a safe distance and control the power.
To learn more about artificial lighting, we recommend reading this article. In addition, I leave you with this video from Kubestudio in which he explains how to illuminate your outdoor portraits with a flash.
hard light and soft light
It is important that you know that depending on its quality, you can have a harder or more diffuse light.
The hard light makes for much more dramatic portraits. If it is what you are looking for, the best is in full sunlight, and better that the light comes from one side, we will see it later, but when the sun is at its highest, shadows do not usually look good in portraits.
The diffused light is usually more flattering for portraits. You can find it on cloudy days, with fog, at dusk when the sun has already set, or at dawn, before leaving. But there are also some places where you can find it even if it’s a blazing sun. Let’s see them.
Where to find diffused light for outdoor portraits?
- Porch. Without a doubt, sheltering on a porch is a fantastic idea when it comes to achieving natural light portraits. The light comes in torrents, but with a softness that you will not achieve in full sun, when the rays hit so directly that they cause very harsh shadows. These shadows that you can sometimes look for intentionally, are often a nuisance. Taking shelter under the roof of a porch will solve this problem.
- With umbrella or parasol. You’re on the beach, it’s a blazing sun, you focus on your little one, or a friend and press the shutter button. It doesn’t fit you, with the light that exists and the photo doesn’t work, why? Well, because of the hardness of it, I have told you in this article, hard light is very interesting for one type of photo, but not for all. Place your model under the shade of an umbrella if you are on the beach or let him play with an umbrella if you are in the middle of the countryside or the city and you will see how they work as a diffuser. The results will be quite different. An umbrella will not only help with lighting, but also to protect your model from the rain. Please note that color can affect the image, black is a neutral color that can block all light from above. White is also a good option.
- Under a bridge or overpass. Another place that can offer you excellent lighting conditions, as well as being an interesting background for your outdoor portraits, is under a bridge. And who says a bridge says under an overpass or even a pier. These places can function as a porch in terms of light, in addition to protecting you from rain, snow or wind. You can also include part of this scenery in the frame to compose your portrait.
- in the shade of a tree. Ok, you are not from the beach, yours is the mountain, or the forest. You like to walk in the countryside or you simply have the beach hundreds of kilometers away. That does not mean that you do not have problems with the sun on these walks when taking your portraits. There is also a solution for this without resorting to a beach umbrella. It’s about the trees. Look around you, surely you have one. Place your model on the edge of his shadow and let yourself go, they are sure to make wonderful photographs.
- anywhere at sunset or on a cloudy day. There is a magical moment throughout the day that no matter where you are, the light is perfect. It is about sunset, when the sun has hidden (or almost) behind the horizon. The light is very pleasant and appropriate for taking your portraits. If you want a specific place, be patient and wait for this moment. And if you can’t wait, maybe you can get up early, the light is the same just before the sun rises 😉 .
On the porch Under the shelter of the tree When an umbrella is the solution The magic of sunset When being under a bridge is not so bad 😉
As we have said before, cloudy days are also perfect for outdoor portraits, as the clouds act as diffusers. In that case you will not have to hide your model from the sun’s rays.
diffusers and reflectors
Nor can we forget the diffusers and reflectors. The diffusers make the light softer, while the reflector reflects the light where you want it. Filling in shadows, increasing the intensity of the light or changing its tone are possibilities that they offer you. Even to create a neutral background when necessary.
For outdoors, the ideal is a 5 in 1, as I presented in this article. In it I tell you what it is for and I show you some examples with and without a reflector.
Does all this mean you can’t shoot portraits in harsh light? No way. Perhaps what you need to show the soul of your sitter is a hard light. A diffused light like the one I have provided you with these examples may not be the most appropriate. However, it will be what you are looking for in most cases, or at least in many of them. The important of the light is that you learn to understand it and use it according to your wishes. Once you achieve it yourself you will be surprised with the results.
light direction
We have talked about the quality of light, but it also influences the light direction to obtain one type of portrait or another. We are still talking about natural light, but it is equally applicable to artificial light.
overhead light
As we have already mentioned, unless you have a specific reason and look for that effect, avoid exposing your model to direct sunlight when it is high up. Because these are the effects and, as you can see, they don’t look too good.
Why avoid sunlight at the top
If you have no other options than this light, you can always use a beanie, a hat or a fill flash, of course.
Front light
The sun from the front is also not a good option because it will squint and you will find results like the following, in which your model will make titanic efforts to keep their eyes open and, obviously, it will show in their expression.
Why avoid direct sunlight in the eyes
To take advantage of frontal lighting, the ideal is a light much smoother, that does not disturb the subject, or that it is a light bounced from a white wall, for example, that can illuminate the face from the front but will not be as annoying as the sun’s rays.
Also keep in mind that the front light can be too flat.
Backlight or rear light
Let’s now focus on the rear light or backlight. This light allows you to capture silhouettes, achieve wonderful light profiles and make hair shine separating the subject from the background. With this light you can get a greater sense of depth. Let’s see what options you have:
- Capture the silhouette. You expose the background so that it comes out correctly and the silhouette is underexposed or dark. Make sure that the flash does not jump out and that the silhouette is well defined, the best is a profile.
- Well exposed subject. Even if you have to overexpose the background, if you measure on your model, it will be well exposed to the light and you will get ethereal images.
- Fill shadows. By using a reflector, you can redirect the light onto your subject’s face and get a good exposure of both the face and the background.
side lighting
This light is very suitable for portraits. It comes from the side, at a 90º angle to the camera or the direction of the subject’s nose. Depending on how you use it, you will get some results or others:
- More dramatic portraits. The light only hits one side of the face and the other is darker. The effect can be enhanced by placing a black reflector on the unlit side.
- More uniform portraits. Instead of the black reflector, if you use white, gold or silver, depending on the shade you are interested in, you will achieve a more even light across the face. There is also the option to place the subject near a reflective wall.
To give some examples, if you are looking for more dramatic portraits, a light…