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As I was driving to pick up my hubby from the airport this evening, I noticed how beautiful everything looks at dusk. I think it was especially pretty tonight because all day it had been gloomy and dark and rainy, then around 7 pm, the sun came out and the rain stopped. All the fields and trees were wet and the evening light just made everything sparkle and shine.

I've read and heard before that the best times of day to take pictures is at dawn and dusk, I kept this in the back of my head, and have taken pictures at these times before, but tonight, it really hit me. The light is absolutely perfect, bright, but not overwhelming like mid-day lighting can be. Everything has a beautiful glow to it, not washed out like during the bright sun of day.

I'd like to share a few pictures I've taken at dusk, and make a promise to myself to do it more often.

Posted in: dawn, dusk, natural light, photography on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at at 10:17 AM 9 comments    

Among the most flattering way to light people, window lit portraits require indirect sunlight. The best indirect light can be achieved using a North facing window. Remove anything distracting in the background, or hang a dark backdrop far enough behind the subject to prevent capturing its texture. Shutter speeds will likely be too long to handhold.

Every window has a sweet spot. Experiment with subject position relative to the window until light falls flatteringly on the face. Sometimes the best position is with the head slightly beyond or outsdie the window jamb, putting the window side ear in the shadow. With larger panes, the light can come from too high an angle, casting shadows from the nose, cheek, and chin. To avoid this, move the subject deeper into the room or pull down the shade to baffle the top light.

Now, build the pose. To put your subject's chest in shadow and highlight the face, place his back toward the window and shoulds angled to the glass. Then turn the head towards the light. Use a small reflector opposite the window and near the subject to fill the shadowed side of the face.

Start by capturing the full face, the try a variety of 3/4 views. For profiles, swing the shoulders parallel to the window.

Technorati tags: catchlights, photography, natural light, portraits, photography basics, window-light

Posted in: catch lights, natural light, photography, photography basics, portraits, window-light on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at at 7:20 PM 16 comments