5 Reasons for Doing Natural Light
Portraits
With all the attention given to the art and craft of shooting portraits
using flash, you could be forgiven for thinking that this is the only
way to take a portrait. The truth is that while fashionable Speedlites
get all the attention, there are photographers working almost
entirely in natural light and creating beautiful portraits without a
softbox or light stand in sight.
One of the most prolific is Eduardo Izq, a photographer based in the
United States who has built an impressive portfolio of natural light
portraits taken using local models and dancers. Eduardo takes
natural light portraiture to an extreme, often photographing his
models without make-up. He may not be creating beauty portraits in
the conventional sense, but by concentrating on character he is
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capturing portraits that are beautiful in a deeper, more fundamental
way.
Please take some time to look at Eduardoʼs website, you will learn a
lot from it. For another insight into his work you can also read my
interview with Eduardo about his ballerina portraits.
Intrigued? Here are five more reasons why you should take some
natural light portraits:
1. It teaches you about light
To get the best out of natural light you need to become an observer
of light. How does the quality, and quantity, of light change where
you live from hour to hour, and season to season? How is the light
affected by weather and the location? To take good natural light
portraits you need to work in the most flattering light, and that
usually means finding the shade or going out and taking portraits at
the end of the day during the golden hour and twilight (my article
The Magic of Natural Light: Twilight will help). Doing so will help you
appreciate the quality of light in your area. This knowledge will also
help you in other areas of photography.
2. Light is linked to location
As you become more aware of light you will come to see that the
quality of light is linked to location and season. When you take a
portrait of somebody outside, the light provides a link between the
subject and the place they are in, tying the two together. Light,
location and subject are entwined: it was only possible to take a
photo of that person in that place with that type of light at one
particular time. Itʼs almost impossible to reproduce the effect
afterwards – the uniqueness of the light becomes part of the image.
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That is something different (not necessarily better, just different)
from the effect of using flash, which is easily reproduced.
The soft light of the setting sun links the portrait of the woman with
her horse to the location. Both are lit by the same light, a type of
light that occurs naturally in this location in certain conditions at the
right time of year.
3. Natural light is simple
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Natural light is also ideal for black and white portraits. Here the light
is shaped by the archways on the right.
Flash is not complicated for everybody, but it takes time to master
and that can get in the way when you are starting out. One of my
friends told me a story about a portrait shoot that went wrong. She
modelled for a photographer who was working outdoors, and he
spent so long setting his lights up and measuring the light that the
shoot never really got going. She wasnʼt happy with the results and I
guess neither was the photographer.
Natural light is different because it is simple. In fact, I often go on a
portrait shoot with just one camera and a single lens. This simple
approach to equipment lets you concentrate on composition,
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lighting, and building rapport with your subject. Another benefit is
that it is quick and easy to move from one place to another if you
donʼt have much gear. It is much more difficult if you have flash
because you also need to move the extra equipment.
4. Your relationship with the model is critical
The number one thing that determines the success of your portraits
is your relation with your subjects. Building rapport is essential,
especially if youʼve never worked with your model before.
Simplifying your approach means that you have more time to
concentrate on building the relationship. This is essential. Your
modelʼs pose and expression are the prime factors that determine
the success of the portrait.
A portrait shoot is a collaboration, two people working together to
create a beautiful image. If you ignore your model at the expense of
setting up lights, the results will suffer. It takes real skill to be able to
set up your lights quickly and effectively, while building a
relationship with your subject. That can come later. If you start off
with natural light, it gives you time to learn how to build rapport, and
you can introduce flash at a later stage. Master one skill at a time.
5. Natural light is beautiful
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The subject of this portrait is lit by the extremely soft red light that
appears briefly after the sun has set.
Itʼs hard to beat the beauty of natural light at its best. The photo to
the right is a good example. We were taking portraits at the beach
at the end of the day and the light became more and more magical
as the sun disappeared over the horizon. For a few short minutes we
experienced the beautiful red afterglow of the sunset, and I used it
to take the last few portraits of the session. Moments like this donʼt
come often, but the results are worth it. Shooting in light that is
beautiful, yet fleeting and difficult to find, elevates your portraits to
another level.
Your turn
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What is your experience of shooting portraits in natural light? Do
you prefer to take the simple approach to equipment and lighting?
Can you recommend any portrait photographers who work in natural
light? Let us know in the comments.
The Natural Portrait
My ebook The Natural Portrait teaches you
how to take beautiful portraits in natural
light. This 240 page ebook, published by
Craft & Vision, takes you through the entire
process of natural light portrait
photography through from finding a model,
deciding where to shoot, working with
natural light and post-processing your
images. Click here to learn more or buy.
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