How To Get Creative Lighting In Your Outdoor Portraits

Summary

Joe, a professional portrait photographer, shares tips on achieving dramatic and creative lighting in outdoor portraits. He emphasizes the importance of shooting during the golden hour for long shadows and depth. Joe advises using locations with many objects to create shadows and suggests using a Sun Tracker app to predict lighting. He also offers a portrait photography coaching program and courses on studio lighting and camera basics.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Joe is a professional portrait photographer offering advice to help others improve their skills.
• 🔗 He offers a one-to-one portrait photography coaching program for more personalized guidance.
• 📸 Dramatic and creative lighting often involves shadows and contrast, which can be challenging to achieve outdoors.
• 🌞 The best time for outdoor portrait photography with dramatic lighting is during late afternoon or evening near the golden hour.
• 📱 Joe recommends using a Sun Tracker app to predict lighting conditions at different times of the day.
• 🏙️ Shooting in locations with many objects like trees and buildings can create more shadows and depth.
• 🌳 He suggests positioning the model in a small pocket of light with the rest of the scene in shadow for a dramatic effect.
• 🚫 Avoid shooting at midday as the sun is too high, creating flat and unflattering lighting.
• 📹 Joe emphasizes that the advice is subjective and photographers should choose what they prefer for their style.
• 💡 The golden hour not only provides flattering light but also warmer tones, enhancing the model's appearance.
• 📈 Joe also provides additional resources for learning about studio lighting and camera basics.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is how to achieve creative and dramatic lighting in outdoor portrait photography.

Who is the speaker in the video?

The speaker in the video is Joe, a professional portrait photographer.

What kind of lighting does Joe prefer for his portraits?

Joe prefers dramatic and creative lighting with lots of shadows and contrast.

Why does Joe suggest avoiding outdoor scenarios for dramatic lighting?

Joe suggests avoiding outdoor scenarios because natural light is harder to manipulate to achieve the desired look compared to studio lighting.

What is the best time to shoot outdoor portraits for dramatic lighting according to Joe?

The best time to shoot outdoor portraits for dramatic lighting is during late afternoon or evening near the golden hour when the sun is low.

How does the position of the sun affect the shadows in outdoor portraits?

When the sun is low, it casts more shadows and creates more depth in photos because the light travels through more objects like buildings or trees.

What is the benefit of shooting in locations with less open space?

Shooting in locations with less open space provides more objects for the light to pass through, creating more shadows and opportunities for dramatic lighting.

What is a Sun Tracker app and how does it help in outdoor photography?

A Sun Tracker app helps predict the lighting of a location at any time of the day by showing where the sun is, which is useful for planning outdoor photo shoots.

Why does Joe advise against shooting at midday for dramatic portraits?

Joe advises against midday shooting because the sun is too high, resulting in flat lighting with less shadow and potentially unflattering 'raccoon eyes' on the model.

What is the tone of the light when the sun is low?

When the sun is low, the light has a warmer tone, which is more flattering on the model's face and is associated with the golden hour.

What additional resources does Joe offer for those interested in portrait photography?

Joe offers a one-on-one portrait photography coaching program, a full lighting course, and a free video course on camera basics.