Portrait Outdoor Photography Tips

Introduction Photography is a field that encourages people to break the rules. Are you a visual radical who likes to challenge limitations? Here are my collection of portrait outdoor photography tips for your reference and inspiration.

Photography skills: How to take outdoor portraits of artists?

Compared to architecture, I prefer taking photos in parks. Choosing an architectural environment will naturally be affected by the style of the environment (architecture). If the background tone does not match the character setting, it will be easy to "make a scene" when shooting. The scenes in the park are less distinctive, and as a backdrop, the atmosphere is more low-key. The outdoor private room emphasizes the delicate mood of the characters, and the small scenery can also better set off the characters themselves.

I would choose a park that is larger and has been built for a longer period of time. The plants here are more lush, and you can always find corners with few tourists. After all, models can be free without interference from outsiders. The common scenes in the park are actually very suitable for shooting, such as beautiful trees, calm water, empty lawns, and paths full of fallen leaves.

When shooting outdoors, use more natural light to reflect the reality of time changes, thereby loading the characters’ emotions and memories into it. Generally speaking, start shooting after lunch (12 o'clock) to avoid top light. Cloudy weather is the most suitable for outdoor photography. On a clear day, at 5 or 6 o'clock (6 or 7 o'clock in summer), the light is the most atmospheric.

In Hangzhou, I chose to go to Jiuxi, but due to time constraints, I was not able to go deep inside to shoot. Instead, I chose a nearby corner with few people.

When I went to Guangzhou for filming, I drove to Zhongshan Film and Television City. Unfortunately, the weather was very bad.

Choose scenes in tourist destinations - iconic feeling rather than location

If you have chosen the iconic feeling of this place, try to avoid signs that are too obvious. The reason for this is first of all because there are too many tourists in those well-known places.

Before I went to Dali, I only knew Erhai Lake, and Erhai Lake was Dali to me. But after arriving, I stayed away from the scenic spots or the so-called best shooting places, and chose to shoot in front of the hotel where I stayed. The deep blue water color under the sun is very beautiful. You can tell at a glance that you are in Dali without any obvious signs.

Our shooting in Qinghai also avoided the more famous scenic spots. At that time, we prepared a set of ethnic-style clothing. In the vast space, there were cattle and sheep everywhere, and we could take pictures everywhere. But because the weather was really cold, I wore everything I could wear during the shoot, making it a mixed bag. Then we went to a small salt farm and completed another set of photos there.

Experience in dressing for outdoor shoots

1. Safe styles

For outdoor shoots, there are often only two people, the model and myself, so we still have to pay attention to safety. Generally speaking, clothing should not be too revealing to avoid attracting onlookers. If you want to take slightly larger photos, it is best to find a relatively closed place with no pedestrians and high security.

△ Choose “appropriate” clothing styles, such as high-waisted shorts or backless, waisted tops, etc., so that they are a bit small but not exaggerated.

2. Matching that is easy to put on and take off

When there is no assistant for outdoor shooting, the convenience of putting on, taking off and carrying the clothes should be considered, so try to design a combination of inner jackets and outer wear. Putting it on is one effect, taking it off directly is another effect.

△ The model wears a swimsuit or other thin and short style close to the body, and only needs to wear a big sweater outside, which is convenient and practical.

3. Make clever use of small details

I often use socks to match the look, because there are basically no assistants when I go on location and I can’t bring too many things, so I can make the model comfortable and suitable. Walking shoes. But it will look uncoordinated when shooting, so use socks instead, so that the overall look will not be top-heavy, avoid the discomfort of walking barefoot on the ground, and add a unique charm.

△ Choose a relatively retro style: cotton, matt, ankle-length, random colors.

Sharing of shooting ideas and techniques

When shooting on location, you must abandon the surrounding noise and make full use of the advantages of the environment itself to better immerse the characters in it. In addition, you must also use some "Little tricks" enrich the picture.

1. Add charming embellishments

There may be wild grass and wild flowers under your feet, which can be used for embellishment. What should be noted here is that it is limited to small flowers and grass, not artificially planted greening. You can also choose one or two better ones from the fallen flowers for decoration, and try not to damage nature.

2. Use the foreground to structure the picture

For example, in this picture, I was sitting in the car, turned around and saw someone coming through the glass, and thought that I could make the girl being photographed Come facing me. I photographed it through the glass in the car, which gave me an extra foreground. I made it a dark tone in the post-production process, and it looked very much like a movie scene from a distance.

3. Find highlights in the styling details

Before the shooting, a set of ethnic costumes was prepared, and there were no extra headgear. Later, I tried to tie my hair up. There happened to be a bamboo branch at my feet. I picked it up, broke it, and gestured to my head. It was wild and natural.

On the way back from the salt farm, we found a deserted open space, very much in the style of an American western movie. So she put on the model her own handmade headgear and put on layer after layer of knitted suspenders to create a mixed effect.

At sunset, after running around all day, the model’s makeup has faded and her lips are cracked. I thought this was an extremely natural state on the plateau, so I didn’t touch up any makeup and just shot it as it was.