How can we take high-quality photos when taking outdoor portraits?

In portrait photography, the composition and creation of outdoor portraits need several important factors. When shooting outdoors, always be prepared to deal with possible accidents. As long as you consider the time of day, proper equipment and weather conditions, you can shoot beautiful outdoor portraits. Here are five outdoor portrait photography techniques

Can help you improve your work efficiency:

1. prime time shooting

Prime time usually refers to the time of day when soft golden light is produced-usually in the early morning of sunrise or the night before sunset.

Shooting in prime time can not only provide spectacular lighting, but also visually complement any theme you are shooting.

This kind of light can eliminate the dazzling or unnecessary shadows that may be produced when shooting in the dazzling sunlight, and this time of day will produce a golden talent. Choosing to shoot in these two time periods can ensure that the picture is delicate, visually pleasing and attractive to the audience.

2. Use a reflector to control the lights.

It may be difficult to take outdoor portraits when the light is constantly changing. According to the time of day when you shoot, the effect of lighting and how to use lighting to illuminate the subject will be determined.

To help you control the light, you can use a reflector. The reflector is light and easy to use, which can greatly improve your outdoor image.

Most mirrors have a variety of colors to choose from, and each color has a different effect on your light.

For example, if you want to use the golden face of the mirror, it will actually have a golden effect on the subject. When using the white option, it will produce neutral color, which can basically be used as supplementary light.

The reflector is very important for controlling lighting, and it can also reduce the appearance of shadows on objects. When shooting, the reflector should be close to the subject to maximize the effect.

In this process, you may need the assistance of an assistant, or buy a shelf to fix the reflector when shooting.

Use a fixed-focus lens

As a photographer, you already know that some shots are more suitable for creating excellent portraits. In order to compose a composition and shoot the best portrait, a lens with a fixed focal length is needed.

The most popular lens option in portrait photography is 50 mm Although an 85 mm lens can also be used, it must be remembered that using a fixed focal length at work is the key to effective framing, composition and depth of field.

Using a fixed focal length lens can create a soft and delicate panorama, which many photographers are eager to display in their portrait images.

In order to create this blur effect and establish a shallow depth of field, you need to shoot a fully open lens to let the maximum amount of light enter your sensor, which requires f/1.2–f/

There must be an F file anywhere between 2.2.

Please avoid using wide-angle lenses or zoom lenses when taking portraits. When this adjustable focal length is used, deformation will occur around the object. In order to capture your theme in a balanced and pleasant way, always use the portrait focus lens.

Avoid direct sunlight

Another skill in making high-quality outdoor portraits is to avoid shooting in direct sunlight. Strong sunlight will not only burden the eyes of the subject, but also produce strong contrast and extraordinary elements in the image.

In addition, it is difficult to control your lighting conditions when shooting in direct sunlight. In this way, you may lose the perspective and details that constitute the essence of the theme.

Instead of shooting the sun directly above, choose to move your subject to a shadow and a wider coverage area, and illuminate the features of the subject with light while keeping them in the shadow.

For example, in the following image, a woman is in the shade of a tree, but when she is staring at the pocket of a leaf, she is cleverly illuminated by the sun.

Shooting portraits that can effectively manipulate and change direct sunlight can ensure stronger and clearer.

Consider using a flash.

The last trick to create a stronger outdoor portrait is to integrate the use of flash.

You may wonder why a flash (a form of artificial light) is needed in an environment where natural light is easy to obtain and exist.

Using flash when shooting outdoor portraits is the most effective way to eliminate shadows that may appear on the face of the subject or the person.

In this process, the external flash will be used as a fill light for image packets, and the dark spots in these image packets are dominant. You can even use an external flash with a reflector to fill, reflect and manipulate light to create an ideal image.

You will avoid using any kind of pop-up flash function that the camera may have, and insist on installing an external flash on the camera.

To this end, please remember that the shutter speed of the camera will affect the background, and the settings you assign to the flash will illuminate the subject. Concentrate on using these two components at the same time to take the best portrait.