Photographic skills of portrait in sunny days

When choosing which shooting method, we need to consider the height and background of the sun when shooting, the theme that the photo wants to express and so on. The following are my sunny portrait photography skills, I hope to help you!

Techniques of portrait photography in sunny days: smooth light and backlight

Parallel light refers to the light emitted from the front of the subject. Polished surface is the main body of expression. Backlight is the light from behind the subject, and the shadow part is the subject of expression. After comparing these two lighting conditions, we can find that under these two lighting conditions, the brightness, background and overall feeling of the photo will be different.

First of all, we should observe the light and consider the coordination between light and background.

Even when shooting on a sunny day, consider the light. Because it will make the picture very different.

Backlight photography is the basic form of portrait photography, but blindly using backlight is too monotonous. There are great differences between the two shooting methods, whether forward shooting or reverse shooting, from the strength of shadows in photos to the effects and atmosphere shown. Regardless of background factors, the key to choosing which shooting method is what kind of atmosphere the photographer wants to create in the photo. The first thing a photographer should do is to observe the light at the shooting scene.

Of course, when choosing which shooting method, we need to consider the coordination of all aspects related to shooting, such as the height and background of the sun when shooting, and the theme that the photo wants to express. If you shoot against the light, the effect of the background will be affected. On the contrary, poor lighting conditions are common in places with beautiful backgrounds. In this case, it is also important to judge whether to shoot on the spot or change the shooting venue as soon as possible.

Portrait photography skills in sunny days: shooting along the light in sunny days

This clear and vivid effect can be obtained by shooting during the day. When shooting, if the sun is too high, it will be dazzling, and the subject hair weaving will cast a shadow on his face, which is not conducive to shooting. This photo was taken after 2: 30 pm on a day near the autumnal equinox. When shooting, the altitude angle of the sun is about 35? . It will be very convenient to shoot at this time.

You can make the background bright and vivid.

Backlight photography is the basic form of portrait photography, but it also has its irreplaceable advantages. Sunlight shooting can create bright colors and strong contrast between light and shade. If you shoot with the blue sky or green vegetation as the background, you can make the colors in the photo look clear and bright. Because there is enough light, it is no problem to use automatic exposure. People often say? When taking commemorative photos, you should take them in the light. ? This is also the reason.

But if we only focus on the characters, for example, because the sun is too strong, it is difficult to get a good expression, or the shadow on the face is too heavy, it looks cute and so on. We will find that taking pictures along the light has many disadvantages. Therefore, if the focus of shooting is to express the expression of the subject, then the method of shooting along the light is not applicable. However, if you want to make the background look vivid, or if you want to make the photo stand out and make the whole photo look bright and vivid, it is very suitable to take photos along the light. If the light is too strong, try to find out how to reduce the influence of light by adjusting the camera.

Portrait Photography Skills in Sunny Days: Backlight Shooting in Sunny Days

The shadow part is the main part of the photographer's backlight shooting. Shaded parts will also be illuminated by the light reflected around them. If the exposure is determined by taking the shadow part as the main body, the part directly irradiated by light will become brighter and more dazzling.

The charm of backlight photography lies in the soft indirect light and the silhouette light of the subject.

Backlight photography is called the basic form of portrait photography. What are the advantages of backlighting?

The most important thing is that the light is soft. The main light used in shooting is the reflected light of the surrounding scenery illuminated by sunlight. In this way, the subject's face will not produce heavy shadows, but also show a very soft feeling. Moreover, the shining effect produced by the direct light behind the subject is also very strong. The hair, face, body and clothes edges of the subject will glow. If the clothes are light and thin, the sense of perspective will be enhanced, and the feeling of loveliness and sexiness will also increase. But pay attention to exposure at this time. If the model is in a backlight state, it is in a light state for the photographer. In other words, the sun will shine directly on the camera. Although most cameras on the market now have the function of automatic exposure compensation under backlight, most of the photos taken will still be underexposed. In addition, if the light directly illuminates the lens when shooting, it will also cause problems such as ghosting or flare in the photo.

Skills of portrait photography in sunny days: use a white reflector when shooting in sunny days.

When shooting, put the white reflector at a lower position in front of the subject to get stronger reflected light. This can correct the problem of insufficient layering of photos. But also can form a light spot on the eyes of the subject, making his expression more vivid.

Under the soft backlight, it presents a layered and shiny skin.

Although the backlight shooting time is softer, if so, sometimes people feel that the photos lack a sense of hierarchy. In this case, you can add an appropriate amount of light to the photo to make it more layered and make the skin of the subject brighter.

A reflector is a photographic accessory that can reflect light. It doesn't mean that it will emit light, but because its surface is usually white or silver, which can reflect the light emitted by the light source. When shooting in reverse light, you can point the reflector at the subject and use it to reflect sunlight.

There are many reflectors with white and silver sides on the market. When shooting on a sunny day, you should give priority to white faces. Compared with the silver surface, the reflection ability of the white surface is slightly weaker, which can turn direct light into soft scattered light. It can not only make the facial skin of the subject bright, but also not destroy the atmosphere of backlight shooting. In addition, the reflector can also create a shining spot on the eyes of the subject, which is really one of the essential photographic accessories in outdoor photography.

Techniques of portrait photography in sunny days: how to use silver reflector in sunny days

In Side Light, in order to make the blue sky more colorful, I took exposure value as the benchmark to shoot along the light. Because the side light will cast a shadow on the model's face, resulting in underexposure, so I used a silver reflector to fill the light.

Because the effect of silver reflector is very strong, we must pay attention to the use method.

Because the white side of the reflector will produce scattered light, it is easier to use, but how to use the silver side? As you can see, the reflective ability of the silver surface is very strong, which is related to the materials used in the silver surface. The silver reflector with strong reflection ability can approach the reflection effect of the mirror.

When shooting with this kind of reflected light on sunny days, it is equivalent to shooting in the forward light state. Therefore, when shooting in the reverse light state, how to eliminate the hair weaving shadow of the subject and how to effectively use the reflected light need to be considered. If you are too far away from the subject, the reflected light will also weaken, so it is very convenient to use this reflected light when taking photos that cannot be too close to the subject, such as full-length portraits.

However, there is one thing that needs special attention. This reflected light is very strong. Some models adapt to this kind of light energy, but some models are too dazzling to open their eyes or their expressions become stiff. In this case, please don't use the reflector reluctantly, because it is very important to take a picture with a good expression.

According to your own intention, use a reflector to make reflective points appear in the photo.

A circular reflector can be used to form a circular reflection point in an object's eye.

When shooting with a reflector, the eyes of the subject will glow. The reflective points in the eyes can give people a very spiritual feeling and make the subject look more lovely.

As for this reflection point on the subject's eyes, if you look closely, you will find that it only reflects the appearance of the reflector on the eyes. The human eye is like a convex mirror, not only a mirror, but also the appearance of the surrounding scenery will be reflected to the eyes. Among these quilts, the most conspicuous is the white spots formed by the reflector.

If the reflector is round, then the reflected shadow is also round. If the reflector is placed closer to the subject, or a larger reflector is used, the reflection point will be larger. If you can understand the above, then you should be able to make the reflection point appear in the photo according to your own intention.

Because the reflection effect of the silver reflector is closer to specular reflection than scattering, the shape of the reflector itself is difficult to be reflected to the eyes of the subject.

Photography skills of portrait in sunny days: framing in the evening light

The sunlight at dusk will not be very dazzling, and the photographer can capture the vivid and natural expression of the subject.

At dusk, the angle of the sun will become lower and the light will become softer. And the color of light will turn orange, giving people a beautiful feeling. Sunlight will shine from almost the same height as the subject's face, so it will not produce such a heavy shadow as when shooting in the light at noon, nor will it produce an annoying shadow on the subject's face. In a short dusk, the beautiful sunset can easily attract people's attention inadvertently. This state of light at sunset is also the best time to practice how to skillfully operate phototherapy.

Maybe some people will have this idea:? At dusk, because the light is orange, it feels different from the smooth light at noon. ? At dusk, if you adjust the white balance and lower the color temperature, you can take photos that feel the same as at noon. In any case, the biggest advantage of shooting at dusk is that the sun is not so dazzling, and photographers can capture vivid smiles more easily.

Photography skills of portrait in sunny days: backlighting in the evening

Silver reflector can be used to clearly show the effect without layering.

At dusk, in addition to smoothness, there are of course backlight and side backlight that can be used to shoot. The most difficult thing to use is the backlight state. Because if you shoot against the light at dusk, not only will there be a strong shining part around the subject's body, but also the photo will have a strong sense of dusk.

Although the difficulty is the same as that of backlight photography at noon, the light is more likely to produce reflection spots at dusk. In order to avoid this situation, the photographer can use the shadow of the scene, or simply put the camera in the shadow of the girl to shoot. These are all effective methods. Even so, light from all directions can easily form spots on the lens. In this case, we might as well use these points as props to create a backlight atmosphere.

In addition, in this case, compared with the brightness of the background, the light shining on the girls is very weak, so it is necessary to make stronger supplementary light, such as a silver reflector. If you use a silver reflector before dusk, it may be dazzling to the subject, but shooting in dusk light is the same, not so dazzling. At the same time, it can also give a fresh and distinct feeling to the picture with light spots.

Portrait photography skills in sunny days: sidelight uses oblique exposure to find scenery.

When shooting, if the exposure is based on the smooth part, you can take unforgettable photos.

Side light state, in other words, is an interesting light state between forward light and backward light, which mixes light and dark parts and can show a variety of feelings. At dusk, photographers can easily get sidelights. When the sun is high at noon, it will be more difficult for the subject to stand. If you change to a prone position and change the angle of light shining on the subject's face, you can shoot according to the method of oblique light shooting.

In the bright state of side light, there will be two parts: the bright part and the shadow part irradiated by sunlight. Of these two parts, which part should be the main part of the photo? Which part should be used as the benchmark for exposure? These different choices will make a big difference in photos.

If you choose the part exposed to the sun as the main part of the photo and use this part as the exposure benchmark, will it leave a contrast? Work hard? In my mind. The shadows will get darker. The photos taken in this way can give people a handsome feeling.