Digital Photo Tip: Window Light Portrait
One of the things that sets professional photographers apart from snapshooters is that we’re always looking for the light, seeing how it plays across our subject. Modern cameras are very good at getting an acceptable exposure in almost any light, but we’ve all seen thousands of photos taken in very bad light. You can do better. Here’s one approach.
Window Light Portrait: Betty McClendon
Natalie and I were visiting her mother, Betty, not too long ago. She lives just a mile from us so we’re there often. Her home has a wonderful sun room, with windows all along the south wall and a couple of skylights so the room is bathed in light. Betty spends a lot of time sitting by the window where she can watch the birds in her garden or reach a book on the shelves beside her chair.
On this particular September day the sun had moved to the west so there was only soft, indirect light coming through the windows. As I sat in the chair across from her I noticed the soft backlight on the side of her face, complemented by nearly directionless light on her face from the light bouncing off the light-colored walls and filtering down from the skylight. I thought the light flattered her face, so I asked permission to make a quick portrait with my iPhone camera.
I got up from my seat and walked closer, framing Betty in her everyday environment but eliminating the clutter of the newspaper and magazines she’d been reading that afternoon. I chose to include some of the window as well as the bookcase. That window provides motivation for the light on her face. I’ve lost some detail in her hair where the camera couldn’t handle the brightness, but that doesn’t really matter here. The light is soft and just directional enough to provide a little dimension to her face.
The final version, shown at the top of the post, has been cropped slightly and minimally adjusted with the SnapSeed app and a frame added with Camera+. Below is the original, straight from the camera version.
Window Light Portrait: Betty McClendon
Most of us take pictures of our loved ones pretty frequently, whether with a smartphone camera or something a bit more sophisticated. The next time you do, pay attention to how the light is playing on the faces you’re photographing. Don’t be afraid to ask your subject to move into more flattering light. Get out of direct sun. Get away from harsh overhead spotlights. Move over by that window. Then look her in the eye, smile, and gently press the shutter button.