Lighting faces

[cowboy]

I'm new to portrait photography, I've done a few candid street photos that I am happy with but want to take it a bit further.

I have started a 100 strangers project as I don't have anyone willing to pose for me as yet and what I have noticed (and have had pointed out to me) is facial shadows.

I can't always ask the person to move to a better position (I'm not confident enough yet) so I was thinking along the lines of fill flash or maybe a small reflector.

Am I on the right track with these or is there a better way?

Would off camera be better than a speedlight mounted on camera?

I am aware that whatever I do would be mostly trial and error to begin with but I've got to start somewhere.

Would fill light/reflector have helped this?

Adam #3 by cowboy72, on Flickr

 

[Phil V]

The good news is that a brighthigh sun in a cloudless sky is relatively uncommon.

The other good news is that fill flash (even from the built in) is fairly easy to master, and whilst ever its lwss than or equal to the ambient, you don't have to worry about diffusing it.

The other options involve moving the subject into open shade or backlight / reflector / flash combinations.

Those of us shooting outdoor portraits by choice tend to exercise control and favour the open shade. But any conditions can be mae to work. Just never shoot with the sun to your back, you just get squinty portraits.

 

[cowboy]

Cheers.

 

[bdslr]

Agreed - with you portrait you put on - if you had turned his back to the sun - by moving your position rather than him, you would have had better light on his face and a hair light.

A little fill flash or reflector and you'd be mostly there

 

[Lyonspride]

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Removed, due to being a reeeeally old thread

 

[TheRightMoments]

Just never shoot with the sun to your back, you just get squinty portraits.

if you had turned his back to the sun

I always think this (to stop squinty faces) but how do you stop lens flare from the sun shining into the lens?

 

[Phil V]

I always think this (to stop squinty faces) but how do you stop lens flare from the sun shining into the lens?

Don't point the camera at the sun.


Seriously, there's a lot of leeway between the sun being at the rear of the subject and it being directly behind them.

Generally we like to shoot people in open shade on sunny days, but it's not always possible.