my number 1 tip for taking portraits on your own
While we’re all itching for life to return to normal, in so many ways, life DOES continue on normally.
There are still birthdays and milestones and holidays and just cute stuff our kids do that we’d like to document.
If you’re finding there’s something you’d like to photograph on your own, I’m going to share a pro tip with you to take your photos up a notch!
PRO TIP #1: Light makes ALL the difference!
Here’s the thing: You can have the cutest kid with the best smile in the cutest outfit in the prettiest location, and if the light isn’t right, your photo will feel “off.”
You might not be able to put your finger on it, but had the light been better, you would notice the difference immediately.
So learn to look for good light.
Here’s an example:
I had a teenager who was feeling especially cooperative (woohoo!) and was willing to show us the same shots in the same location at 2 different times of the day.
Here is a portrait of him at around 1:30pm. The sun was high in the sky on a very sunny day:
I mean, cute enough, right? (I’m his mom and am allowed to be a little biased.)
But notice how harsh the light is on him. We’ve got really harsh shadows on his face and a super bright highlight portion on one cheek.
Let me show you the difference when we headed back out to the very same spot about an hour before sunset.
The sun was nice and low, just about to dip behind the trees at his back:
What a huge difference! Look at how evenly his face and skin are lit now that the sun isn’t coming straight down on him from above.
This is just a much more flattering lighting setup!
ANOTHER EXAMPLE
Here’s another one!
Harsh light and shadows, with the sun coming straight down on him:
Again, you can see how distracting the light is for a portrait like this. It causes unflattering shadows across the face.
(Note, there are times I will use harsh light like you find at mid-day, but I’m going to have in mind a much more dramatic image than a portrait like this where my subject is looking right at me. In general, this time of day is not your best bet for portraits unless it’s overcast.)
Let’s see the same image taken once the sun has moved back to be filtered by those trees behind him:
Again, such a big difference! And all we did (besides a wardrobe change) was wait for more flattering light!
{Extra credit: this light also allows you to see that “sparkle” in the eyes that is so appealing. We call these “catchlights,” and I’m always looking for them in portraits!}
BEST TIME FOR PHOTOS
In general, on a sunny day, your best times to take an outdoor photo are the hour right after sunrise and the hour right before sunset. This is why all of my family and senior photo sessions are scheduled 60-90 minutes before sunset! :)
But you might be wondering: what if those two hours aren’t when I want or need to take a photo?
PRO TIP #2: LOOK FOR THE SHADE
It’s just not always practical that all of your photos will be taken in that window of those 2 magical hours during a day. So what should you do?
Look for the shade!
Like I said, the day we shot these images was a full sun day. But I looked around and found this one tiny patch of shade:
Look for a place where your subject can stand fully in the shade but face out towards a big open area where light can bounce back into their face.
That “facing a big open area” part is important. If you are standing in shade right in front of a house or tree or building or anything, you’re likely not going to be happy with your results. You’ve got to let light get to your subject’s face.
So I had my son kneel down in that shady spot, and we got this portrait, even at mid-day!
See the even lighting across his face? And this was under those same 1:30pm, very sunny conditions!
Shade is your friend on a sunny day for portraits!
Practically speaking, take a minute to look at your subject’s face before you press the shutter. If your eyeballs see harsh shadows on your subject’s skin, then they will be in your final image.
So if you’re trying to achieve pretty, “pro-looking” lighting, either wait for one of those 2 golden hours or scope out some good shade!
I hope this might be helpful to you as you’re outside taking photos of your family! Please feel free to reach out if you have questions or want me to take a look at a photo you’ve taken. I’d be happy to give you any pointers along the way if you get stuck! <3