Stairwells, loading bays, the shade of a single tree. Some of my favourite light has been in places nobody would think to book for a shoot.
Clients often ask to shoot at golden hour on a beach. I understand the appeal, but some of my favourite light has been found in places nobody would think to book: a concrete stairwell, a loading bay, the north side of a supermarket.
Look for the shape of the light, not the location
Good light for portraits has three qualities. It comes mostly from one direction, it is soft enough to wrap around a face, and there is something darker on the other side to give it shape. Once you look for those three things instead of a pretty view, you start finding them everywhere.
Doorways and covered entrances
Stand someone just inside an open doorway, facing out. The sky becomes a huge softbox, the ceiling stops light from above, and the dark interior behind them falls away to near black. It is the oldest trick in portraiture and it still works on every street in every city.
The best light is rarely where the view is. It is usually a few steps back, in the shade, looking out.
Reflected light from buildings
A pale wall in full sun bounces warm, even light into the shade beside it. In cities I walk the block before a shoot and look for sunlit facades with a shaded pavement opposite. The wall does the work of a reflector the size of a house.
Under trees and foliage
Leaves filter and colour the light. Open shade at the edge of a tree line is soft and flattering, but go too deep under the canopy and the green spill turns skin sallow. Stay near the edge where the sky is still visible and use the leaves as a frame rather than a ceiling.
A short checklist
- Turn your subject until the catchlights sit in the upper half of the eyes.
- Look behind them. A darker background does more for a portrait than any lens.
- Watch for coloured spill from grass, walls and cars.
- Take one frame, then move a single step. Light changes faster than you think.
