The best light for portraits

Tom Bourdon 0 Comments

When we start out on the journey of learning photography, we often don’t think much about light or how it affects our photos. When in reality photography is all about light, without thinking about light we are really just shooting in the dark (pun intended). Finding the best light for your subject can be what makes an image. Discovering this was one of the biggest uh-ha! moments I had when I was starting out.Β 

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The evening light pours in behind steel worker in Rishikesh, India.

Now, this may come as a surprise to some of you but when it comes to photography there’s no such thing as ‘bad’ light. There’s just light. It is what it is.

How you use light is up to you the photographer.

It is often said that sunrise and sunset give the best light for photographers. But that’s not entirely true. Sure if you shoot at these times you’ll probably end up with warmer tones which can be pleasing especially with landscapes. And I encourage everyone to get up for sunrise. For me, witnessing a sunrise one of lifes greatest pleasures. Not just because of the light, but everything is fresher and seems more natural in the early hours. Perhaps because the rush of human life is still fast asleep.

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A hot air balloon rises over the Garrotxa hills as the sun rises. Spain.

However, shooting with the sun low in the sky introduces one big problem. Harsh shadows, often seen as a photographer’s arch-enemy, are all over the place at this time of day. This is certainly not ideal in situations where you are shooting portraits or trying to reveal beauty.

There’s just light. It is what it is.

The best light for portrait photographers is generally the shade. In the shade, light is reflected around and creates soft shadows. This reduces wrinkles and fills the eyes. Highlights are also more controlled allowing you to concentrate more on composition.

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A flutist (yes, it is a word!) sits in the shade. This light reveals details in his face. Jodhpur india
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Harsh shadows can create interesting effects onΒ  portrait.

By all means, use harsh light for your portraits but be aware of what effect that will have on your final image. Harsh shadows will appear. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just creates a very different look. If for some reason you want harsh shadows on your subject then go for it. I find this kind of look often works best on really interesting characters.

All types of light can be good or bad, it simply depends on what you want to create.