Single Light Portrait
I based my whole business for years on this outstanding portrait technique. It works wonders and is simple to modify or you can just leave it alone and enjoy the results.
My wife and best student, Anna, captured this excellent photo using a simple point and shoot Sony DCS 650 7.1 Megapixel (MP) pocket Digi Cam.
Camera Setting: (I always leave my Digi Cam set like this)
Good Batteries
Empty Memory Card
Portrait Setting or Auto
Flash Off
Smallest ISO setting (50 or 100 ISO preferably)
Largest file size (If it is a 7MP camera, 7MP is the largest file size)
Fine or Superfine JPEG Setting
The Set Up:Mid-day direct sunlight is usually too harsh to photograph people in. But if you use Open Shade you can capture excellent photos all day long.
Find a window with the sun either just overhead or filtered through a tree. In the photo above, the sun is just touching the windowsill, see the hand on the left side of the photo is in full sun, but her face is in Open Shade. (Open Shade can be found under a porch, tree or anywhere covered, or in the shade and not in full sun)Your subject (blue circle) faces the Window Light at about arms length, just enough to be well lit by Open Shade.The camera (You) is about 5 feet away (1.5m) to either side of the subject.
With the above camera settings above, just Fill the Frame (Zoom in until the subject’s face is complete filling the frame.)
Slowing, without jerking, press the shutter button. Use you camera view screen to see the results. Keep taking pictures until you are happy with the results!
Anna could have photographed this using a vertical camera hold (also called a Portrait Hold) , but she liked the extended arm touching the window, so she used a horizontal camera hold (Also called a Landscape Hold) addig a nice bit of direction for the image.
Modify the Light:You can add a reflector to the opposite side of the setup filling in the shadows and adding depth and detail to the the subject hair. Because Anna shot this alone and without any help, and the subject is two and a half years old, adding more things like a reflector or a helper to the set up was not possible. It would have ruined the moment. If your camera is always with you, you can capture great photos like this one in just a matter of moments.Enjoy!