In the last article I talked about taking photos of people indoors.
This article I will talk about taking photos of people outside.
Taking digital photographs of people outdoors is not difficult but there are some sticking points that can cause a lot of trouble with some photographers.
Lighting is a critically important part of outdoor photos.
Sure, you have the sun as your main source of light.
However, you don't want to limit yourself to only that.
This is where other simple and cheap pieces of equipment can really help you out and make you take much better photos.
A reflector is one of those tools.
It's simply a mirror, foil, or anything that easily reflects light.
When you take a shot of a person use the reflector to bounce light back to the area of the face that has shadows.
This will make the shadows less harsh and a much more pleasing photograph.
Another great tool to use is a diffuser.
This is something that simply blocks out some light and lets in some as well.
This is just like taking pictures on a cloudy day.
It will make your photos much softer shadowed and more pleasing.
When it comes to people, the most important part is the expressions.
You can have great lighting and costumes but if the expressions are awkward your photo will be garbage.
The expressions should be as realistic and authentic as possible.
However, one major problem can come up with expressions and the outdoors...
The sun! I remember taking pictures and being positioned so the sun is facing me and I couldn't help but squint and have eyes watering.
Do not make this mistake! On a sunny day you do not want your model facing the sun and looking towards it unless you want them to look angry and like they are crying.
One last thing to touch on for outdoor photos is the back ground that you will be using.
Like with all photos, be sure that it is neat, clean, and accentuates the message you are trying to show in your photos.
Always err on the overly simple side if you are caught between two decisions.