Portrait Photography How To

Some photographers shy away from shooting portraits because they don’t own supplemental lighting equipment or they’re intimidated by the complexity involved. But today we’ll show you how easy it is to make beautiful people pictures outdoors under available light.

You’ll be surprised by what you can accomplish with just a camera and lens, and some easy-to-follow advice. In fact, the straightforward technique in the video below only takes two minutes to learn.

Portrait pro Tony Gale is a Sony Artisan based in New York, and in this episode from B&H Photo Video he provides five tips that will turn you into a “portrait photographer” today.

Trust us: even if you only shoot landscapes, sports or other types of imagery, sooner or later you’ll be asked to make a portrait of family members or friends. And after watching this quick tutorial, with five simple tips, you’ll be prepared to make both you and your model proud.

Gale shares some beginner advice for better outdoor people pictures, including bouncing natural light with a simple reflector, backlighting subjects, and much more. You’ll also pick up several helpful tips on camera settings, posing, and composition.

Unlike other tutorials we’ve posted in the past, with an emphasis on photographing women, Gale’s demonstration images and tips are also geared toward making pleasing portraits of men. He kicks off the episode by explaining how shooting in the shade on sunny days simplifies the process.

The other tips Gale provides are equally helpful, and just as easy to accomplish, so watch the video and shoot some flattering natural light portraits this weekend!

There’s much more to see on the B&H Photo Video YouTube channel, and you can view a wide selection of Gale’s beautiful imagery on his Instagram page.