Portrait Photography How To

We can't always pick the time of day when we're shooting in the field, and that sometimes means making the most of harsh midday light. This can be a serious problem for all sorts of photography, and it's particularly challenging when making environmental portraits. Distracting shadows, squinting models, and abundant contrast all contribute to this challenging task.

Instructor Nathan Elson is a highly acclaimed portrait specialist who typically works in the studio where he takes advantage of sophisticated (and expensive) professional lighting gear, so today's episode is somewhat of a departure. He heads out in the field armed with nothing more than his camera and lens, and a compact scrim that emits a pleasant diffuse lighting effect similar to that of a cumbersome softbox.

Just wait until you see the stunning images he captures under "terrible" light. Elson arrived on location to confront sweltering temperatures, and to make matters worse he took a tumble, destroyed the ND filter on his lens, and "jacked up" his arm. Nonetheless, he continued with the session and created this very helpful tutorial to demonstrate how to capture excellent portraits when the light isn’t right.

Along the way you'll pick up valuable advice on camera settings, composition, and the best ways to pose a subject in complicated light. He first captures beautiful images without the one accessory he brought along, and then employs the simple scrim to make them even more compelling.

Elson experiments with a few different locations within North Dakota's Badlands. His first spot combined the desert feel of the Badlands juxtaposed against a bit of lush greenery. Shooting with nothing but natural light he demonstrates how to position a subject relative to the sun and achieve attractive hair light on the model.

Then he employs the scrim to "bring out more dynamic range, detail and, and a polished look to the shot," while still preserving a realistic appearance. For this technique you'll need to bring along a friend to hold the scrim in the position Elson suggests. He also describes how he employs the popular Reblum software to "create super, natural looking retouches in seconds."

Elson then move on to other nearby locations that present different challenges, and he walks you through a step-by-step procedure for solving each of the problems to capture flattering portraits during midday. You'll be able to do the same by following his straightforward advice.

If you're interested in learning more about portraiture, indoors or out, do yourself a favor and check out Elson's instructional YouTube channel.

And don't miss a tutorial we featured recently with another accomplished pro who demonstrates a simple post-processing technique for creating all sorts of outdoor photographs with perfect color.