P#16 Q6: Can You Share a Few Secrets for Taking Exceptional Natural Light Portraits?

The Secret of Awareness

Bobbi Lane: I don't really have any secrets. Like I said earlier, I'm a lover of light. I am always aware of it. I am always looking at it and trying to discern how it's describing the subject.

The quality of light means so much to the overall mood of the natural light portraits. Whether it's diffused or bounced or direct at me, there are so many different things you can do. It isn't really a secret, it's really more increasing the awareness.

The Secret of Stupidity?

Actually, maybe there is a secret. It's something that I tell all of my students.

The secret is that you have to be as stupid as your camera, because that means you get your brain out of the way. Our brain compensates for just absolutely everything. If you can be as stupid as your camera, then you actually see exactly what's in front of you.

The Secret of Light

I really love to put people in the light and then turn their faces into and out of the light and see how it changes the shot. Sometimes I find that's where the person will really reveal themselves, by just getting a different angle and changing the way that the light falls on them.

I don't necessarily think that is a secret but that it is more of really working the light and working the situation to find what's going to be the best for that particular person's natural light portraits.

In Conclusion

Bobbi Lane shared some very insightful information about what it takes to get great portraits in natural light. As odd as it sounds, she suggests using a combination of lighting, awareness and, yes, stupidity, to get great natural light portraits.