Light and Shadow

Dynamic Lighting Design for Location Portrait Photography

Natural light portraiture is hugely popular. The light source is free, malleable, and available anywhere. Mastering its use requires a specific skill set, however. Fortunately, Tony Corbell is up to the task of showing readers how to harness its full power. He sets a foundation for mastering this powerful source, beginning with a discussion on how to set camera controls to ensure the right amount of light is allowed to strike the image sensor to create the portrait and how to read a histogram to ensure that a subject-appropriate (versus so-called “correct”) exposure results. Next, he moves on to discuss light quantity and quality and how each can be modified and manipulated to produce dimensional, lifelike portraits. Readers will learn techniques for using hard/soft light, working with window light, ensuring a proper white balance (so that colors in the scene are true-to-life in the final image), and adding or subtracting light to achieve the desired effect. Corbell’s images and instructions show readers how to produce the flattering, highly salable portraits they’re after-indoors and out.