Window light Portrait

[TobyMac]

Portrait i wanted to share using only window light. C&C always welcome


IMG_7873.50 by Tobias Weber, on Flickr

[Dave Humphries]

Very effective Tobias

Keep 'em coming,

[Colin Southern]

Hi Tobias,

First thought that came through my (still sleepy!) brain was that the eyes are positioned a little low in the frame.

With shots like this, there's no need to assume that you need the frame to extend above the highest point on the person (eg the top of the hat) - it's perfectly acceptable to crop some of it off if it gives better placement of the eyes).

[speedneeder]

Looks good to me Tobias. It doesn't look like there is any diffusion of the light, which is perfectly fine, I might try a white shear curtain over the window.

[TobyMac]

Hi guys thanks for the tips, Colin I totally see what you mean, Brian this was for a College assignment and I wasn't allowed to manipulate the light in any way, but I see what you mean.

[Colin Southern]

Hi guys thanks for the tips, Colin I totally see what you mean, Brian this was for a College assignment and I wasn't allowed to manipulate the light in any way, but I see what you mean.

Hmmm.

"Manipulating" the light might be a bad thing for the assignment, but is it really your fault if the windows get a pile of dirt on them right after you've wet them down with a hose?

Another "trick" is to just pack the subject away from the light source a bit more.

[vladimir]

Barbara Streisand reincarnated!

[TobyMac]

Haha that might work but then my dad will get very upset with me

[Colin Southern]

Haha that might work but then my dad will get very upset with me

In that case you might like to hang a white sheet in front of the window ... just to help if dry faster of course

[rpcrowe]

Lovely young lady. I love her slight hint of a smile...

If you turned the subject a few degrees to her right, the light would have hit her in almost a Rembrant fashion with the traditional Rembrant triangular highlight beneath her left eye. Additionally, the shadow which obsures her left forefinger and thumb at the hat brim would have been opened up...

I know that the assignment was to shoot without modifying the light source. However, I might have cheated and had my subject rest her elbow on a white table cloth. That would have reflected some light up into her face. Of course, the purpose of the white tablecloth would have been to cover the table and would have had nothing to do with modifying the light

When push comes to shove, light is always modified in one way or another by the subject's surroundings...

I am wondering if a slightly diffferent crop and opening of the shadows a bit might not give a diferent impression...