Finding beautiful, natural light for your next portrait

 Golden hour and Blue hour are a two perfect times to use natural light to your advantage. These occur an hour before and after sunrise and sunset. 

Golden hour is prime time for capturing amazing, soft and perfectly lit portraits There aren’t exact times, but here is a great website to help you find the perfect time in your area!

http://www.golden-hour.com/

Blue hour is a very short period between civil twilight, and nautical twilight. It is a small window of time but casts a great blue-ish hue on your subject. Civil twilight is when you can distinguish between the horizon and sky, and the brightest stars are starting to show themselves. Nautical twilight is when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon. Spoiler alert, despite being referred to as the blue hour... if you want the perfect photo you will have to work faster than that. 

Overcast days are a prime opportunity to take your camera out for some portrait fun. The clouds act as a natural soft-box for your subject. If you want to get fancy with flash photography, a cloudy day gives substantial fill light.

I personally prefer to stay away from photographing between 11am-2pm. The sun is directly above you, creating shadows that are unflattering. Don’t forget to look around in your environment and study your intended background. Look out for bright reflectors like colored walls, grass, brick, etc. These can cast an unwanted shade of color onto your subject.

Look for directional light. This can enhance mood and composition. Placing a subject near a window is a great way to use directional light to your advantage. Do not place your subject directly in the sun! If you want to get real creative, open your blinds just a tad. Streak-arific for sure! Look at everything around you in a room. A door is a great light modifier as well. By opening and closing a door, you can control the intensity of light. 

You can use the directional light strategy outdoors too. I like to find a large tree that acts as a shade over the subjects head. Then, move the subject back and forward under the tree to find the perfect amount of light. Too much light will flatten out the subjects face, as well as too little light darkens the subject, and creates hard shadows.

The most serendipitous engagement session <3

I was going through my old computer last night and stumbled upon one of my favorite images of all time. 

Here's a little back story. Jon and Melyn lived in an apartment 2 buildings down from me a few years ago. Walking around the neighboorhood one day when I decided to strike up a conversation both of them. Next thing you know, its 10pm and were all standing outside with beers in our hands chatting it up. Instantly, I knew we would all be friends. New friends are always awesome! Especially within walking distance.  

Fast forward quite a few months. It's engagement photo day! We picked a sweet location in the Ohlone-Sunol Regional Park and were on our way. 

We arrived and started the engagement session. Typically I choose 3-4 spots to photograph to give my couples all the options they need. At some point we decided to take a random turn and ended up near the creek bank. The water was slowly washing over stones, the trees limbs rustling in the breeze. It was the perfect setting.

As I'm looking around, trying to find where I want to set up my next photo, I stumble upon a painted rock.  Curious, I bend over and pick it up.

To my UTTER AMAZEMENT, there is an "J <3 M" PAINTED ON THE FRIKKIN ROCK!

I WAS BLOWN AWAY. At that moment I realized these two love birds were meant to be together forever. It was one of the most serendipitous moments of my life and im so thankful I was able to enjoy it with them. Seeing their reactions was even better. 

Connecting with your Subject

Stick a camera in front of anyone's face and see how they respond. Most of the time, I would say most people are not their authentic selves. True expression is not an easy thing to pull out of a person, with the pressure of a photo lense staring them in the face. 

I like to connect with people before my camera leaves the bag. Especially if there are young children in the session.

Sometimes they will just walk right up to you and sit in your lap like this little cutie pie.

Finding out who is going to be in your session is key! 

I always ask my clients to list the names and ages of whom are in the family, preceding the photo session. This way, I already know everyone's name and it can help break the ice a little bit faster. 

If young children are present, I introduce myself to the parents first to show them that I am friendly. Shortly after, I try to connect on the youngsters level. For me, this means sometimes literally getting to their height level. Playing with them and their toys can build an instant connection. Even getting down on one knee and asking to get a high five or "knuckles" can dramatically change your dynamic with a little girl or dude. If you can use their toy as an attention grabber, you have gained a step in the game! Do not hesitate to make silly noises, laughs, hiccups, or any other sound to grab the little one's attention.

As your subjects get older, you may have to use different techniques to grab their attention. Knowing Disney characters, up and coming pop stars, and even social media influencers can help you connect with different ages. Getting a pop culture reference wrong with the wrong age group can make you end up look like a big dork. But guess what? I am a big dork, so they usually just end up laughing anyway. Which is my goal! 

Engagement Session Fitzgerald Marine Reserve 2017

Open-ended questions are a great way to get someone to open up to you. A simple yes or no question can make it difficult to keep a two-sided, natural conversation going. 

Instead of saying, "Did you have a good weekend?" say something along the lines of, " What are you up to this next weekend?" This might seem personal to some, but even if they say, "Eh, I don't really have anything planned," I can still reply with, " Ahh, man! I love those sorta weekends. Spontaneous plans are awesome." It is hard for people to not agree. It almost always leads to another question or topic of discussion.

Bring up questions that can boost positivity, confidence, and happy family memories.

As I photograph my clients, I truly love learning about who they are. Learning and feeling out family dynamics can improve your chances of getting the perfect photo. Working with children can have its challenges, but they can be hilarious and a ton of fun to work with.

Trying different poses with the family can open up different connections. Maybe the daughter leans on dad more, while the son wants to hold the dog. These are the details that can create an amazing family connection through the camera that does not appear forced. 

What to wear to your family portrait session

When planning for a family portrait, it is a great idea to have your outfits chosen before the day of your photo session. Trying to pick out your clothes, Dad’s and the kids may add even more stress than needed. The morning of, you are likely trying to keep everyone smiling and getting along; let alone having to deal with your own hair and makeup too.

When selecting clothing, I tell my clients to stay away from matching in the same exact color. I recommend choosing a single color, and then select different shades for each family member to wear.

I love to stick with blues, greys, beiges, & some pastels. The palette here would be a great choice in just about any setting.

These shades although different, unify the members of your family while still showing each person as an individual. If your family all wore the same color, it might look like one large person with a bunch of limbs sticking out everywhere. On the other hand, too many separate bright colors can confuse the viewer and look less unifying. Avoiding stripes and busy patterns are always a good idea as well. Among other good strategies, I suggest wearing small accessories to allow each family member to express their own personality.

Make sure your level of dress code matches. Decide as a family if you would prefer casual, fancy or semi-formal. Family portraits are always fun when deciding what to wear, but make sure to remind Uncle Tom not to wear a suit if you are playing it casual.

The general make up rule for women is to wear makeup that is somewhere in between natural and not too bold, even in daytime sessions. Try not to gloss your lips too heavily, as it can look overly shiny in the photographs. As far as dad and kids are concerned, just give them a little chapstick.

Wearing black and white may sound like the commonly chosen classic family attire. However, it can result in over/underexposed subjects and make seeing the separation between you and your other family members difficult.

Rule #1 is to have fun. Your photo sessions are meant to be enjoyable and show the happiness in your family. Smile, let loose, & laugh. It’s going to be a great session!

For more clothing ideas: Family Photo Session Clothing Ideas