Portrait photography tip: Window as a light source
Thursday 13 August 2020, 14:07 by Elja Trum | 5,829 views | 0 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
You can compare a window to a huge softbox in studio photography. It provides beautifully soft light, perfect for lighting a portrait in a flattering way.
You can create several types of lighting with the light coming through a window by moving your subject around the room. You learn to use window light well by experimenting and observing.
The best light generally comes from north-facing and south-facing windows. A window facing another direction is of course perfectly usable too. The light from a larger window is often more flattering than that from a small window, but both are worth trying. Avoid direct sunlight through the window, as this produces very harsh light.
When you start working with window light, turn off any lamps in the room. Lamps have a different colour temperature from the light outside, which can create a strange colour cast.
About the author
Elja Trum is the founder of Photofacts and online photography course website Photofacts Academy. He has been writing about photography since 2006. Elja is also the author of (Dutch) books on composition, black-and-white photography, flash photography and portrait photography.
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Elja Trum
Photofacts; everything to do with photography!
Would you like to take better photos and keep up with what is happening in photography? Photofacts publishes articles that teach you something about photography — from a product announcement to a practical shooting tip or a look at a website. Photofacts covers photography every day and is a hobby project of Elja Trum's that got out of hand. The articles are written by a team of volunteer authors. If you would enjoy writing one or more articles for Photofacts, do get in touch.More about PhotofactsPhotofacts is made possible in part by
