Environmental Portraiture: Tell Your Subject’s Story and Create Dynamic Portraits with One Bag of Gear

Shadows and Reflections

I love natural light. At any given time, the sun can be bouncing around a room and creating the perfectly lit studio in which to create an environmental portrait. But you don’t always have the option of planning the photo shoot for the best time of day or for when the light is just right. You may not be able to come back when it’s cloudy or the light is lower, warmer, and more directional. Sometimes you have to be at the subject’s office at 2 pm on a Wednesday in July. The challenge is to make the most of the situation that is handed to you.

For example, direct sun can create distinctive, hard-edged shadows. If you are looking to create some drama or a definitive feeling in your image, shoot down on your subject, to see ...