“Over the last several years, we have developed a reputation for helping our clients fall in love with their homes through an intimate and intuitive design process. Put simply, our clients are our muses. We skirt traditional style distinctions to create spaces that are genre-bending, sophisticated, and tailored.” – Charla Ray
You’ll find us talking about outdoor, on location and studio as the three types of locations we book headshot sessions in.
Sessions labeled “On Location” are chosen space that are usually a client’s office space, work space, creative space or another type of indoor space that utilities window light as the main light source.
In some cases due to low light conditions, strobe lights with modifiers are brought in to mimic natural light.
On Location photography Session for Charla Ray.
About Charla Ray’s Home Office Shoot
For Charla’s session we photographed her home office in SW Portland. Charla is an interior designer and BFA graduate from the Art Institute of Portland.
Charla was looking for a new headshot for her website and social media (Instagram) as well as an image she could sent to a magazine editor.
We used two B1 strobes with a medium box modifier in her office and kitchen spaces to provide the same type of light we use in our studio headshots.
Working outside has its challenges and benefits. Let’s talk about why you would choose to have your headshots done outside instead of inside at The Natural Light Studio.
1. The first challenge and benefit is the weather.
Unlike working inside a temperature controlled studio, an outdoor photography session has to work with the weather. Sometimes that means in the winter months rescheduling for that clear day, warmer or cooler temperatures. However the benefit of the weather is it can give us a beautiful natural setting for our backgrounds.
2. The second challenge and benefit is light.
Working outside requires a bit of timing when it comes to the sunlight we all enjoy. Believe it or not but the best days to photograph are those cloudy days. Ideally this gives us softer sunlight with low contrast that compliments our skin so well. We also have to think about what time to photograph which is different for each area. The best time to photograph is 1-2 hours before sunset. Here in Portland the sunsets are around 8:30pm in the summer and 4:00pm in the winter. Keep this in mind when choosing which season to book your session.
One trick most photographers use outdoors are light modifiers to bounce in light or create shadow. Visit Using the Sky as Your Light Source.
3. The third challenge and benefit is location.
In some cases a location will be obstructed by construction, traffic, or unknown factors.
In others, being outdoors gives us a fantastic space to play around with backgrounds and other elements that can enhance our headshots.
Outside locations provide a space to move around and supportive natural elements we can include in our headshot sessions to amplify our personality, profession and brand.
Josie’s Session at Cathedral Park in Portland, Oregon
For Josie’s session we photographed at Cathedral Park (Map) in North Portland’s St. Johns District. It’s a wonderful park that has an overhead bridge connecting HWY 30 to St. Johns and N. Lombard Street.
The iconic gothic bridge seems like a prototype to the well known art deco style Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco but in fact, they were created by two different bridge designers.
The designer for the St. John’s bridge perched above Cathedral Park was David B. Steinman who is quoted saying, “If you asked me which of the bridges I love best, I believe I would say the St. Johns Bridge. I put more of myself into that bridge than any other bridge.”
He created a cathedral-like base to the bridge which can be seen from the most east point creating the cathedral view. It also houses several large parks that that make up Cathedral Park with paths that lead to the river front which is where our adventure began.
Springtime Portraits for the Portland Housing Development Center
Group photos for the NW HDC using the sky as the light source and bounce and flag cards as modifiers to get the desired look.
STEP ONE – SCOUT LOCATION
We started by scouting the area at the shooting time which was just after 10am. The sun is high in the sky during this time of year with the angle of the sun.
Believe it or not, but the best weather conditions are cloudy days. The clouds create the desired diffused lighting ideal for outdoor naturally lit photographs.
USING LIGHT MODIFERS
We placed each subject in the shadows of a large building about 4 stories high. The building created a barrier between us and the sun but allowed for us to use the bright sky to bounce back on the subject.
Another great option we used was the flag card, a large black form core board held just to the left or right of the subject to create shadows to help define the shape of the subjects face.
“Affordable homes and facilities designed, developed, and sustainably resourced to meet the needs of diverse communities.” Learn more at their website https://www.hdc-nw.org/
Additional portraits of Singer Cece Otto. See Living History Portrait: Cece Otto for details about her Suffrage Performances to celebrate the 100 years of women’s right to vote.
This year will mark the hundred year anniversary of when women receive the right to vote in the United States. Cece Otto is a living history singer with her new act focusing on the women’s suffrage centennial.
We made this portrait for her upcoming tour throughout the United States using in studio natural light.
She is wearing a custom made outfit with a suffrage sash and button as women did while protesting their right to vote.
Lighting is everything and in photography it’s the source of our (photographer’s) work. So when considering professional photography for your new Headshot, start with the light.
You wouldn’t think that physics plays a role in how a natural light photographer works but it’s essential.
For example when photographing outdoors during high noon the photographer has to consider the following: the yellow colored sunlight and the direction it shines, the sunlight hitting green grass and reflecting up, the cool blue sky color reflecting down and any other surfaces reflecting color.
When indoors photographing can be a lot more simple but so can the background. The warm sunlight hit’s the white transparent curtains and diffuses onto the subject.
Left: On Location in Client’s Workspace Right: Indoor Natural Light Studio
Location is the next thing to consider. Where you choose to be photographed plays a part in the outcome of your headshot. Do you want a natural environment or background to enhance your surroundings? Do you want a white background? Do you want to journey a city block or park?
Outdoor portraits made in the downtown Pearl District, Portland, Oregon.
One reason to work with an indoor studio is base sometimes solely on weather. Here in Portland, Oregon we can get a lot of cold and rainy weather which makes outdoor locations harder to achieve. You definitely don’t want to be freezing and smiling at the same time.
Indoor studios provide controlled lit lighting, temperature controlled spaces and the ability to change into other outfits.
Indoor studio lit portraits made in Northwest Portland, Oregon.
So now it’s time to think about your next Headshot. Do you want to play in studio or adventure into the great outdoors, city blocks or your own workspace?
Want to work together? Contact Erica by email (ericajmitchell@gmail.com) for Indoor and Outdoor Headshot Sessions starting at $249.00. Let’s play with some light!
