4 Portrait Lighting Strategies to use in an Overcast Day
Christina Szeto • December 15, 2020
4 Portrait Lighting Strategies that I use
in an Overcast Day
4 Portrait Lighting Strategies that I use in an Overcast Day.
My previous tutorials were all shot in sunny days. I hope you enjoyed watching how I used a flash to balance the ambient and the subject exposures!
Using a flash for different goals in a sunny day, check out my previous tutorial:
Natural Light vs Off-camera Flash:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vJZO...
In an overcast day, the concept is similar. However, unlike sunny days, the background and the subject usually have the same ambient exposure because the natural light quality is even and soft. This means when I expose for the subject, the background is also properly exposed. Being aware of this fact is very important when you shoot portrait in an overcast day.
The 4 Strategies:
1) Natural Light (00:28)
-The subject and the background normally have the same ambient exposure in an overcast day, this means when I expose for the subject, the background can also be properly exposed.
-However, in a sunny day, the subject and the background do not have the same ambient exposure, that's why a flash is needed to balance the ambient and the subject exposures. Alternatively, look for an open shade.
-Always ask yourself: where is the light direction, intensity and quality (soft vs hard)?
-3 light patterns created when the light is coming from one side: Split, broad and short lighting. Rembrandt is usually seen in a sunny day.
-Split lighting: half of the subject face is lit, and the other half is in the shadow
-Broad lighting: the broad side of the face is lit (the broad side = the side of the face that is close to the camera); great for someone with a slim face, not good for someone with a fat/ round/ big face.
-Short lighting: the short side of the face is lit (the short side = the side of the face that is farthest from the camera), great for most face feature (that's how I make a round face look smaller!)
2. Flash: as fill light (2:43)
-As usual, I expose for the ambient light before turning on the flash.
-Since the background and the subject have the same ambient exposure, the subject is also properly lit when I expose for the background. Adding a flash might be throwing too much light on the subject, but it is a good way to create bigger catchlight in the eyes.
3a. Flash: as the hair light. Example 1 (4:20)
-There were two flashes, one in the front as the fill, and another one at the back as the hair light. I also wanted to mimic the golden hour so I attach a full CTO gel on the back flash.
-In order to make the golden hour realistic, the backlight has to be far away from the subject and also hit the background. It took me two trials to place the backlight correctly.
3b. Flash: as the hair light. Example 2 (5:42)
-There was one flash, and it was the back light (the hair light). This flash illuminated the subject's hair and separated her from the same-color background
4. Flash: as the main light (7:05)
-In an overcast day, I also love to underexpose the ambient exposure by 2-3 stops to create dramatic portraits, just like what I did in the sunny days.
-The background will be all dark when I underexpose the ambient by 2-3 stops in an overcast day, so it is a great idea to have your subject wear a bright-colored outfit.
Summary:
There is no right or wrong in what strategy you use, it is just a matter of personal taste and photography style. Using a flash as the main light does create more visual interest because the photo is not what a human eye normally sees.
***
My equipment
-Camera: Canon 5D Mark iv
-Lenses: Canon 85mm F1.4
-Flash: 2 Godox AD200s
-Softbox: Glow Ez Lock 36" Octabox, Magsphere
*Reason to choose AD200 over AD600: in an overcast day, the shutter speed does not have to go crazy high to largely underexpose the ambient light, so this won't drain up the flash power as it will be in a sunny day.
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