Friday Photography Tips #8 - Soft Window Light

Windows are a free "soft box" in your office or home.

March is a special month for me, not just because St. Patrick's Day offers the excuse of Irish frivolity, but as it marks the birth of my eldest son Cullan. As such it seems only apt for me to look at photos of him while I share my favourite ingredient in my personal portrait photography. A great big window full of light.

In my very first Friday Photography Tip I talked about the importance of light and mentioned how a window can provide an excellent source. Unlike being outside, where you have either hard light (direct sunlight with harsh shadows) or flat light (cloudy conditions where the light is even but a bit boring due to the lack of shadow), a window can provide a large source of light with pleasant softer shadows.

This is the type of set up, photographers spend a lot of money replicating with studio lighting and for the most part it is free of charge. All that's required is a sunny or cloudy day (when direct sunlight is not entering the window) and a subject that is facing the window to suit your desired effect.

1. Soft Light

With the subject directly facing the window you will get nice, even, flattering light (as blemishes are less visible). This is typically my starting point, positioning myself between the subject and the window (while making sure I'm not blocking the light).

I will then introduce more shadow to the subject by moving out from the middle so that when the subject looks at the camera, the light from the window cannot reach all of their face. In the example above the window is off to the right, as you can tell by looking at the highlights in the eyes and the slight shadow cast on the wall to the left. The inclusion of shadow will make the image feel more three dimensional.

2. Backlight

Placing the subject so that the window light is behind them can create a nice backlight effect, where the strongest source of light creates a bright edge around the subject and separates them from the background. In order for this to work you still need light to hit the subject and this could mean using a reflector to bounce the light back. In the case of the image above the white walls act as a natural reflector lighting the face (as do the Spider-Man bedsheets that create a red colour cast on the left side of Cullan's face).

3. Embrace the Shadows

Don't be afraid to experiment, moving the subject further into shadow. While side-lighting as in the example above can highlight wrinkles etc. in the skin, it can also create a much more dramatic image. This is great for capturing texture in skin and facial hair.

I personally enjoy trying to balance positive and negative space (area of focus vs background) in a portrait using shadow, particularly in black and white shots like the one above.