There are basically two types of lighting for portraiture into consideration: natural and artificial. Given the pros and cons, as well as requirements for different situations, will help you decide which type to use.
Natural Lighting:
natural light sources, whether used outdoors or indoors through a window, perhaps the easiest for beginners. Simply take the subject out in the last couple of hours before sunset for stunning quality that is unmatched by that of the flash. Or, if you are inside, put the subject near a window during mid-morning. You'd be amazed at the beautiful results you can achieve using only natural light.
goes out for a portrait session works great for babies and children. Just let them run around like you follow up with your camera. They will just think you are there to play, and you'll get phrases, and songs that will be difficult to duplicate in the studio. You can also photograph children in their home, perhaps in his room. It is so ideal, because they will be relaxed, and you'll get a lot of shots that show the personality of the child much easier than in a studio setting.
Bridal portraits are a great opportunity for a natural, outdoor light. soft light of the last hour before sunset, the bride will flatter skin tones. This is an ideal time to use the ring or halo lighting, with the sun coming through the edges of the bride's hair.
disadvantages of using natural light that you are at the mercy of time and limited to only several hours a day to do portraits. upside to this, though, that you can charge more for this type of specialized services.
Artificial lighting:
artificial lighting is a little more involved and will take some time to learn how to set up and use it, but once you do, you can also get some nice effects. Flashes are the standard type of light used for portraits, because continuous lights are too bright and warm for the respondents, making it much harder to get great expressions from your subjects.
The great thing about using flash is that you can do this session, regardless of the time. Easy to set up lights indoors, day or night, and the lighting is exactly the same. You will have much more control over this type of lighting too. You can decide whether more or less light, the softer and more contrasty effect, and easily customize it to fit your needs. Time is also not a problem with the flash because the light stays the same no matter what time of day it is. You will not be forced to wait for the perfect light, only to have it eventually, but a few precious minutes.
Portraits of individuals, especially adults and older children are perfect for this type of lighting because they are easy to make, where and how to set up. Family portraits are also working well with flash.
disadvantages of artificial lighting are visible when you are photographing a child who refuses to sit still. As is often the case, have no desire to remain in place until his capture images for future generations and would rather play with your equipment rather than sitting in front of it. That is why outdoor sessions are usually much easier with children and babies. Some photographers also do not like the quality of light flash products, preferring the softness of natural light. It can also be a lack of spontaneity, because the object must remain in the area where the lights.
Both natural and artificial lighting have their pros and cons, and which type you use will depend on the circumstances of each session. I suggest you try both types, experimenting with different techniques and different ages of people in the photo. In the end, you'll get a feel for what type of lighting works best for you and your subjects.
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