Sarah – Window Blind Shadows Portrait

There are a lot of creative options when creating portraits using sunlight streaming through window blinds.

This is a very different composition from the portrait in part 1. I wanted a dark background instead of sunlight and shadows, and my subject is reclining and looking up at the sun. It was important that the bands of sunlight fell across the iris of each eye to accentuate the brown color, so getting the position exactly right was important.

The technical considerations for metering and depth of field were the same for this portrait as the portrait in part 1, except I preferred a lighter rendition of the skin ones. You can read part 1 to see how I metered both portraits, except for this portrait I added about 1/2 stop more light to the camera meter reading than I did in the other portrait.

Photo Data: Canon EOS 5D. Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM at 45 mm. 1/20 second, f/11, ISO 100.

Links

This is the first in a series of articles on exposure with links to more at the bottom of the page.

Exposure compensation is explained toward the end of this article on using your camera’s reflected light meter.

To learn more about depth of field, exposure, metering, working with stops, exposure compensation, portrait photography, and posing, read my book Digital Photography Exposure for Dummies. It is one of the highest rated photography books at Amazon.com with excellent reviews from professionals, advanced photographers, and beginners. Learn more here and order it at Amazon.com.

Recommendations for some of the best “how to” books on people photography.