All You Need is a Window

March 7, 2011 5 Comments

As well as an inspiration on photo walks, light is easy to find at home. All you really need is a window. At any time of day when there is light coming through a window, you can use it to create a beautiful side-lit portrait. To make a portrait with side light, position the subject parallel to the window, like in the diagram below.

A lot of painters use window light.

Beautiful side light creates classic lighting for a portrait. The shadows created on the side away from the window make for dynamic lighting because the shadows actually show the contours of the subject—essential for a three-dimensional effect.

A floor to ceiling window camera left created this creamy lighting on model Chloe.

My friend DJ posed beside a window and his long hair made a 'rim light' effect with shadow, too.

If you’re looking for inspiration this week, try some photography at home! All you really need is a window.

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About Aloha

I am a photographer and writer currently based in Bangkok, Thailand. My work has appeared in CNNGo, Canon's PhotoYou magazine, Seventeen magazine, The Korea Times, Thailand Tatler, and a few photography books including recently Blogging for Creatives, a book published in the UK. I believe there is nothing you cannot imagine that you cannot do.
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5 Responses to “All You Need is a Window”

  1. Gilbert March 8, 2011 at 1:25 am

    Thank you my mentor for sharing us your talent, you’re one of a kind. Godbless.

  2. Gilbert March 8, 2011 at 1:27 am

    Thank you my mentor for sharing us your talent, you’re one of a kind. Godbless..

  3. Aloha March 8, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    Hi D, thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy the stories in this blog. Come back sometime for other articles on lighting and other topics! Take care.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Let Shadows Speak | imagine that - March 8, 2011

    [...] to work with, and a distant doorway some 300 meters behind the model. I found a place where the window light would directly shine on her face and side. Having done this, I also saw that the curvy geometric [...]
  2. Light is the Thing | imagine that - June 11, 2011

    [...] sunlight has become harsh in the later part of the morning, during midday or the early afternoon, you can control window light by positioning your model at the right spot near a window. If you really feel that the light is still too contrasty and the shadows are too deep, you can [...]

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