Natural light portrait photography: how to produce dynamic images outdoors

You don't need an extensive array of lighting equipment and an entourage of assistants if you want to take your portrait photography up a gear.

As Paris-based photographer and artistic director Samuel Sarfati recalls, he started his career shooting with a single light source: the sun. And he embraces natural light for his dynamic portraits to this day.

"When I started fashion photography, I shot a lot on location outside," he says. "I had to. I had no budget to rent flashguns, continuous lights or anything like that."

The easiest way for him to get a good image, he adds, was to simply find "the right time, right location and right model" to shoot.

Natural light allows you to work quickly and create evocative images. With some basic knowledge and a few simple accessories, it's possible to shape the light, control contrast and refine shadows to develop the look you want.

"I love shooting outdoors so that I can include architecture in my images," Samuel says, "and working out what can be achieved with whatever ambient light is available. Over the years, I've learnt how natural light can be manipulated with accessories like diffusers, reflectors and negative fill panels, and how to create your own lighting effects from a single light source."

Samuel's workflow for creating portraiture using solely natural light often starts with a mood board. Mood underpins every decision he makes. "It can come through the lighting, from the shape and silhouette of the clothes, or from the background setting."

Any spare time he has each day, he spends checking new editorial on websites and social networks for ideas. "From there, I try to develop a mood board, first to define how I want my model to look, and second to develop a particular mood or message – be it something strong, minimalist or aesthetic – which I can then share with the client."

The location is just as important to Samuel as the choice of clothing or the model's look. "It can make all of your photography so different," he says. "If you photograph the same model, wearing the same clothes and lit it the same way, on a Haussmannian street and then on a super-modern street, you'll end up with two completely different images."

One of the challenges of outdoor portrait photography is that you have to work with whatever weather the day brings. Samuel has learned to stay positive when faced with less-than-ideal conditions.

"There are so many things within your control that can be stressful during a client shoot – such as the models, the schedule, your set and your equipment – that I don't stress about the weather anymore. I can't control it."

If it's too wet, though, Samuel says you might have to consider postponing the shoot. "If you're planning to shoot in natural light, visit the location beforehand, check the weather forecast and think about how you want the images to look. If the conditions really aren't what you need, then postpone."

If the skies are grey, however, he suggests making the most of the situation. "Add some reflectors. A silver reflector will give you even more light, so you can really build something." Using a gold reflector will also provide more light, but with a warmer tone.

If you want to shoot portraits in natural light, he says, you have to be confident in your skills as a photographer. "One tip I'd share is that you have to be positive all the time," he adds. "If it's a bit rainy, that's OK – it might only last ten minutes. Use that time to check the makeup and your equipment, and think about how you are going to adapt."

One of the benefits of shooting on a cloudy day is that the light will be soft and diffuse – perfect for portraits where you want to avoid distracting highlights and deep pockets of shadow on a person's face. Clear skies and a bleaching sunlight are not conducive to classic portraiture.

Samuel says taking photos very early in the morning or late in the day is ideal for summer shoots, as that's when you get the best light. However, when a client needs an all-day shoot, stopping during the middle of the day is not practical.

To get around this, he chooses appropriate locations that will allow him to take portraits when it's sunny. "For instance, if I shoot in a small street, I can have a lot of shadows to work in. I can't shoot on a rooftop for a full day if it's sunny, because when the noon sun is overhead you get 'panda eyes' with strong shadows. Unless that's the mood the client is looking for, of course."

Preparation is key when shooting in harsh midday conditions. "If you want to shoot a full day, just be sure that you have a diffuser if you want something soft, a reflector if you want to remove the shadows, and a negative fill if you want something a bit stronger."

Samuel uses diffusers all the time. Positioned between the sun and the model, they remove harshness and create a more flattering look for portraits. Bigger is often better. Sometimes Samuel rents a large four-metre-square diffuser to ensure the full scene is softly lit.

"When the scene is soft, I can create a stronger look with more contrast using a negative fill or a silver reflector."

Samuel shoots with Canon EOS R5 series cameras, which gives him at least one less thing to worry about on a shoot: getting focus right. Although he sets his exposures manually for portraits, he relies on the autofocus on his Canon cameras and describes their Dual Pixel Intelligent AF eye detection as “game changing”.

"I really trust the focus on my camera all the time," he says, "so I never check the images as I shoot. Sometimes I have a digital assistant who can check for me when I'm shooting tethered on set. But because I know the autofocus and eye detection are so good on the EOS R5 series of cameras, I can just focus on my exposure, my composition and my portraits instead. So that's changed everything."

Another breakthrough feature for Samuel is the ability to use wireless tethering with Capture One. At the time of writing, the EOS R5 Mark II and EOS R1 are exclusively supported by the photo editor's second-generation wireless tethering, which sends RAW files at high speed to Capture One over a fast local 5GHz or greater Wi-Fi access point connection. Small, editable RAW files are available as soon as they are taken in Capture One, meaning you can see the image almost instantly and make any adjustments without having to wait for the wireless transfer, with full-size RAW files transferred and edits applied in the background while you're shooting.

"I usually have to connect my camera to my laptop using long cables, so wherever you are on set, you always feel attached," Samuel says. "I shoot a lot on the streets, so if a car comes you have to gather the cable up and then start again. Sometimes it blocks your creativity, because you might be just starting to get something from a model and then you have to stop."

When he tried the faster wireless tethering for the first time using an EOS R5 Mark II, he was blown away by the creative freedom it gave him. "I got the same feeling as when I'm shooting a personal project using cards in my camera – free to go wherever I want and get every angle I need."

Even though Samuel likes to work freely on the streets, he says he takes a laptop with him on 95% of his portrait sessions. He trusts the output from his cameras so much that, on some shoots, he doesn't see any of the images until the end of the day – relying on his digital assistant to monitor them. But being able to share images with his models (or even clients) on a laptop screen ensures that he's getting the look he needs.

"It's very important to show the images to the people that you work with to be sure you're going in the right direction," he says. "If I don't have the laptop, I'll take a couple of shots and show them to the model on the camera, so they can see the scene, the light and the mood I want, and then they'll suggest some poses that complement it."

Working in partnership with the person in front of the camera is key to achieving the best portraits, whether you're shooting in natural or artificial light. "The more you talk to your model, the more you understand their needs and the more you can adapt the situation to them, the stronger the images," Samuel says.

While it's so important to build a good relationship between the photographer and the model, Samuel attributes his success to extending this working relationship to everyone involved. "As a portrait photographer you need the talent of all the people on set to get strong photography," he says. "It can be your assistant, your makeup artist, your stylist – everyone."

Whether he's working with nothing more than sunlight and a reflector or using the latest wireless workflow tools, Samuel approaches his portraits in the same way: by defining the mood, shaping the light and collaborating with the people around him.