Is Cloudy Weather Good Lighting For Portraits?

FAQ’s: Is Cloudy Weather Good Lighting For Portraits?

One of the ingredients of a great portrait is lighting. And one of the jobs of a Photographer is to understand what lighting works best and make sure to put their clients in the most flattering light. It is also good for clients to know this information as well. Here is an explanation of what is “good lighting.” And an answer to the question of is cloudy weather good lighting for portraits.

Soft vs. Harsh Lighting

One of the first things to understand about lighting is the difference between soft and harsh lighting. 99% of the time, a portrait will look the most flattering under soft lighting. An example of soft lighting is when there is little to no contrast between highlights and shadows. Harsh lighting is when there are noticeable transitions between highlights and shadows.

There are several ways to get soft lighting for portraits and it all has to do with the position of the sun. When the sun is low in the sky (around sunrise and sunset), it creates soft and flattering lighting. This is why the early mornings and the evening is the best time to take outdoor portraits. As the sun gets higher-and-higher in the sky, the lighting will become harsher-and-harsher. While it may seam counter-intuitive, more sunlight is not a good thing.

Clouds Can Soften Up Harsh Lighting

When the sun is high in the sky, there are a couple things that you can do to soften it up. The most common way to do this is by taking pictures in the shade. Most parks will have trees that can produce plenty of shade. But outside of this, cloudy days can also produce soft and flattering lighting. It takes harsh afternoon lighting and diffuses it to make it soft. Very similar to the lighting at the beginning and end of the day.

So to answer the question of is cloudy weather good lighting for portraits? The answer is YES. Hopefully this has been helpful in understanding lighting for your own portraits. Thanks!