Natural Light Headshots – Three Tips

Natural Light Headshots at the Arizona Cactus Garden

---

Is it time to update your headshots? Perhaps you have never taken a headshot, or it’s been a few years and it is time to get a new one 🙂 When considering they type of headshot you’d like to take, one option to consider are natural light headshots. Natural light headshots are slightly different from studio headshots or outdoor headshots taken with artificial lighting. Here are a few quick pointers to help you get the most out of your outdoor headshots taken with natural light.

Pick The Best Time of Day

---

Perhaps the most important thing to consider, when taking natural light headshots, is choosing the best time of day. The best time for outdoor portraits is always going to be in the early morning or as the sun is setting. Depending on the time of year, the time the sun rises and sets will vary by several hours. A great tool to use is a sunset calendar. The sunset calendar will tell you the exact time the sun rises and sets for the city that you are in. When considering portraits in the morning, the ideal time would be in the hour after the sun rises. And when considering portraits in the evening, the ideal time is in the hour before the sun sets. As you get further away from these ideal times, the lighting will be harder to work with for your Photographer. Although there is a lot more light in the middle of the day, the quality of the light in the morning and in the evening are substantially better than mid-day light.

Select A Location With Good General Backgrounds

---

Another thing to consider is going to be the backgrounds you would like in the headshots. Keep in mind that the background will be very much out of focus. So I recommend choosing a location with general colors and a general feel that you would like. Many parks with green trees will work great. For these headshots, we were able to use the cacti of the Arizona Garden as the background. When choosing a background, the best lighting will be where you are in open shade and the background is also shaded. Shade creates soft, flattering light – which is ideal for natural light headshots. Scheduling your session in the early morning or the evening will provide not only the proper lighting for you to be in – but also it will ensure that the background is properly lit (not too bright).

Plan For Contingencies

---

Last but not least, when taking headshots outdoors, I recommend planning on contingencies. One of the main contingencies to keep in mind for is wind. If it is windy, there is not too much you can do about it. However, bringing a small brush, hair spray, or any other products that will help in this kind of situation is recommended. As a male Photographer, I always appreciate if there is another pair of eyes to take a look at your hair and to make sure it is in proper order 🙂 Bringing along a friend to take headshots with and to be a second pair of eyes is also a great idea.

If you are planning on taking outdoor headshots in natural light, hopefully these pointers have been helpful. Thanks!