Create Your Own Natural Light Studio

Learn how to create a natural light studio in your home.

Take Great Portraits Indoors

Studio photographers use very expensive lights, backdrops, reflectors, and diffusers to create beautifully lit images. They use all of that equipment to have complete control over the light. The good news for you is that none of that is necessary to get beautiful portraits.

Natural light is the best light for photography. It's the light we live in and are used to seeing other people in. It's warm and soft, creates a beautiful glow in your subject's eyes, and is universally flattering.

This notebook tutorial outlines the skills needed to create a natural light portrait studio, using only a few household items. You'll discover how to get great results using a window, a chair, a digital camera, a cloth backdrop of some sort, and (ideally) a tripod -- no lights needed.

Set Up Your Studio

You'll want to get everything set up for the shoot before getting your subject involved. Don't make your subject wait while you tinker with the backdrop, tripod, or camera settings.

The main elements you'll need to set up your own natural light portrait studio are:

• A window with clear floor space nearby
• A fabric backdrop
• A chair
• A tripod to keep your camera steady

Find a Good Window

The first and most important thing you need is a light source. Find a fairly large window in your home -- preferably facing north. North light falls evenly throughout the day; it's the most flattering, natural light. You'll also want to have some clear floor space near the window so you have room to shoot your subject from several angles to catch the light.

Direct sunlight flooding in through the window is not ideal -- it will create harsh shadows on your subject's face. If the light is too bright, try to schedule your portrait photo shoot at a time of day when the light is less intense. You can also soften the incoming light by putting sheer curtains over the window.

If your best window faces west, try shooting in the morning. With an east-facing window, take your photos in the afternoon. Early morning or twilight is a good time of day to try shooting portraits next to a south- or west-facing window.

Choose and Hang a Backdrop

Backdrops can be simple or complicated, but a backdrop of some sort is essential for the true portrait look. A matte fabric backdrop absorbs light; a painted wall reflects light. You can use a sheet or a large towel. To achieve the studio look, use fairly neutral colors like black, white, or tan. These colors won't compete with the subject, but will give you an uncluttered background.

Hang your backdrop a few feet higher than the head of your model so you have the flexibility to shoot at different angles without running out of backdrop. The diffused light from the window should be lighting the backdrop also. This will help create dimension in your portrait.

Tip: If you don't have an appropriate backdrop on hand, check your local fabric store. A piece of muslin will do the trick fairly inexpensively. You can also use a quilt or tapestry, as long as the pattern isn't too busy and the colors are fairly neutral.

Tip: When you're looking for a backdrop, size is an important factor. For a traditional bust portrait, a large towel is big enough. For a full-length or group portrait, the backdrop must be larger.

Tip: On a rainy or overcast day, you can get soft, even light indoors from any window in your house.

Tip: If you don't have a good window to use, go out to your garage and open the door. A covered deck or porch will work, too, as long as the light falls on your subject from only one direction.

Chairs and Tripods

A sturdy stool or chair for your model to sit on is important for portraits. Being able to sit will make your subject more comfortable and keep them in a static position.

Unless your backdrop is long enough to cover the floor where your subject is seated, you will want to keep the floor out of your portrait. The seat raises your subject up and will allow you to keep him entirely in front of the backdrop. The seat also helps keep your subjects exactly where you want them -- this is particularly important when photographing children.

A chair without a back works best, unless you want to include a chair as a prop. If you're using a chair with a back, try turning it around and having your subject kneel on it, leaning forward.

Keep It Steady

In low light, your camera has to slow down the shutter speed to allow enough light in to create a good image. The trade-off is that slow shutter speeds can cause camera shake, which makes blurry photos. Using a tripod can prevent this camera shake.

Most tripods have a swivel arm. You'll find that using this arm to move your camera up and down and side to side gives you much more control as you compose your photos. Tripods can also give you the freedom to be in the portrait. Use your camera's self-timer feature so that you can set up the shot and then have time to get into the scene.

You can take portraits without a tripod, but if you plan to keep shooting portraits you'll find a tripod to be invaluable. If you don't have a tripod, try bracing the camera on a table to keep it steady, and try to keep your model as still as possible, especially when shooting in low light.

Tip: If you're working with an infant, use a large ottoman, or something similar, for them to lie on. This will raise them up off the floor. Cover the ottoman with the same material you use for the backdrop.

Colors and Clothing

When you see a portrait that you really like, study the colors. Chances are the colors are soft, muted, and flattering, with no strong contrasts or jarring colors. In a good portrait, the subject's face and expression are center stage; the background and the subject's clothing should be harmonious and understated.

Color and texture support whatever mood you want to create. Solid, muted colors are classic choices for portraits. To create more interest, you can add a patterned background, then blur it by controlling your depth of field (you'll learn how later in this tutorial).

A good color planning strategy is to ask your subject to wear a solid-colored top in his favorite color, then bring along one or two more. Knowing the colors in advance will help you pick good backdrops that will coordinate well.

Clothing Selection

Using a simple background keeps the focus on your subject. This principle applies to the clothing your subject is wearing as well. Neutral, solid colors work best. In the facing photo, the white shirt complements the subject's skin tones and stands out from the background without being too contrasty.

Avoid stripes, plaids, or very bright colors (particularly red). Select clothing that coordinates or contrasts nicely with the color of your backdrop. The stripes in the sweater distract the eye from the subject's face, and the gray of the sweater is too close to the backdrop color.

Tip: In general, avoid bright, high-contrast patterns in both backdrops and clothing unless you're trying to achieve a certain effect.

Lighting

Now that you've located a good window, set up your backdrop, found a chair, and planned your colors, it's time to position your chair in relation to the backdrop and window to get the ideal arrangement. Use the chair as a stand-in for your subject while you're setting up.

The first thing to check for is the lighting. Direct light will create hot spots on your subject. If you see any harsh light falling on the chair, move it farther into the room, away from the window.

Bounce the Light

Depending on the look you want, you can use a piece of poster board to even out the light. If the light is still casting dark shadows on one side of your subject's face, use a piece of white poster board to reflect light back onto your subject.

The demo to the right shows the difference between the natural-light version and the photo taken with light bouncing off a sheet of poster board. The version without the reflector board is more dramatic and natural; the photo taken with the reflector board looks more like a formal portrait taken under studio lights.

Practice with Objects

Keep in mind that your natural light home photo studio is not just for people portraits. You can do still life portraits as well. Inanimate objects are actually a great resource to practice with at first because they will sit still for as long as you need to get the results you want.

Try photographing some of these objects:

• Plants, flowers, and dried arrangements
• Fruit or vegetables in a bowl
• Dolls and stuffed animals
• Vintage bottles and vases
• A jar of interesting pens and pencils
• A stack of antique books

Tip: To better picture how light will fall on a rounded surface, use a doll, a stuffed animal, or pieces of fruit to test your studio setup.

Get Ready to Shoot

The final item you'll want to check before bringing in your subject is the distance between your subject and the backdrop. Make sure that there is plenty of separation between your model and the backdrop so you can create an appropriate depth of field. If your subject is too close, the backdrop will be in sharp focus as well, creating a mug shot instead of a portrait.

Arrange your chair so that the subject doesn't cast a shadow on the backdrop. Placing the back of the chair at least three feet from the backdrop will prevent the mug-shot look.

Blur the Background

A key differentiating feature of a portrait is a blurred background, keeping the focus solely on the subject. To do this you'll need to create a shallow depth of field, which is the area in front of and behind your subject that appears to be in focus.

You can control depth of field two ways:

• Automatically, by using your camera's portrait mode
• Manually, by using your camera's Aperture-priority mode

Tip: If you're using a sheet for the background, either iron the sheet or put it in the dryer to wrinkle it a bit. You want to avoid having the square fold lines appear in the photo.

Tip: Portrait Mode usually has a face for its icon. This mode automatically sets a large aperture to create a shallow depth of field.

Tip: Aperture-Priority Mode allows you to control the depth of field manually. This mode is usually designated by an A icon.

Creative Posing

Keep in mind that even when you're setting up a posed shot, you're telling a story. Think of what you're commemorating with the portrait. Is your goal to remember a milestone in the person's life? Have them pose doing something that will remind you of this period of their life or with a prop that is important to them.

Some of the most captivating images are the ones that don't follow the rules. Feel free to get creative and experiment with poses and angles. Click between the two images on the right to get some ideas.

Pose Your Subject at an Angle

Start out by placing your model so he is almost perpendicular to the window. You want the light of the window to light from the side of the face without any light directly falling on him. Don't sit your subject straight in front of the camera.

Instead, turn your subject to about a 45-degree angle to the window, which will provide depth and keep the face out of the shadows. If you position the subject just right, the reflection of the window will create highlights, or "catch lights," in your model's eyes.

Bring the forward shoulder down and angle the subject's head so he is leaning slightly to one side. For even more dimension, ask the model to lean forward as well. It may not feel natural to them but it will look right on film.

Tip: Find ways to make your subject comfortable as you shoot. Nothing is more uncomfortable than having a camera pointed at you without direction. Talk to your model and keep your voice calm.

Tip: As mentioned earlier, don't make your subject wait while you tinker with the backdrop, tripod, or camera settings. Taking care of your setup details before you pose your subject will reduce frustration.

Tip: If you are including the subject's hands in the photo, keep the fingers together. Splayed fingers distract from the face. If you do include hands, make sure that you include the whole hand.

Posing Tips for Children

It can be difficult to get natural-looking photos of children -- chances are that they'd much rather be doing something else! There are many ways to keep children relaxed and cooperative during a portrait photo shoot.

Children can easily be bribed into behaving during a photo shoot. The promise of a lollipop or mini candies can keep even the busiest child smiling for you. Also, let the child hold a favorite doll or toy during some of the shots.

Don't Say "Cheese!"

Don't ask your model to say "cheese" before you take the picture. That word stretches the face and results in an unflattering, unrealistic grin. The words "ready" or "brush" are good alternatives.

Click between the two images to see how saying the word "cheese" distorts the subject's face.

Tip: If the child likes to perform, sing, make faces, etc., let them. Let them ham it up while you watch through the viewfinder for the perfect moments.

Tip: When you're photographing kids, you may want to have some extra clothes on hand in various colors, just in case.

Tip: Keep the child's schedule in mind. Don't attempt a photo shoot when they are hungry or tired.

Tip: Have another adult stand behind you and make silly faces. It will keep the child's attention and allow you to shoot without distraction.

Keep Experimenting

Practice is the key to making this studio setup work for you. If something isn't working well for you, adjust it and find something that does. For example:

• Change the backdrops
• Move your subject to get different light falling on them
• Move the camera to get unique angles