Snippet - Lighting is an integral part of portrait photography. It adds drama and emotions to a photograph.

Whether you are using a mobile phone camera or a DSLR, it is largely possible to capture the power and beauty of natural lighting to make the portraits more captivating. Following are some tips to capture dramatic lighting for dramatic lighting portrait photography.

The light gradually changes during the day, and to capture a good portrait, it is important to capture the natural light at the correcting timing. Try to capture the portrait during the golden hour, which is commonly used in the photography fraternity. The ‘Golden Hour’ is a period of a few hours before the sunset, and the light is colorful and dramatic. The natural light becomes warmer as the sun sets, and shadows do not appear as harsh.

The Golden Hour lighting creates a toned and soothing light that captures the best dramatic portrait.

Reflectors help create dramatic lighting, especially in harsh conditions, while capturing the portrait. In addition, reflectors are easy to use and cheaper. Best portrait photographers use reflectors for a top-notch portrait. Yes, reflectors are important, but if you do not have one, it is quite easy to create one using white cardboard and aluminum foil; it is that easy.

As the natural light gradually changes during the day, it is better to take advantage of changing the light’s direction. The direction plays an important role in deciding the dramatic factor of a portrait; the direction in which light would fall will give the landscape to capture the best portrait. Keep your subject in your mind; the best direction of the lighting will result in the best portrait.

Any weather surely enhances the quality of a portrait. Foggy, overcast, or summer, the weather helps you get the perfect portraits. Mid-day light can make the portrait evenly lit and balanced, whereas the foggy weather adds a little intensity to the portrait. On the other hand, overcast skies might cause a little problem with flat tones; if used perfectly, cloudy skies add intense drama to the portrait. 

Though we are talking about indoor lighting the last but remember nothing adds drama in portrait photography better than indoor lighting. Portraits with indoor lighting create mild shadows along with rich colors. So indoor lighting adds magic to dramatic lighting portrait photography.

The best portrait photographers understand the importance of lighting while capturing the portraits. Without efficient lighting, it gets quite difficult to add drama, emotion, and story to a portrait. The light shines a light on a portrait.