Day 4 · 12 min

Light and people

Make faces look kind, even in a living room.

The camera is hungry for light. Your job is to feed it. Stand so the window or lamp is on the person’s face, not behind their head.

Soft window-lit portrait — Window light on the face. This is the whole secret.

Person standing in front of a bright window — Window behind them. The camera exposes for the bright glass and the face goes dark.

A simple rule

If you can see squinty sunshine on their face, turn them a little until the light is soft. Overcast days and north-facing windows are a gift.

When the room is dark

Press the flash button. The little flash on top jumps up. Use it when you must. It is harsh, so take one with flash and one without if you have time.

Stand closer

Zoom is fine, but walking two steps closer is better. Fill the frame with the person, not the ceiling. Take a vertical picture sometimes — turn the whole camera on its side.

Practice on the real-feeling camera

Practice: switch to Portrait and pop the flash

Day 3