Portrait Assignment - Open Shadow / Window Light / Direct Sunlight

The photos below are photos that HAVE been taken by me, and I am going to share why I chose these photos to represent open shadow, window light, and direct sunlight.

Open Shadow

          This photo represents open shadow. I got my model to sit beside a wall and look to the side directly into the camera. I love the emotion in her face. She isn't smiling, but she doesn't necessarily look unhappy. I am proud of the composition since the brick wall clearly brings in the rule of thirds. I like the fact that her glasses are in focus. Usually photographers aim for the eyes to be in focus, but with this image, the glasses seem to direct your eyes to the model's. Lastly, I love how everything ties in. The brick wall goes great alongside the model's glasses, and the ground ties in with her eyes. The mix of everything, I believe, really makes this photo work. 

Window Light

          This photo represents window light. The model is tilting her head down with her eyes closed, which gives off this calming feel to it. She isn't in the centre of the photo, but instead she is just off of it, which I like. The background is so light because of how much light is coming in, but the bottom left shows just a bit of what is going on outside. Not enough to clearly define action, but enough to allow more colour in. I think the colours are nice in this photo, and there is some nice contrast between her hair, the shirt and, of course, the window.

Direct Sunlight

          The photo above represents direct sunlight. I love the colours in this photo, along with the contrast between the hair, the skin, the shirt and the background. The model is just off centre which is again, a feature I like to include, and there is even a leading line given by the fence toward her face. The glasses lead your eyes to hers, and her emotion is calm. She has happy eyes, and a semi-smile on. It seems as if the model really interacted with the camera.


Thanks for checking this post out!