Ken Tan
For most photographers, the magic moment happens when the sun sets, but for photographer Jordan Matter, it happens after dark. In this video, Matter gives us five tips for shooting nighttime portraits using only streetlights and window lights. Using this simple technique, he was able to obtain three portraits in different lights in just a few minutes.
A street light may be a good light source, but when your subject is looking directly at you, the light from above will cast harsh shadows on the face, illuminating only the nose. So ask your subject to look up into the light, just enough to cast shadows on their cheekbones, for a dramatic image.
Street lights can provide light, but if you want the subject to be facing the camera, the effect will not be good. To do this, Matter found a large lighting display window to act as a giant softbox . For the first look, he leaned his back against a window, facing his model Juliet Garrett, to create an evenly lit portrait.
But make sure you have the right tool for the job. In this case, you will need a fast lens. Matter recommends shooting at f/2, f/1.8, or f/1.4 aperture to get enough light and beautiful bokeh.
If you want your clothes to stand out, be sure to dress the model in bright colors.
For his second test shoot, he asked Juliet to continue looking into the window while he walked up to her to capture a well-lit profile, then had her turn to face him for a Rembrandt-style shot. In a matter of minutes, you have three different portraits.
