Creating Beautiful Fashion Beauty Shots in the Great Outdoors

How many times have you found yourself in a beautiful weekend setting outdoors capturing your family, friends, or a special event only to find out that the photos didn’t turn out the way you expected them? I’m sure many of you have found yourself in that same situation. Outdoor photography can create a beautiful setting for people photography but can also be challenging.

Direct sunlight can be unpleasant, undesirable objects can affect your composition. And on many occasions, Mother Nature might not want to cooperate. These are just a few of the problems that you can encounter when photographing subjects. However, with a little practice and some patience, those challenges can be mastered.

Over the years as a professional photographer, I’ve encountered many problems along the way. But with some patience and continuing development, I was able to overcome these obstacles.

Let me share a few tips to help you create better outdoor beauty shots.

Keep the background clean. In other words, don’t distract from the main subject. Simple repeating patterns on a brick wall or fence, subdued shades on a country path, the consistent color of a patch of flowers, all make for a nice backdrop for an outdoor portrait. When setting up your subject, you want your subject to be the focal point.

Learn to control the depth of field which is the distance between the nearest and furthest object in a photo that appears acceptably sharp.

For example, the edge of a forest, or the mountains in the distance may provide for a beautiful backdrop with proper control of the depth of field. A DSLR camera allows you to adjust your depth of field setting to produce more or less focus relative to your subject. Some of the newer smartphones offer a similar feature.

For example, the eye is directly drawn to the main focal point of your subject. If the subject is in sharp focus in proportion to the background, it will be highlighted as the main focal point of your subject. Controlling the depth of field is done by adjusting the aperture setting (aperture priority, often abbreviated A or Av on the camera mode dial).

For instance, you see a picture of a beautiful butterfly in a patch of flowers. You notice the butterfly is in sharp focus but the flowers are somewhat blurred. The photographer achieved this by using a small f-stop setting. This might be a little challenging in a bright light situation.

While you open up the aperture (lower the f-stop), you must also increase the shutter speed to avoid overexposing the subject. Increasing the shutter speed reduces the resolution in the picture. Keep practicing until you find the best combination for both the aperture and shutter speed for the desired result you’re looking for.

Be aware of any distracting objects behind your subject. A visible tree or bush can emerge like an extra limb growing out of the top of your subject's head. While it may look amusing, it surely won’t make a good impression on your subject. Scout around to find a pleasing background and interesting angle with no distracting objects in sight.

Try to avoid the midday sunlight since it can produce shadows and other unwanted effects. Photographing your subject in the early morning or late afternoon is much more desirable.

Controlling the natural light and correcting the white balance in your images can help enhance the beauty of your subject. Make it your objective to spark your creativity to see the world around you in a fresh and unique way.

Stop and think for a moment, photographic art is created by those with the skill to recognize beyond the ordinary, to view the world in a special way, and to express their perception for others to observe. So, practice and practice more, and don't be hesitant to try something new.

The world is bountiful in shapes, textures, colors, and patterns of light. So, remember, keep your composition simple, control the depth of field, and get rid of any unwanted objects that can distract from your subject.