My Studio approach to Portraits in Natural Light

The World Is Your Studio

I’ve spent the last half-decade refining my approach to portrait photography, and in doing so, I’ve developed a way of seeing the world as a giant, open-air studio. It’s a game—one where the challenge is to find locations that naturally mimic the controlled lighting of a professional setup.

If you’re new to portraiture, you’ve probably felt overwhelmed. You’re expected to direct your subject, keep the mood light, and build rapport, all while juggling composition, light, and technical settings. It’s a lot. But instead of trying to manage everything at once, let’s break it down. Before you even think about posing someone, start by scouting for good light. That’s the foundation.

In this blogpost, I'll explain this approach succinctly while also providing some shoot locations side by side with the end result, hopefully, these will bring some light o:) on the whole process.

Light First, Always

I see too many portraits (on Instagram, in Discord galleries) where light seems like an afterthought although it is lighting that makes or breaks a portrait. If you place someone in great light, 80% of the work is already done.

For me this means that if I am in a great location at the wrong time, I won't ask the model to stand there. If the light isn't what I'm looking for, I won't take the shot. It's as simple as that.

The classic Golden Hour light, these are ultimately fleeting moments.

Here’s the types of lighting that I usually encounter and how often I make use of them:

• Direct Light (Rarely):  I only use direct sunlight around golden hour, when it’s soft and warm. Even then, it’s a small window—otherwise, it’s too harsh, and models struggle with it.
  

• Overcast Light (Very Rarely):  An overcast sky acts as a giant diffuser, but the flat light can make everything look dull. If I shoot in these conditions, I look for reflective surfaces (like concrete) to bounce light and maintain a high-key feel or do the exact opposite by looking for tunnels or the entrance of car parks or other such places that will dramatically increase contrast between subject and background.
  

• Secondary Light (Most common choice): 

  The best outdoor light is shaped by its surroundings. I look for tunnels, overhangs, and narrow streets where light is naturally subtracted, creating depth and directionality. More or less strongly reflected light (from walls, pavement, or windows) is another type of secondary "light source" that I enjoy using. It can act as a natural fill, or as key light, almost mimicking a studio strobe in the case of reflections from window panes.

Locations in the shade that have a lighting quality that feels controlled, that's my preference.

My Gear and Composition Preferences:

In my practice of portraiture I usually don’t shoot wide-angle. Wide lenses pull in too much context, making the image feel more like documentary work than what is my idea of thoughtful portrait. As far as lenses are concerned, my go-to is the G.O.A.Ted GF 110mm F2 which is la crème de la crème of GFX lenses. I also shoot almost exclusively wide open (F2-F4 max) to keep the subject isolated.

As for backgrounds? They don’t have to be special—just unobtrusive. A clean, simple backdrop ensures nothing competes with the subject. If the background adds compositional value (like leading lines or perspective), great. If not, it should fade away.

Being able to place a model at the edge of a surface reflecting sunlight is the street equivalent of a large reflector

Scouting:

One of the most important yet overlooked skills in portraiture is scouting. Knowing your city, understanding how light behaves in different locations at different times of the day (and year), makes all the difference. My shoots aren’t rigidly planned, but I always have a mental map of where I want to go. That way, I’m not wasting time searching for light—I already know where it will be.

Reflections from windows is probably my favorite type of lighting. But as the earth turns, so does the light.

Provoking a Shift in Mindset

Thinking about the world as a studio changed my entire approach to portraiture, and models often find it refreshing too. (I’ll happily explain it to them before the session begins, as it helps people understand what I'm looking for and why we walk around more than what they might be used to). It definitely turns outdoor sessions into an exercise in creative problem-solving and to me this is the main appeal; it gets my brain-juice flowing. Then, when everything comes together and the model and I achieve to produce a compelling image, satisfaction is redoubled.

It takes time to see light this way, but once it clicks, you’ll never look at your surroundings the same way again. The beauty of it? With the right light, anyone can look interesting. Even the most aesthetically pleasing person won’t shine in bad light, but with good lighting, you can elevate an ordinary scene—and an ordinary subject—into something special.

All you need to do is to learn to pay attention to the light.