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Video: Simulate Window Light Photography with Off-Camera Flash
We’ve previously covered how to re-create golden hour using off-camera flash (we even have a workshop based on this concept), but there are other types of natural light that we can simulate using off-camera flash techniques. In this article, we’re going to show you how to spice up an ordinary portrait using off-camera flash to simulate window light photography.
We’ll use the CAMP framework (Composition, Ambient Exposure, Modify or Add Light, Pose & Photograph) to outline the steps we took to compose, light, and capture the final image.
Step 1. Compose Your Shot
Our main goal here is to use the space next to the window so that we can later add an external flash and simulate window light photography for the purpose of adding visual interest to the portrait. We placed the subject to the right of the frame and far enough away from the window to create plenty of negative space. The background wall in this particular setup featured several holes and other distracting elements, but because it’s a big solid wall, removing the distractions in Photoshop will be easy.
Step 2. Dial in Your Ambient Exposure
After composing our frame, we need to dial in our ambient exposure. In our baseline image (see above), we adjusted our exposure settings to maximize dynamic range for a dramatic portrait, leaning toward the left side of the histogram because we’re going to add off-camera flash.
However, the high shutter speed (1/2000) requires the flash to use high speed sync in order to fire, so we placed a 4-stop ND filter directly over the lens. This allowed us to slow the shutter speed to 1/200 and eliminate the need for high speed sync.
[Related Reading: How to Create Soft Window Light ANYWHERE with Flash]
Step 3. Add Off-Camera Flash to Simulate Window Light Photography
We placed a Profoto B10 (250 watt seconds of power) about 15 feet up into the air on a light stand and pointed it through the window toward our subject. We used a zoom dish on the flash to minimize light spill and we also added a CTO gel to the flash to add a natural warmth to the light coming through the window.
Step 4. Capture the Photo
Whenever we’re shooting with hard light, we need to pose our subject for that light. Direct your subject into a pose that allows highlights and shadows to create ideal lighting patterns (such as Rembrandt, used here) and capture the shot. By making micro adjustments to the pose (as we did in this series with hands in the pockets, playing with the hat, etc.), you can further maximize your efficiency and end up with several usable images from a single scene.
[Related Reading: Creative Flash Photography Techniques for Natural and Dramatic Portraits]
Before and After with and without Off-Camera Flash to Simulate Window Light Photography
The photo without the simulated window light is fine, but the added light ups the visual interest and makes for a more compelling portrait. We edited the final image using the “Hard Light” preset from Visual Flow Presets new Crush Pack.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this video and lesson on how to simulate window light with off-camera flash (an excerpt from our Lighting 4 workshop) – catch our next episode of Mastering Your Craft on Adorama’s YouTube channel next week! If you want to catch up on all the episodes, make sure you check out our playlist!
