Im currently doing a digital SLR course and i have a project i have to complete by Monday. I have to take a portrait photo using window light and cannot be pets or children. so this leaves me with my husband (he is no glamour babe" and i don't have any good looking neigbours. Any suggestions on what i should photograph and how i should do it??
Yeah I would agree. A face with lots of lines would have some great character if side lit by a window for instance. All sorts of cool shadows. I would find it more interesting than looking at a very smooth, albeit pretty, face.
If you want to soften the shadows caused by the side-lighting you can use a reflector on the opposite side of the model. "Window shots" are also a natural setup for doing silhouettes, where facial features aren't so important.
I find when I'm chatting with people or just generally hanging around that they make really natural and appealling facial expression for fleeting moments. I generally work with them to evoke the same expression during a photo session. I get some of my best portrait photos while I'm taking "test shots" and "setting up the camera" while having a conversation with them while there sitting in the chair in the appropriate light.
Using this technique it doesn't matter what kind of face the model has. Most people look appealing when they're relaxed or just thinking of something that makes them happy. Working with a spouse is often easier because you know the things that trigger this kind of response in them.
