Outdoor Portrait Photography Settings You Need To Know

A hobby photographer’s portraits may look good, but something often holds them back from having that polished, professional appeal. It could be the editing, lighting, or simply the camera settings that make all the difference. 

In this article, we’ll explore the best camera settings for portraits outside, helping you achieve that professional edge. Let’s get started.

The Importance of Light in Outdoor Portrait Photography

Before exploring specific camera settings, it’s essential to understand how the quality of light throughout the day can impact your portraits. Outdoor lighting shifts dramatically depending on the time of day and weather, so planning your shoot around these variations can make a huge difference. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of light you’ll encounter:

Golden Hour

Golden hour happens just after sunrise and shortly before sunset, when the sun is low in the sky. This light is warm, soft, and highly flattering, and it’s often regarded as ideal for portraits across various photography genres. The golden tones, gentle shadows, and vibrant colours create a beautiful glow that makes skin tones look rich. However, golden hour is brief, so it’s best to arrive early to set up and make the most of this prime light.

Harsh Light

As the sun climbs higher, its light becomes bright and direct, casting strong shadows. This harsh light can emphasise imperfections and cause colours to appear washed out, which is why photographers often avoid shooting portraits in the midday sun. Nevertheless, with skilful use of contrast and shadow, you can capture bold and vibrant images in harsh light. This setup may require additional editing to correct colours and soften shadows, but it can produce unique, high-impact visuals.

Soft Light

When clouds diffuse sunlight, they create soft, even lighting, which is excellent for flattering portraits. Soft light eliminates harsh shadows and often enhances colour saturation, creating a gentle, natural look similar to studio lighting with a softbox. While cloudy days won’t provide the strong contrast of direct sunlight, this even lighting is versatile and easy to work with.

• Pro Tip: Shooting on days with scattered clouds can be tricky. As the sun alternates between direct and diffused light, you’ll need to constantly adjust your camera settings. This can complicate editing, as each image may have different light qualities. Be prepared for extra post-processing to account for these changes.

The type of light, whether golden, harsh, or soft will influence your camera settings and the overall feel of your images. Golden hour and overcast conditions are ideal starting points for beginners, as they offer more favourable light. Once you feel comfortable, try experimenting with harsher midday light to further develop your skills. Now, let’s move on to the best camera settings for outdoor portrait photography across various weather conditions.

Key Camera Settings for Outdoor Portraits

Before we get into the specifics, keep in mind that each camera’s capabilities are unique, so these settings are intended as a strong starting point for experimenting in your own shoots. We’ll break down the settings according to the three main elements of the exposure triangle: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. For beginners, here’s a quick summary of each:

• Aperture: Controls the amount of light entering the camera.

• ISO: Determines the camera’s sensitivity to light.

• Shutter Speed: Dictates how long the sensor is exposed to light.

Now, let’s examine these settings for various outdoor lighting conditions.

Important Tip: Start by setting your aperture, then adjust your shutter speed, and leave ISO adjustments for last. Increasing ISO can introduce noise and grain, which may lower the quality of your images. Experiment to find the maximum ISO setting that retains detail with minimal grain for your specific camera model.

Golden Hour Settings

Golden hour’s soft, warm light is often ideal for portraits, yet it comes with its own challenges due to lower lighting:

• Aperture: f/2.8 - f/4 to allow more light in and create a shallow depth of field.

• Shutter Speed: 1/125 - 1/250 sec to balance light while minimising motion blur.

• ISO: Start at ISO 100 and adjust as needed, but be mindful of grain.

Midday Settings

Midday light can be intense and may overexpose your photos, so camera settings for sunny day portraits should focus on managing this brightness:

• Aperture: f/4 - f/5.6 to maintain a controlled depth of field and reduce light intake.

• Shutter Speed: 1/250 - 1/500 sec or higher to avoid overexposure.

• ISO: Set to ISO 100 (or lower if your camera supports it) to keep noise minimal.

Cloudy Settings

Cloudy days offer diffused, even lighting with softer highlights and shadows:

• Aperture: f/2.8 - f/4 for a beautiful depth of field.

• Shutter Speed: 1/125 - 1/250 sec, similar to golden hour, allowing more light to enter.

• ISO: ISO 200-400, adjusting based on cloud density for optimal exposure.

These settings offer a solid foundation for capturing portraits outdoors. Review your images frequently during the shoot to ensure you’re balancing light well and not overexposing. By keeping an eye on exposure, you’ll capture all the fine details that make a professional portrait truly stand out.

Best Settings for Background Blur

In portrait photography, it's common to see a blurred background with a sharp, clear subject in the foreground. This effect, known as a shallow depth of field or "bokeh," is a popular technique that draws attention to the subject and gives the image a professional, aesthetic quality. Here’s how to achieve it:

• Why Do Photographers Want Blurry Backgrounds?

Photographers often use blurry backgrounds to help their subjects stand out from their surroundings. This separation not only draws the viewer’s focus to the subject but also enhances the visual appeal of the portrait, giving it a soft, refined look.

• How to Create a Blurry Background for Portraits?

To achieve a blurry background, use the widest possible aperture on your lens (the smallest f-stop number, like f/2.8 or lower). This wide aperture creates a shallow depth of field, effectively blurring the background while keeping your subject crisp and in focus.

Night Portraits

Taking photos at night can be challenging due to low-light conditions that often require higher ISO, which may introduce noise and grain into your shots. Generally, it’s best to keep ISO as low as possible, but for night portraits, you may need to adjust ISO for sufficient exposure.

Use the widest aperture you can and lower the shutter speed to around 1/80 sec if needed. Inform your subject about the importance of slower shutter speed for portraits outdoors so that they can stay as still as possible. Raise the ISO carefully, following these tips for great results:

• Base Your Shoot Around Light Sources: Maximise available light by positioning your model near light sources like street lamps, shop signs, or neon lights. This helps produce sharper images without relying solely on high ISO.

• Shoot in RAW: Always shoot in RAW rather than JPEG. RAW files retain more detail in shadows and highlights, giving you greater editing flexibility.

• Shoot for the Highlights: RAW files allow you to recover shadow details better than JPEGs, so consider slightly underexposing your shots. This technique ensures that your highlights aren’t blown out and remain recoverable during post-processing.

Gear for Outdoor Portrait Photography

Enhance your outdoor portrait photography with some additional gear that can improve lighting control and image quality.

• Lens Choice: Opt for versatile lenses like 50mm or 85mm. These focal lengths provide good working distance, background compression, and a flattering perspective for portrait subjects.

• Reflector: A reflector bounces light onto shadowed areas of your subject, enhancing detail and brightness. Portable reflectors are lightweight, affordable, and come in various finishes (e.g., white, silver, or gold) to provide different effects. In a pinch, any white or shiny surface like a wall or a sheet of card can work as a makeshift reflector.

• Portable Lighting: Portable lighting is particularly useful for night or golden-hour shoots. Many portable lights offer adjustable colours, allowing you to add creative flair to your portraits.

• Polarising Filter: A polarising filter attaches to your lens and reduces glare while deepening colours. It’s perfect for bright sunny days, as it helps counteract the washed-out look caused by harsh sunlight.

Though this gear can elevate your outdoor portrait photography, remember that it’s not mandatory. With practice, you can capture great images with minimal equipment.

The Bottom Line

Outdoor portrait photography offers exciting possibilities, allowing you and your model to interact creatively with the environment and develop unique themes and aesthetics. Many major brands and professionals favour outdoor settings over studios, so honing your skills here may eventually lead to opportunities in commissioned work or brand collaborations. 

Now that you have a solid understanding of ideal camera settings and techniques, get out there and practise. It may take a few sessions to perfect, but through experimentation and trial and error, you’ll develop your own style and start capturing striking, professional-quality portraits. Enjoy the journey!