Overcast Day Light-2

1-3. By having her turn to face thesteps, light was subtracted from 
the front of the subject’s face. 

Subtractive Lighting

The first approach to modifying this type of light is to remove some of it;this is called subtractive lighting. By blocking some of the flat light, we cancreate more directional light, which will give shape to the subject’s face.

In image 1-3, the model turned away from the overcast sky and lookedtoward the steps, where the camera was now positioned. The dark stepsblocked the light from illuminating her face directly. Light was now effectivelysubtracted from the front of her face, and the light from above andbehind her wrapped around her face and framed it. An added benefit ofhaving her turn away from the sky was that the overcast sky acted as a studiohair light (a light placed behind the subject aimed at the back of theirhead and shoulders). This lightened her hair and separated it from the background. (The light catching her nose and darkening her eyes can be improvedas well, as shown in the subsequent shots.)
Perhaps the most advantageous aspect of overcast light is that it createslarge catchlights in your subject’s eyes. Catchlights are the reflections ofthe light source that appear in your model’s eyes. Always be aware of catchlightsas you take portraits; the bigger the catchlights, the brighter the eyesappear. For a darker eye effect, minimize the catchlights. There is no rightor wrong with catchlights. They are not required to create a successful portrait.Many good portraits have no or minimal catchlights.

1-4. Use the large light source of an overcast sky to create large catchlights in your subject’s eyes. 

1-5. A silver reflector was added in front of the subject tocreate more contrast in the image. 

In the next shot (1-4), the model was turned back slightly toward theovercast sky, with the dark steps behind her left shoulder. The overcast skyreflected in her eyes, brightening them significantly from the previous shot.The dark steps over her left shoulder continued to subtract light from thatside of her body, giving shape to her cheek in a subtle and flattering way.Her nose is now as evenly lit as the rest of her face.

In image 1-5, a 4x4-foot silver reflector was placed on the steps. A collapsible,PVC frame with silver material stretched over it (available fromCalumet) was used here. The model was turned toward the reflector. Thiscreated more contrast on her face, as light was reflected from the shinymetal surface. This created more “pop” in the image. Notice that the catchlightsare now at the bottoms of her eyes. The direction of the main lightsource can be established by observing the position of the catchlights inthe subject’s eyes. This is a great way to “read” photographs and understand how they have been lit. The catchlights reveal the size and directionof the main light source.