In January of 2006, I unwrapped my first camera and I instantly fell in love…

*Despite the fact that I had no idea how to use it.*

>>Four years later, I was voted as Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World, and my work was published in a litany of magazines.<<

To this day, one of my favorite places to shoot is in natural light. When speaking with photographers over the years though, I have learned that not everyone loves to shoot in the “great outdoors.”

Today, I’m giving you 4 tips for outdoor photoshoots so you can leave the insecurities at home and just take your camera bag full of confidence to your next shoot.

1. Use a Clean Background: Positioning your subjects against a simple backdrop, especially when they are wearing colorful clothes, will ensure they are the focus of the shot and not be distracting.

2. Utilize the Sun’s Reflection Off Surrounding Objects: Most photographers know you should not position your subjects in harsh light, but shadows can cause a dark, unappealing photo. One of my favorite tricks is to use surrounding buildings to reflect the sun on my subject’s face.

3. Position Your Subjects Toward The Wind: Girls love the JLo effect in post! Make sure they are positioned so the wind is blowing their back, not in front of their face.

4. Place Subjects Against A Wall To Avoid Harsh Wind: The JLo effect looks great when dealing with a light breeze, but what if the wind is harsh? A great tip is to position them against a wall that is blocking the wind so they don’t look like they are blowing away in pictures.

I hope this gives you and your subjects confidence then shooting outdoors. Natural light photography is some of the most beautiful yet tricky settings to shoot.

Enjoy the light and airiness of your shots with these 4 tips!