WINDOW LIGHTING

LIGHTING - Window lighting

This is a very flattering form of lighting, it is easy and accessible plus it is free. It can be any size or shape of window and any coloured interior. With the internal lights off, the window light will dominate, so you can bounce it back to your subject as a secondary light via a reflector or card.
This lighting style dominated the work of early painters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, plus most of the Pre-Raphaelites like JW Waterhouse and others. Later artists like Hopper, the Wyeth’s and more also utilised this form of lighting. It can show intimacy as your subject is usually quite close to you. If you plan it, you can arrange the room behind your subject to have objects that reflect something of their personality.

If you use white curtains over the window on a bright day, the diffusion effect is similar to a ‘soft box’ in a studio, which is brilliant for portraits. If the room is very dark, a reflector will return about 30% of the window light back on to your subject.