Easy OCF for a Cloudy Day

I wanted to share a simple one-light setup that I use when I am in challenging over cast weather (and pretty much every other situation). 😆

I used my favorite all-purpose modifier, the 28" Glow beauty dish.

I placed it at a 45-degree angle from my daughter with the bottom of the modifier in a variety of positions. She was moving around a lot and the height of the modifier was not always ideal. When photographing playing kiddos you often need to just roll with it and let go of "perfect" light placement.

Here is with no flash but exposed for the background brightness that I wanted.

And with flash added...

Here is a pullback to show you the light placement. You can see it was actually quite high as she had just been standing and I did not bother lowering it as I didn't want to lose her cooperation.

Here is a pullback to show you the light placement. You can see it was actually quite high as she had just been standing and I did not bother lowering it as I didn't want to lose her cooperation.

For the next image, I reduced the difference of exposure between my daughter and the background which led to more natural-looking light.

Finally, here is an image with no flash but exposed for her face

I generally want to add directional light to my portraits and consider that look a strong part of my own personal style. 

You may prefer to add just a pop of flash to bring out catchlihgts or go for even more drama with a darker background. With this simple setup you really can bring to life the look that you desire.

Let me know if you have any questions!

-Leah