The more I photograph portraits, the more I’ve come to love how unique every photo session is. This was taken on a sunny, chilly and very windy evening this winter in Montana. We decided to drive around, scout out some good photo locations and snap a few shots in the process. After only a few minutes out of the shelter of the car, we realized just how windy it was that evening. But we brought our cameras, and I couldn’t bring myself to leave without taking at least one photo.

I wasn’t expecting to come home with a handful of great photos, but I was pleased to see how the few quick shots turned out. A perfect example of how every portrait shoot is different. The angle and quality of light, the unique expressions and perfect moments. How a wildly windy day can make for a photo that depicts just that. That’s the beauty of outdoor portraiture. Unlike an iconic landscape on a sunny day, you never quite know what you’ll capture, but you can be sure it will be unique to that person, that place and that moment.

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Last week, our good friend Matt Gawronski came out to spend a couple weeks with Angel and I in Bozeman, MT. Matt is is one of those natural athletes – hockey, soccer, snowboarding, ultimate frisbee – and an all-around charismatic guy. As a fellow outdoor enthusiast, we obviously enjoyed several mountain hikes together and, of course, lugged our camera gear along the way.

We didn’t have anything specific in mind to photograph, but refused to be caught without a camera. A few miles in, and I spotted the shot. The late morning light was coming through a quiet grove of lodge pole pines. It was illuminating off the surrounding snow, which acted as a giant reflector, perfectly balancing the light on Matt.

There is simply no substitute for good, natural light.

There is simply no substitute for good, natural light. You can control it all you want in a studio, but nine times out of ten, it can still be identified as a studio shot. I love how this photo captures the perfect light we experienced, and how it is a great representation of Matt – an outdoor, active lifestyle enthusiast. And a great smile to bring it all together!

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Eat healthier. Exercise more. Loose weight. Start doing this or stop doing that. I thought through all the typical New Year’s resolutions this year and, while I’ve committed to some of the standards, I also chose a more specific and obscure resolution: This is the year that I learn more about lighting.

As an outdoor photographer, I’m used to working with natural light – golden hours, soft light, avoiding high noon on a sunny day – but often shy away from trying to manipulate light myself. Controlled lighting for still life photography has just not been my thing. I love the outcome, but rarely employ the techniques.

Until 2013.

After clicking through several blogs and paging through books, I began to realize it wasn’t as intimidating as I once thought. Sure, studio work and product photography require multiple, controlled light sources, strobes and other equipment I don’t care to accumulate. But simple and elegant still life shots are often not captured this way. At least not the ones that I was most drawn to.

With the mindset that I don’t need fancy flash units and bulky soft boxes, I set up a scene: weathered wood boards, fresh fruit, a few props from Crate and Barrel and an abundance of diffused window light. That was all I needed for the a clean and simple still life photo. Introduce a reflector or – easier still – a piece of foam board with aluminum foil, and you have all you need to start manipulating light.

Will I explore things further and learn about strobes and the technicalities of light? Perhaps. But for now, I’m excited by the new possibilities that have been exposed by my simple discovery.

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