They key to taking a good picture outside is lighting, lighting, lighting! Start with a good location.
The time of Day and the weather will contribute to look and feel of the picture and will make a drastic difference.
Use an area with good depth.
Give a good amount of space between the background and the person being photographed.
Ensurethat the area in which the person will be standing, is free of objects that will affect the focus of the picture; trees, bushes, rocks.
Do not work in direct sunlight.
Working in direct sunlight creates issues that we as photographers cannot overcome.
Use the natural shade provided around the area as a natural break in the light.
Be aware of your surroundings that can affect your light.
If shooting in an area that is heavy in greenery the light reflected will be a serious hindrance to a proper white balance.
If working in an area that has a hard surface such as concrete, ensure that the light bouncing off the ground does hinder the photo shoot.
Use the right lens.
When shooting a person take caution to how far you are away from your subject.
The ideal lens to use for portraits would be a 50mm lens.
Using this focal length enables you to get close enough to give depth without creating distortion common to wider lenses.
Do not use wide angle lenses as they tend to create distortion in pictures not meant for portraits.
Do not use to low of an f stop.
Too low of an F stop will not allow the complete area to be in focus.
Do not use to large of an F stop.
Using a larger F stop will leave to much of the area in focus.
Use an external flash.
Even though a fair amount of light is provided when shooting in the outdoors a flash can be used to fill in the small areas that create small unsightly shadows.
Use a reflector.
Using a reflector will enable you to use the light provided to fill in or illuminate the areas not facing the light.
Using different reflectors will allow for light to be uses to effect the skin.
A reflector may be used in conjunction with a flash to give the perfect lighting needed.
If shooting a planned shoot, encourage contrasting colors be worn.
If shooting in an area in which the background will be mostly green have the people being photographed wear a lighter color or white.
If shooting people with a brighter background encourage a solid color.
Encourage people not to wear black as it tends not be a very photogenic color in the outdoors, unless the portrait is B&W.
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