My recent portrait shoot with my gf :)
Client/Subject: Casual editorial portrait with gf
Location: Plain studio wall with soft natural window light
Camera: Canon EOS R6 Mark III
Lens: RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM
Settings: 1/250 sec, f/2, ISO 200
Lighting Setuo:
Used a large north-facing window positioned camera left as the only light source. The model was angled roughly 45° toward the window, creating soft wraparound lighting with smooth shadow transitions across the face. Kept the background simple and slightly darker than the subject to maintain separation without needing additional lights or reflectors. No artificial lighting was used.
Post Processing:
Color graded in Lightroom with muted tones, lowered saturation, and subtle contrast adjustments for a modern editorial look. Balanced highlights and shadows to preserve natural skin texture while keeping depth in the hair. Used BeautyPlus for light skin cleanup, minor blemish removal, under-eye touch-ups, and subtle facial refinements without making the edit look artificial. Finished with slight sharpening on the eyes and reduced texture in the background for a cleaner final image.
This was an extremely simple setup. just a good window, clean background, and careful posing. Most of the session was spent making small adjustments to head angle, posture, and expression rather than changing camera settings or lighting. The softness comes almost entirely from the quality of the natural light.