focal length: 24 mm (on full frame)
shutter speed: 1/80
aperture: f2.8
ISO: 1250
flash: none

Our lovely parliament building in Victoria, BC. Night photography is challenging when you don’t have a tripod on hand. My settings are less than ideal but I think the image still turned out nicely.

Laura is a Vancouver wedding and portrait photographer. Visit laurahana.com.

focal length: 50 mm (on full frame)
shutter speed: 1/80
aperture: f2.2
ISO: 200
flash: none

When we create a “portrait”, we usually aim to minimize focus on the foreground and background so the eye is drawn to the main subject. An easy way to achieve this is to use portrait orientation and fill the frame with your model. However, including the surroundings can add to the story behind the photo and allow the viewer to feel as though they were there when the shutter was released.

So, don’t be afraid to use landscape orientation for portraits, step back and set the stage.

Laura is a Vancouver wedding and portrait photographer. Visit laurahana.com.

focal length: 50 mm (on full frame)
shutter speed: 1/320
aperture: f/13
ISO: 320
flash: none

Palm trees and a sunset. Enough said.

Laura is a Vancouver wedding and portrait photographer. Visit laurahana.com.

focal length: 62 mm (on full frame)
shutter speed: 1/500
aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 500
flash: none

As much as I love the sun, I appreciate overcast days where I can easily create evenly lit portraits without worrying about harsh shadows and blown out highlights.

Laura is a Vancouver wedding and portrait photographer. Visit laurahana.com.

focal length: 55 mm (on full frame)
shutter speed: 1/125
aperture: f/3.2
ISO: 1250
flash: none

Soft diffused light from a window can be such a great source of natural lighting. A north-facing window will give you nice reflected light but on an overcast day, any window should work. The window my subject is looking through is actually south-facing but the shadow lines are softened by the clouds.

Laura is a Vancouver wedding and portrait photographer. Visit laurahana.com.