Portraits on overcast days

I've had success with outdoor portraits shot when there has been

broken cloud shooting when the sun moved behind a cloud. With an

overcast sky the lighting is so flat there is hardly any modelling

to the face and total absence of catchlights. B&W shots suffer

especially badly.

 

Is there is solution to this? Maybe using a high powered flash gun

off camera? The only solution I've found is to either wait until

another day, or go inside and use window light and fast film.

 

We have so many overcast days here in the UK I'd like to solve this

one!

Fill flash is your friend. Off-camera, of course...

Yes, when the light is uni-directional like you describe, place your subject under a slight overhang, like a porch or portico, under a tree, inside a car or under anything that will block light. Even just against a building to reduce the size of the open sky will help.<p> A more proactive approach would be to carry a black flat to hold over, or to the side of your subject to block the light, creating directional light that is still diffused... t<div></div>

the door is to camera left, and there was a wall behind him, so the light could only come from my right and behind me. The brick also lent a warm fill to his shaded side (our left)... t<div></div>