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Just recently started photography, this is one of the first shots I

have taken of my best friend and I want to improve my general

photography skills. I don't have much money for lighting or general

studio equipment so advice on taking good portraits with natural

light would be great.....many thanks

You seem to be doing OK. Of course it helps that you have a rapport with the subject.

 

With natural light, it is usually pretty safe to get close to a window (you never want the subject directly in the rays of the sun) and put a reflective white card or other surface on the other side of them to fill the shadows (especially with women) and shoot away.

I am no expert though my advice would be to invest in a quality, fast lens. Nice pic.

Thank you ! Your comments are greatly appreciated x

6/6 a very good shot. love the framing and the subject looks comfortable. i think if the eyes are sharp the photo becomes more intiment with the viewer. the only thing i think that could be improved is the eyes arn't crystal sharp. maybe you could increase the depth of feild just a bit. outstanding for your first photos.

I like this portrait very much too.

If you have PS or similar programme, just running the sharpening tool over his eyes makes them pop more, it worked, I just tried it with this one. Or make a duplicate layer, then use Unsharp mask, then either erase the sharpening you don't want or adjust down in the layers.

Love the composition.

The composition of this portrait is unusual and compelling, and you caught a great expression. Love the eyes.

You have some great shots in here, but though I'm generally not fond of advising people to buy gear, I tend to agree with David Hall. If you're going to be shooting primarily in natural light, a good quality fast prime might be a wise investment. Canon makes an 85 f/1.2 (very expensive) and an 85 f/1.8 (more reasonable, but still not exactly cheap). Either could give you an extra notch or two on the shutter speed.