Portrait Photography Skills, part 1

Good old window light provided the illumination for the shot of my daughter Emily above, see further pictures from this shoot in the April 2008 gallery, an east-facing window at about 11am, when no direct sunlight was streaming in. If your subject looks towards the light source then you get a catchlight in the eyes, which I think makes a huge improvement to a portrait. Having a neutral background also makes a big difference but don't forget to compensate for exposure if it's very light or dark.