Outdoor portrait, light is the thing. By Mike Reid, Boise outdoor portrait photographer.

This is Katrina in light from an sb800 speedlight shot through a softbox. Beautiful model in a very cool setting in a pose you don't see every day. D3 with the 85mm 1.4. this is right before dark on a very chilly day last fall. This is an old town hall built in the late 1800's.

The light adds a lot of character to this shot.

This is Katrina during the same shoot but about 15 minutes earlier, catching the last rays of the sun as it is setting. This is natural light. Nikon D3 and the 85 1.4 used again in this shot.

You can see the benefit of adopting a "best light" strategy. Think of your portraits as a recipe, when you get the mix of components correct...it is all good.