There is no elaborate lighting setup behind the portrait featured here. Instead, photographer Bharat Rawail built the image around one of the simplest – and sometimes most unpredictable – light sources available: a window.
Natural light portrait by Bharat Rawail.
Inside his Mumbai studio, a large east-facing window provides natural light from the morning until approximately 3-4 PM. For these portraits, Bharat positioned his subject so the window, located camera right, created soft side lighting across her face.
But working simply does not mean leaving things to chance.
Bharat has learned how the light in his studio changes throughout the day and intentionally chooses when and how to use it. He then combines that understanding with diffusion and a tethered photography setup that helps him maintain the precise, consistent look he wants.
The result is a practical lesson in natural light portrait photography: great available-light portraits aren’t simply about finding a window. They’re about learning to read, shape, and monitor the light you already have.
Working With Natural Light Instead of Fighting It
Natural light can change from one moment to the next. A passing cloud or shifting sun can alter exposure, highlights, shadows, catchlights, skin tone, and the overall feeling of a portrait.
Instead of constantly reacting to those changes, Bharat starts by understanding when the available light in his studio is most conducive to the look he wants to create.
“To camera right, I have a large east-facing window in my studio in Mumbai. It gives me beautiful natural light from the morning through to around 3-4 PM. For this particular setup, the window was primarily lighting the subject from the side.”
Although the window provides usable light for much of the day, Bharat has identified a more specific window of time that he particularly likes for portrait photography.
“I particularly like shooting there between approximately 12-3 PM, when the light becomes softer and works beautifully for portraits.”
That familiarity is an important part of how to shoot portraits with natural light. Instead of treating available light as something entirely unpredictable, photographers can learn how it behaves in a particular location – when it becomes softer or harder, where it falls, and how those characteristics change throughout the day.
For Bharat, knowing his studio’s light gives him a consistent starting point. From there, he can shape it further.
How Bharat Softens Natural Window Light
The window may be Bharat’s light source, but the light reaching his subject isn’t completely untouched.
A sheer curtain stretches across the window to diffuse the incoming light, reducing its intensity and creating a softer transition between highlights and shadows on the subject’s face.
“I use a sheer curtain across the window to diffuse and soften the natural light further.”
For certain portraits, Bharat takes that diffusion another step.
“Depending on the kind of portrait I’m creating, I’ll sometimes add a portable skimmer in front of the sheer curtain as another layer of diffusion. I particularly like doing this for tighter beauty portraits where I want the light to be extremely soft and flattering.”
It’s a relatively simple approach to portrait photography lighting, but one that demonstrates the intentionality behind Bharat’s work.
The window determines the direction of the light. The sheer curtain softens it. When needed, an additional skimmer gives Bharat another layer of control over its quality.
Rather than overpowering the available light with a complex lighting setup, Bharat shapes what is already there to create the soft, natural quality he wants.
Photography Tip: Learn the Light Before You Add More of It
When working with natural light portraits, don’t stop at finding a bright window. Spend time observing how that light behaves.
Notice when the light is hardest and softest throughout the day. Pay attention to its direction across your subject’s face and the balance between highlights and shadows. If direct window light feels too harsh, a sheer curtain can provide a simple layer of diffusion. For an even softer result, an additional diffusion surface can further shape the quality of the light.
The goal isn’t necessarily to add more light. Sometimes it’s to better understand – and refine – the light that’s already available.
Using Tethered Photography to Maintain Consistency
For Bharat, tethered photography isn’t simply a more convenient way to review photographs. It changes how the people around the camera participate in the shoot.
Fashion and commercial portrait photography are rarely created by the photographer alone. Hair stylists, makeup artists, creative directors, clients, and other members of the production team may all need to evaluate different details. When everyone is trying to look over a photographer’s shoulder at a small camera screen, that process can quickly become inefficient. Tethering creates a shared visual reference.
“With hair, makeup and the rest of the team close by, everyone can see the images coming in live and make adjustments immediately.”
Once Bharat has created the quality of light he wants, the next challenge is maintaining it.
That’s particularly important because his portrait sessions can be surprisingly short.
“I’m quite precise and planned in the way I shoot, so a shoot session may sometimes last only around 15 minutes. During that time, I want to maintain a very consistent look rather than constantly reacting to changes in the natural light.”
This is where Bharat’s tethered photography workflow becomes part of the lighting process. His Nikon Z8 remains tethered to a MacBook Pro positioned beside him on the Tether Tools AeroTrac Workstation System. As photographs are captured, Bharat can evaluate them on the larger display without leaving the shooting area.
“Having my MacBook Pro right beside me on the AeroTrac, with the camera tethered throughout, means the entire team – hair, makeup, wardrobe, the talent and myself – can see the photographs coming in in real time.”
That larger view allows Bharat to monitor not only the changing natural light, but also focus, expressions, styling, skin detail, and the other small elements that contribute to the finished portrait.
If something needs attention, the team can see it while the subject, lighting, styling, and set are still in place.
“If any minor adjustments need to be made, we can make them there and then and continue shooting without interrupting the flow of the shoot.”
For Bharat, tethering isn’t replacing his understanding of light. It’s helping him protect the consistency of the lighting decisions he has already made.That shortens the feedback loop. If hair needs adjusting, the team can see it. If makeup responds differently as the light changes, it can be addressed. If a particular expression or angle is working especially well, everyone can recognize it and build from it. Most importantly, those conversations happen during the shoot rather than afterward.
Why Tethered Photography Matters for Portrait and Fashion Shoots
That ability to see each photograph immediately has implications beyond lighting.
Fashion and commercial portrait photography are collaborative by nature. Hair stylists, makeup artists, wardrobe teams, creative directors, clients, talent, and photographers may all be watching for different details within the same frame.
Trying to make those decisions from a small camera screen can create an unnecessary bottleneck. A tethered display creates a shared visual reference.
If hair needs adjusting, the stylist can see it. If makeup needs attention, it can be addressed. If wardrobe isn’t falling correctly, the team can respond before moving on. And when a particular expression, pose, or angle is working, everyone can recognize it and build from it.
For a photographer who may accomplish what he needs in a 15-minute session, that immediate communication becomes particularly valuable. Instead of stopping the shoot for lengthy reviews, the review process happens alongside the photography.
A Faster Feedback Loop Without Breaking the Connection
There is another reason Bharat’s setup is particularly well suited to portrait photography: proximity.
The AeroTrac keeps his MacBook Pro beside his shooting position, rather than at a separate workstation across the studio.
That may seem like a small consideration, but portrait photography depends heavily on momentum and connection. Subtle changes in expression, posture, and emotion can be the difference between a technically successful photograph and one that feels genuinely human.
Repeatedly stepping away from the subject to review images can disrupt that rhythm.
Bharat’s setup reduces that interruption. He can photograph, review, communicate with his team, make a small adjustment, and continue.
That balance between technical precision and human connection is central to Bharat’s work. The technology surrounding the shoot isn’t intended to become the center of attention. It’s there to help Bharat and his team stay focused on the person in front of the camera.
Building a Mobile Tethered Photography Workstation
Bharat’s setup for this shoot was deliberately streamlined:
| GEAR | USED ON THE SHOOT |
| Camera | Nikon Z8 |
| Lens | NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S |
| Computer | MacBook Pro |
| Workstation | Tether Tools AeroTrac Workstation System |
| Tethering cable | TetherPro Optima 10G USB-C |
Together, the setup gives Bharat a mobile workstation positioned directly alongside his shooting area. The AeroTrac Workstation System provides the physical foundation for the laptop-based workflow, while the TetherPro Optima 10G connection supports the tethered transfer of captures for immediate review.
Rather than treating tethering as a separate step after pressing the shutter, Bharat makes image review part of the act of photographing.
What Fashion and Commercial Photographers Can Take From Bharat’s Workflow
Perhaps the most useful lesson from Bharat’s process is that efficiency doesn’t necessarily mean shooting faster.
It means removing unnecessary steps between seeing something, evaluating it, and acting on it.
Bharat first understands his environment: he knows where his window light comes from and when he prefers to photograph with it. He shapes that light with diffusion to achieve the quality he wants. He then uses tethering to monitor the resulting photographs and maintain consistency while keeping his team involved.
For portrait photographers, that can mean catching subtle changes in focus, light, or expression. For fashion photographers, it can mean spotting hair, makeup, wardrobe, or styling details while they can still be corrected. For commercial photographers, it can give clients and creative teams greater visibility into what is being captured before the production moves forward.
The lesson isn’t that every photographer needs to replicate Bharat’s exact lighting setup. It’s that intentionality carries through every stage of the shoot – from understanding the light to choosing the tools that help you evaluate it.
For Bharat, the technology ultimately recedes into the process. His photographs may be technically precise, but the technology isn’t what viewers are supposed to notice. They’re supposed to notice the person.
Meet Tether Tools Pro Team Photographer Bharat Rawail
Bharat Rawail’s path to photography began long before he stepped behind the camera professionally. Before becoming a photographer, Bharat spent more than 15 years at Yash Raj Films, where his roles included Chief Assistant Director, 1st Assistant Director, Creative Supervising Producer, and Executive Producer. Those years immersed him in visual storytelling and helped shape the cinematic sensibility he would eventually bring to still photography.
Today, Bharat photographs celebrities, actors, models, entrepreneurs, and influential personalities across India and internationally. His work spans celebrity portrait photography, fashion, commercial campaigns, hospitality, advertising, and professional headshots, with a style grounded in simplicity, elegance, and authentic human connection.
His portfolio includes work with Ranveer Singh, Rani Mukerji, Ahaan Panday, Kartik Aaryan, Triptii Dimri, Shahid Kapoor, Sharvari, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Tiger Shroff, Sara Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Sonam Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Tamannaah Bhatia, and more.
A designated Nikon Ambassador in India, Bharat continues to bring together the visual language of cinema and the immediacy of photography, creating work that feels polished without losing the human connection at its center.
We’re proud to welcome Bharat Rawail to the Tether Tools Pro Team and look forward to sharing more of his work, creative process, and professional photography workflow with the Tether Tools community.
Explore Bharat Rawail’s Work • Meet the Tether Tools Pro Team
