October 3, 2009
Portrait photography and shooting people?
-_- asked:
Anyone have advice for begining portrait photography or a website with tips on doing portraits for a regular person or amateur without all those expensive diffusers and stage set ups? Also tips or website on shooting people in outside environment or in an uncontrolled natural setting. THX!
Charlie
Anyone have advice for begining portrait photography or a website with tips on doing portraits for a regular person or amateur without all those expensive diffusers and stage set ups? Also tips or website on shooting people in outside environment or in an uncontrolled natural setting. THX!
Charlie
Comments on Portrait photography and shooting people?
Skyler
Even if you have no lights, or only improvised lights, learn the classic four-light studio portrait setup — key light, fill light, hair light and backlight. It’s what you’re imitating when you use a window and a reflector for lighting. It always works, and teaches you key/fill ratios for both men and women — that is 1:2 for women, and 1:3 for men. A reflector doesn’t have to be expensive — a large sheet of white paper for a soft look, and a sheet of foil-covered cardboard for a sharper look. Look at some of the modeling sites like Model Mayhem for ideas.
Makaila
The first person is correct.
BUT
Let me give you some advice, this is coming from 50 years of shooting.
You have a wonderful tool at your disposal that I did not have when I was learning. Instant feedback. With digital, you can find out what works and what doesn’t, shoot thousands of photo’s with little cost. Your learning curve is considerably less then what I went through. It would be safe to guess it has been cut down to 5% of what it was in the good old film days that involved thousands of hours of darkroom work and many steps to get to the final print. You have it easy. Use that to your advantage and don’t be afraid to make mistakes!!
So, while the first person is 100% correct, try to do it with one light, two or three lights, no lights, light coming in from a window, a bathroom light ———– ANY LIGHT! Learn to think outside the box.
I have a web site where I use a Canon A640, a wonderful 10mp point and shoot camera, that in many cases is miles away better then some of the pro equipment I used years ago. I even prefer it over my Richo SLR digital because it is unobtrusive and doesn’t weigh a ton.
The web site is young at this point. So there is not a lot too it, but you can get an idea of what a simple point and shoot digital can do.
I also hardly ever use a flash and instead prefer natural lighting.
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Life is so simple, but we insist on making it complicated
Confucius
551 - 479 BC
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Peace
Jim
my web site:
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Hadley
I suggest photography classes for portrait photography and sniper school for shooting people.
Brielle
Agree with 1 and 2 … here is site, although dated photos..that teaches that concept