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Read about techniques for personal portraiture photography, tricks for still photography and studio photography techniques here.
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Amy Anderson
member since: 10/18/2004
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131
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Portrait Blur
I've had my first client ever order prints from me with the request for them to be "fuzzy." How do I get just the right portrait blur (soft focus) in PhotoShop? What filter do I use? To what degree?
11/7/2004 9:28:33 AM
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Gaussian blur ... under blur in the filter category. You could use diffuse glow for a different type of fuzziness.
11/7/2004 1:41:53 PM
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You can purchase Photoshop actions that do portrait blur or soft focus, etc. Why go to all the work to do what someone has perfected already? Here is a link to a Web site that has some great actions like Porcelin skin, Glamour blur, etc. They're very reasonably priced, and they work great. I have used them myself as I won some of them in a contest ... and not just on portraits. They work great on all types of images. Craig also has actions for generating proofs, etc. Check them all out at -
http://www.auraphotographics.com/Actions/actions.html
11/7/2004 2:44:32 PM
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Kip T. Berger
member since: 2/20/2002
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Adobe's community studio exchange on the Web offers other free actions for Photoshop submitted by members - like soft focus, glamour, etc. You might check there, since they are free.
11/7/2004 9:39:18 PM
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Dennis W. Mcclain
member since: 9/18/2004
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u can try all thew answers above, but I would do a layer copy first, then make my adjustments in the top layer, you can adjust the opasity ( if thats spelled right) and if u screw up u can just delete the layer and start over
11/9/2004 11:46:42 AM
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Gina Cellino
member since: 10/30/2004
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132
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How to Focus for Portraiture?
I have read that I should focus recompose while taking portraits, that this will produce a sharper image than having my focus locked on center. What exactly does focus recompose mean?
10/30/2004 8:08:59 PM
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It's difficult to answer when the phrase is taken out of context, but my guess is that the author was referring to portraiture with an autofocus system. Generally speaking, the sharpest part of a portrait should be the eyes - so you let the autofocus system focus on the eyes (i.e., point the focusing mark at the eyes), lock that focus, and then compose the portrait as you want.
10/31/2004 5:13:41 AM
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Stephanie Moyer
member since: 9/9/2004
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133
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Shooting with Aperture as Priority
I have a Nikon 4300. Reading the manual, I am supposed to hold down the exposure button and use the right/left arrows. But when I take pictures, I'm not getting blurriness. Can anyone help me with using aperture? I love this camera and would like to use to its full potential.
9/9/2004 5:32:54 PM
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Jon Close
member since: 5/18/2000
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The focal length of the 4300's zoom lens is only 8mm - 24mm. Such short focal lengths have great depth of field, even at f/2.8. The only way to get a shallow depth of field - i.e., sharp subject and blurry background - is to set the aperture to f/2.8 and get very close to your subject.
9/9/2004 6:28:42 PM
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Paul Michko
member since: 3/23/2004
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I too have a 4300. I have found that if you set it for manual focus and then adjust the focus so that the subject is in focus, but the background is out of focus. What you are really doing is focusing more in front of the subject and making the subject the back end of your focal length. I leave my Manual setting on the mode where I can select the focus zone, then if you hold down the Timer/Focal setting and adjust the zoom button you will be put into manual focus. It works great because you can easily use it both ways. The only drawback is you need to use the LCD viewer to fucus. Subjects that are in focus will get a bright outline.
9/14/2004 6:24:21 AM
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Michael Kaplan
member since: 5/27/2003
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FIrst of all, the smaller the Aperture (larger the number), the greater the deapth of field (dof). A f/2.8 will have less DOF than f/8 for example. The shallower the DOF, the more of the background that is out of focus (oof). With the modern digital cameras, the problem lies not only with the f stop though but also the size of the sensor. Film cameras were mostly 35mm in size but todays digicams, with the exception of only 2 cameras are all smaller in size. That means you will get greater dof at the same aperture. All you can do is to try and use the largest aperture your camera has and get closer to the person/object being photographed as the farther you are, the greater the dof as well. You can also do this afterwards by bringing the picture in to an editing program like PS, selecting the background and then putting a gausian blur on the background portion.
Michael Kaplan
Canon EOS-20D
http://www.pbase.com/mkaplan
9/18/2004 5:24:58 AM
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member
member since: 7/18/2004
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to michael: i took a pic at 24mm and the dof appeared more focussed than the one taken at 70mm (closeup crop) where the dof appeared very shallow. (all other camera/flash settings were the same for both, and lighting condition was also the same for both pics). why would this happen? (or maybe i've misunderstood altogether what you said). thanks for any info you could give to this.
9/18/2004 8:48:22 AM
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Michael Kaplan
member since: 5/27/2003
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Yes, you either misunderstood or I just did not explain myself well enuf. You get less dof (more blur) with a telephoto lens than with a wide angle lens at the same distance. Wide angle gives you a larger dof so more things will appear focus. What I said or meant to say is the closer you get to your subject the less dof. Example, if you are shooting with a 50mm lens, and your subject is 20' away, there will be less dof (more background blur) if you were only 7' away. Lens focal length, aperture and distance combine to give you your DOF. An example is
0mm lens at a subject distance of 20 ft at f/8
100mm lens at a subject distance of 40 ft at f/8
Both of these examples have the exact same DOF. You can read up a bit more if you like here:
http://abetterphotoguide.bizhosting.com/depth_of_field_info.html I hope I made it clearer for you.
9/18/2004 9:43:31 AM
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member
member since: 7/18/2004
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: ) thanks. i'll work on those experiments! (and thanks for your patience)
9/18/2004 1:13:14 PM
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Lisa Carpenter
member since: 9/8/2004
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134
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Setting Up My Studio for Portraits
I have now purchased most of what I will need to set up a basic studio. I am really confused as to how to get the synch cord to work with my camera to get the strobes to go off. I feel intimidated by the whole process, any advice?
9/8/2004 6:07:43 PM
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The synch cord plugs into a PC terminal on the camera; the other plugs into the light. If you don't have a PC terminal on your camera, you need an adapter that fits into the hot shoe and has a thing the cord connects to on it.
9/8/2004 8:01:51 PM
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Gina Harmeyer
member since: 5/8/2003
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Each camera is probably different. I asked the sales guy at the store where I purchased my light set up, and they were more than happy to help me set up my particular camera. I had to set mine in Manual mode, and I had to turn off the built-in flash. I also had the adapter that was specific for my camera. That was with my Olympus C-4040z, now I have a Canon Digital Rebel and it's very different. But I found it much easier to use, I just plugged in the hot shoe cable (where you can add a flash), set it to Manual and it was all set and ready to fire.
9/14/2004 4:23:05 AM
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Catherine Lopez
member since: 3/5/2004
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I found that the strobe j-110 is a 3 in 1 strobe works as a modeling light-stobe-flash...it has a sensor that syncs with your flash no cords attached just use the flash from your camera.
(Under $100)
9/14/2004 10:53:10 AM
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Gregory is right. And if you have more than one strobe, the unconnected strobes should have a slave feature that sets them off when the connected one goes off.
9/14/2004 4:48:52 PM
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ISHAK ABDUL KARIM
member since: 9/26/2004
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Hi Lisa, I'm ishak. We all forgot to ask u what kind of strobes u bought? A better option is to get the Wein Meter Mate 2 that plugs into ur flashmeter sync socket. And plug in a slave on the strobe that u want to test the light or all lights. Jus press the flashmeter button . Everything is wireless as long as ur strobe has a built in slave. Bought mine for $90 Sing dollars equivalent to $50 US dollars. This helps get rid of messy sync cords all over the shooting area. I guessed u'll be using a flashmeter and your strobes are variable power type and not those low powered slave flash. Hope this helps.
9/27/2004 5:24:56 PM
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Lisa Carpenter
member since: 9/8/2004
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Ishak, thank you for the info, and along with everyone else. I love hearing different options and yes, I would like to get rid of so many cords. thanks again.
9/27/2004 5:53:40 PM
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Norbert Maile
member since: 7/28/2004
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135
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Filter, Film for Quartz Halogen Lighting
I am thinking of using quartz halogen lighting for portraits. Is this a viable alternative? And, if so, what film to use? Would I need to us any special filters also?
8/30/2004 7:31:05 AM
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The typical color temperature of a 150-watt quartz halogen lamp is at 3200K.
Tungsten-balanced film would be the closest match to this color temperature. (Tungsten slide and print films are recognized with a "T" on the packaging.)
You can also use daylight film with a blue 80-A filter. This will work fine for still-life subjects, but the light loss when using the filter will require longer shutter speeds ... which may present a problem for portraiture.
8/30/2004 11:31:18 AM
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Norbert Maile
member since: 7/28/2004
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Thanks. What about 500-watts? Can the same film be used?
8/31/2004 6:40:29 AM
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Ken Henry
member since: 9/16/2003
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I do not like tungsten film. For product shooting, yes. To me it's like watching the movie '1984'...colorless. Just too white, unatural. I've never seen white tugnsten lighting. But I'm shooting interiors. My opion. Because your/my eyes do not see tungsten light as pure white. Which is why I do not like the white balance on my digital camera. You can use daylight negative film and correct it at proccessing. And also change it to black and white. I do have the 80A, B, & C filters...I mostly use the 80C in my interior work as the 80A tends to produce a slightly bluish cast. And all the colors with the 80C are exactly how you see it. Why do I use a filter on neg film? It creates a more accurate photo than the correction proccess. I do not know which of these filters will work best for portrait under 3200K lights. But I'm bet'n the 80B will give the best color skin tones. You do loose one stop of exposure. Yes, I had to buy all three used filters to test. Now I have an 80C Multi-coated B&W.
8/31/2004 10:19:00 PM
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Sarah
member since: 3/29/2004
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136
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How to Shoot People with Black Background
I have seen many photos where everything is black except the person/subject that is being captured. How is this achieved? Is it done digitally, or can you capture it correctly automatically? Thanks for the insight! I really want to know how to do this.
8/2/2004 9:20:54 AM
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The easiest way to accomplish this is by using flash. Have your subjects stand at the distance for which your flash is set to illuminate, and use the fastest flash sync possible. As long as there are no background objects closer than 10 feet or so, everything but your subjects will be black. You can also do this in a studio setting with a black backdrop and one or more light sources illuminating your subjects at an angle.
8/2/2004 11:42:24 AM
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Thea Menagh
member since: 8/9/2001
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Or, you can cut-and-paste. I have 1)a solid black background, and 2) a photograph of a 'Mummy Tummy' on a gold brocaide couch ... which I took in her home. Back in my office, I looped, feathered, cut, and pasted Mummy onto the black background ... and voila! I've used a variety of backgrounds for wedding portraits, babies, etc. In 5 minutes, I'm heading north for a 3-day photo shoot ... but always check my email first thing ... and ALWAYS betterphoto! Take care, have fun, and try everything! Thea
8/3/2004 4:23:05 AM
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Thea Menagh
member since: 8/9/2001
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Whoops! Sorry ... I uploaded one of the 'zooms' instead of the photo I intended to show! (see lots of variety at www.AFittingImage.com)! But here's the full Mummy Tummy shot. Have a great day, everybody! Thea
8/3/2004 4:32:37 AM
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Peggy Wolff
member since: 2/26/2003
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One other hint about using black backgrounds. Normally you want your subject about 3 feet away from your background. When trying to get a pure black background pull them at least 4 feet or more away from the backdrop just to make sure. Take a reading for your light and make sure that the backdrop has a 3 stop difference to ensure of a clean black. You can find inexpensive back drops on E-bay that would be great to start out with, The cloth absorbs more light then seemless paper back drops. I have several black backgrounds you can see on my gallery.
8/3/2004 7:08:43 AM
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Debby A. Tabb
member since: 9/4/2004
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trophy shot
Taken with studio lighting -back light w/red gel
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Also,Keep in mind that Babies or People full body shot on a Black backround- can apear to be floatting in air- use a back light with a color gel to seperate your subject from space( keep in mind that a light alone will turn your black to charcol.
Debby Tabb:www.tabbphotography.com
11/5/2004 7:42:41 AM
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Debby A. Tabb
member since: 9/4/2004
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somehow the picture did not get here- it can be seen on my web site, under the BMX part-www.tabbphotography.com
I have had so many responces and questions about posing that I created a CD of graphs nad instruction and portraits- Thank You all so Much
11/5/2004 7:48:38 AM
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Debby A. Tabb
member since: 9/4/2004
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tring again
11/5/2004 7:49:38 AM
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Debby A. Tabb
member since: 9/4/2004
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here it is-it's just to early in the morning :-)
11/5/2004 8:06:03 AM
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Andrea Hillis
member since: 7/29/2004
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137
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Backdrop Ideas
I'm looking for ideas for good backdrops - inexpensive, because I'm just getting started. Thanks.
7/30/2004 7:36:20 AM
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Hmm ... sheets, blankets, curtains, rugs, walls, foliage, windows, sky, beach ... My few cents:o)
7/30/2004 7:43:46 AM
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Andrea Hillis
member since: 7/29/2004
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Thanks Mikki. How do you get the rippled effect when you place these over the backdrop?
7/30/2004 7:47:21 AM
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Rhonda L. Tolar
member since: 3/19/2004
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Sheets are good. You can find them on the clearance table at some bed and bath shops. The problem I ran into with sheets was that they were not long enough to cover the flooring, so I just get two and sew them together. You can also go to a fabric store and purchase muslin, extra wide - it is cheap, and you can even paint on it, like a bunch of primary colors, spattered on it. Also, at the fabric shop you can look on their clearance table for cheap fabrics - say, if you would like some fake fur to make a rug to lay on, or some animal print pillows. If you don't sew, the fabric stores always have a list of people that do.
7/30/2004 9:18:52 AM
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Andrea Hillis
member since: 7/29/2004
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thanks Rhonda
7/30/2004 9:22:39 AM
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When you hang them, don't pull them smooth, just attach them to the wall or a pole, slide it together and give it some slack, as if you were draping some curtains. The extra material should fall into a soft, drapey look, which you can adjust to get the desired effects and shadows.
7/30/2004 10:29:28 AM
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none
member since: 5/17/2004
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Believe it or not, shower curtains also make good backdrops. For a different texture and color mix, you can use sheer curtains over the backdrop, or to help frame the subject. Good Luck!
7/30/2004 11:26:28 AM
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Terry Lennox
member since: 3/20/2003
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Hi Andrea, Ive found a very inexpensive Web site that sells great backdrops of all sizes, colors, styles, and qualities. It's called funkybackdrops.com. The prices are fantastic ... delivery can be slow, but they do arrive. Good luck with your photography!!
Terry
8/3/2004 4:51:16 AM
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Andrea Hillis
member since: 7/29/2004
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Thanks Terry, I'm going to check them out.
8/3/2004 6:14:04 AM
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Hi Andrea, Here's my 2 cents' worth on backdrops. I buy about 6 yards of 60" wide stretch velour. It has to be the stretchy kind because it doesn't unravel, it curls a little on the edges, but doesn't unravel. If you're handy with a sewing machine or sewing tape, you can make a pocket at the top and bottom to hang it. You can use two 3-yard pieces side by side, and that pretty much will cover a lot of territory. The velour is usually inexpensive - around $6 a yard (here in NYC) - made of rayon or poly. First, I preshrink it in the machine and throw it in the dryer. It doesn't wrinkle and can be rolled up in a ball without much wrinkling. By preshrinking it, you can then throw it in the dryer when it becomes dirty again. It comes in nice rich velvety colors; I even found a tie-dyed purple. If you hang it with the nap down, it gives a silvery look or if you hang it the other way it gives that velvet look.
8/3/2004 7:29:16 AM
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Rhonda L. Tolar
member since: 3/19/2004
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Corinna, that is a great idea! And, you don't even have to be handy in sewing. They have curtain clips that all you would have to do is clip it on the fabric and thread it on a dowel rod or pole! Or, what I do is set up in my garage and use clothes pins to attach the fabric to my garage door.
8/3/2004 9:41:13 AM
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Curtain clips that I find very hard to squeeze open. I just read my original comment and didn't mean to say that you clean it by just throwing it in the dryer! Duh! My fingers work faster than my brain.
8/3/2004 9:49:05 AM
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Hello Andrea, I purchased the painters' drop cloth, they are cheap at somewhere like Home Depot (depending where you live). They also come in different sizes, so for $15-25 you can have a huge sheet large enough for just about anything and, of course, you can paint it, spray it, or do whatever you like. If I am doing head shots or 3/4-style shots, I will clip bunches of the canvas together to hold it in place (out of camera view) and use a backlight with a gel over it to make the colours shine into the grooves on the fabric. Really easy and inexpensive. Good luck.
8/3/2004 10:13:05 AM
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Lori Lozzi
member since: 5/1/2003
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Wow, what great ideas already suggested! I've used sheets, fabric, etc., as stated above, but I've also used tablecloths. It seems all the ideas are for large backdrops, but for smaller projects, construction paper or posterboard will work, too. Also, if photographing people, why not use the outdoors as a backdrop? I have taken beautiful portraits right in my back yard. Then there's always parks, woods, beaches, lakes ...
8/3/2004 2:31:22 PM
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Teresa L. Bernard
member since: 3/14/2003
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Andrea, I see someone suggested velour above. One of my absolute favorites for head shots is black velvet that I purchased at a fabric store. I waited until it was discounted before buying, but the effect is great. I think this tip may have originally come from Vik O (BetterPhoto instructor Vik Orenstein). The only thing with velvet is that it does crease and should not be ironed, so please roll to store so all is well for future uses!
8/4/2004 1:41:26 PM
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Andrea Hillis
member since: 7/29/2004
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Thanks for everyone's tips ... I'm going shopping this weekend. I hope to have some pics to view by next week. Thanks. A.
8/5/2004 6:31:12 AM
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Just one more comment. When I suggested velour, it's not the sporty kind of velour I have in mind, it's the one that resembles velvet and is usually made of rayon, but isn't as high maintenance as velvet. True, the pile on it isn't as rich-looking as velvet's, but it's low maintenance. I'm an experienced sewer, and take it from me, velvet is difficult to maintain. Actually you can press velvet if you have a thick towel or a needle board. Place the fabric pile side down onto the folded up towel and hold the steam iron close to the fabric but not pressing it and give it some shots of steam AND PRAY. Always best to do a test first in a hidden area or on a scrap. That's the great thing about the velour - it doesn't wrinkle. It's called by various names: panne velvet, stretch velvet, as well as stretch velour. Andrea, if you want, I can send you a sample of the fabric via mail. Contact me through my Web site and e-mail me the info there.
8/5/2004 7:10:54 AM
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Kim Moyle
member since: 7/13/2004
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I'm a big fan of buying my backgrounds at the fabric store...you can find just about anything your heart desires. But muslin is your best friend in backgrounds, it what most of the pro backgrounds you would normally buy are made of. It's cheep (less then 2$/yard), you can get it as long as you want and you can dye it any color you want, even tie dye it for an old masters effect. I found a page with some information you might find helpful http://www.betterphoto.com/exploring/MakingBackDrops.asp
8/10/2004 6:36:01 AM
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Raquel J. Jimenez
member since: 7/7/2003
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HI mikki I am a beginer too and I bought two background in ebay for only 48$, they are a musli raw back ground that you must paint but it is very funny pint the back ground they are 9'x10' I think this is enough for begin
I will share with you some web in ebay where you can find some of those you can use http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30079&item=3831902795 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30079&item=3831164482&rd=1
I hoppe this can help you have good time
8/10/2004 8:28:07 AM
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Dee Augustine
member since: 2/8/2004
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138
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How to Shoot Group Portraits
I've been asked to do a photo shoot on the band in our church. I'm not real good on posing as of yet. Any ideas on how I can come up with poses?
7/25/2004 5:34:35 PM
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Steven Chaitoff
member since: 6/22/2004
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Well, the cardinal rule when doing portraits is to not, under any circumstances, do a lineup. When people stand in a row or even a few rows in front and behind each other, everyone looks so static and "posed." The idea is to get people to not look posed. I don't know how big the group is that you're shooting, but you can be creative with setting them up. With large groups, stairs or props like that tend to be helpful because they allow people to stand at different heights and have places to put their arms and hands instead of at their side. That way, each person looks unique and comfortable, but overall, the group is organized and pleasing to look at.
7/25/2004 9:21:18 PM
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Dee Augustine
member since: 2/8/2004
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Thank you for your response. The group only consists of three women. They want to go to the beach also. I was thinking of rocks, swings, footprints in the sand, old buildings, walking in the water with bare feet. Do you think all of these will be OK? I won't have a lot of props to work with at the beach besides what I mentioned. Any ideas still :) Thanks.
7/26/2004 6:52:28 AM
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Steven Chaitoff
member since: 6/22/2004
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Dee, those all sound like great ideas. And at the beach ... the very nature of that kind of place is conducive to good pictures. Open shoots are when you include a lot of negative space between people, so if you have a spacy, open, and pleasant-looking beach area, that may work well. You can have 3 people all at different distances, leaning, sitting, not even looking at the camera. However, be aware that you're not in control of your lighting at a beach (unless you have equipment). I think that is more important than the group's pose. If you shoot away from the sun, the group may be squinting. Try aiming towards the sun, turn right, then turn a little more, like 110 degrees, and then shoot in that direction.
7/26/2004 8:54:34 AM
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Dee Augustine
member since: 2/8/2004
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Yes, one of my BIG hangups is lighting, Im still learning on my own with some books for help. I will try this and see what happens tho. So shoot in the sun but move 110 degrees due to lighting and shadows?? I have a hard time with shadows also, for some reason I dont see it thru the camera. Im sure I need to slow down and see whats REALLY in that frame :) Thnks
Dee
7/26/2004 9:13:53 AM
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Steven Chaitoff
member since: 6/22/2004
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That rule is more of a suggestion. I just mean that most people squint & it's not worth those wierd expressions on people's faces just for good lighting. Just never shoot towards the sun because the meter will see all that sunlight & underexpose the subject...i.e. dark silhouette people. But if you do it on purpose it can be a cool effect. Lighing is tough & you can't always rely on your meter to hit it right (like the above example,) so always be aware of how the light is falling & use it to your advantage. Make sure shadows don't fall on integral parts of the shot (faces etc.) One common problem like this you may encounter is brow shadows covering up the eyes. It sounds counterintuitive, but use your flash...in the broad daylight. It'll mitigate the strength of those shadows & make a less contrasty, nicer looking shot. Flash photography is one of the hardest things to cope with when shooting because, like you say, you really can't see it in the viewfinder. You can't see it at all because it's only on for a fraction of a second, but particularly for shooting hard light on the beach, I'd use one at low power. Hope that helps...
7/26/2004 2:28:39 PM
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Dee Augustine
member since: 2/8/2004
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Steven
Thank you again Im going to use all your tools. I agree on it being the hardest photography is lighting. DRIVES ME NUTS,,,:) not really,,but it sure is hard..I just hope I can come up with some good poses now :) Thanks
Dee
7/26/2004 6:06:03 PM
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Suzanna Yun
member since: 7/21/2004
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139
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Lighting a Mannequin
I need to take shots of clothes on a mannequin. I was wondering what lights I should buy for this. I have a small area to work with. I am shooting with a digital canon rebel.
7/21/2004 1:39:55 PM
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With a super-tight budget, I'd bet you could do it with two flashes, one bounced off the ceiling the other off the wall. It'd be cool to do it outside in a public place. Use a slow shutter speed to blur people walking by, have the mannequin seated on a bench, at a bus stop, standing out on a sidewalk.
7/21/2004 4:42:47 PM
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Suzanna Yun
member since: 7/21/2004
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What flash models/brands do you prefer? I'm just a new photo student trying different techniques. I won't actually be taking a photo studio class until next semester. If I were to buy lights, what would you recommend? I cannot always take my pictures during the day because I have work. Thanks for your help.
7/21/2004 8:27:01 PM
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Andy
member since: 5/28/2002
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Suzanna, Since you have a Canon digital camera, I would suggest you use a Canon flash system. Others may recommend other brands of compatible flash. It is only good if you intend to use the flash on your camera. The type of shots you are asking is better to move your flash off the camera to achieve professional look. It just happens that I also use a Canon system, and I found their wireless flash system is the easiest to use. Scenario 1: One flash on your camera: I would recommend the Canon 420EX (about $165) or 550EX (about $310), or any compatible flash that allows the flash head to be bounced and swiveled. You can bounce the light from the ceiling to get the frontal lighting or from the side wall to get the side lighting ONLY if you and your subject are close to the ceiling/wall AND the ceiling/wall color is as close to white as possible (of course you can use reflectors or white board to bounce the light; your camera may use white balancing to correct some color casting too; but what about if the color of the wall is green, purple, brown, etc.) Scenario 2: One flash off the camera. There are quite a few options to connect your camera to your flash. a) Using the Off-camera Shoe Cord 2 (about $50). But the cord is coiled and can be stretched up to 2 feet only. b) The combination of TTL Hot shoe Adapter 3 (about $60), Off-Camera Shoe Adapter OA-2 ($30) and Connecting Cord 300 ($45) can be used on most EOS cameras except your digital Rebel. c) Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 ($180) on your camera and one 440EX or 550EX. You can use an umbrella, a reflector, or a white board to bounce and direct the light onto your subject. Like in the previous scenario, you can use a reflector or white board to fill in the shadow side of your subject. Scenario 3: More than one flash. This is when the Canon flash system comes in handy. You can use the Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 or one 550EX flash on the camera as the master unit and control one or more 440EX or 550EX flashes. It is easy to set the flash ratio on different flashes. It is also very lightweight and portable for location assignments (I do not have my own studio). And there are NO wires, and the system is expandable. To start, I would recommend a 420EX on your camera and get a reflector/white board to see if it achieves the result you want. If not, get the ST-E2 and move the flash away from your camera. Of course, you may need to get a few more accessories like the light stand, bracket for your flash, a tripod and remote release for your camera, stuff like that.
Hope this helps.
7/22/2004 8:46:10 AM
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Suzanna Yun
member since: 7/21/2004
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Thanks for your response. I was thinking about getting lights, which I thought were going to be expensive, but using flash may actually be better and easier.
7/22/2004 9:46:14 AM
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Andy
member since: 5/28/2002
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You may find some light systems (new or pre-owned) quite affordable. You can also use the household lights, since your camera can do white balancing on the fly. It's just the type of photography I do most. I need mobility. If you are just taking photos at home, you may even use some flood lights as your basic lighting system. Hope I did not confuse you.
7/22/2004 12:27:44 PM
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Freda
member since: 5/8/2004
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Is a Zoom Lens OK for a Group Photo?
Will a zoom lens make a good-quality group photo that can be enlarged to, say, a 20x24 and still be sharp, or do I need to have a wide-angle lens?
7/17/2004 3:58:55 AM
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I'd use a regular lens for a group shot, though you could use a zoom. It depends on what you want in the shot - head to toe, or shoulder and above, etc.
7/18/2004 12:12:14 PM
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A medium wide-angle prime lens will give you better corner-to-corner sharpness than a zoom. If you have no choice and have to use a zoom lens, try to scrunch the group together toward the center of the frame as much as you can.
7/18/2004 1:19:49 PM
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John A. Lind
member since: 9/27/2001
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Depends on your zoom lens and its optical qualities! In general, a modest wide-angle prime lens has better optical characteristics, making great enlargement easier. You're asking a lot for a 20x24 enlargement from 35mm. Medium format is usually used to get extremely high detail level for 20x24 prints. Not that good detail level cannot be had from 35mm format, provided you do everything possible with careful focusing and camera shake elimination (use tripod and cable release if possible).
7/18/2004 11:10:04 PM
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