 Henry Jr. R. Doctolero |
How to Shoot Great Portraits? Hello :) I'm new to photography, and now I love my life with photography. I got a Canon 450D (really, I'm still learning on it) and I want to have great portraits using it and with 18-55mm lens. Do you have any suggestions regarding about shotting portraits, lens to be use, camera settings, and more? Thank you very much for your time in this matter.
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Get close enough, choose a good location, good light, have fun with it so that your subject has fun and relaxes (makes for better expressions). Find somebody who likes having their picture taken if you have anybody. But do all that after you learn how to work your camera.
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Peter K. Burian |
A few more tips: - Use the 55mm end of your lens ... that may require you to move further back from the subject; if so, do it. - Make sure your camera is set for FINE/LARGE JPEG capture.
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- Carlton Ward Contact Carlton Ward Carlton Ward's Gallery |
I highly recommend you take a class here on exposure. It is the basis of all that is photography and will teach you what DOF (depth of field) and other settings to capture the images the way you want to capture them. You may skimp on some things about photography but you will be shooting yourself in the foot if you don't learn and know exposure with a knowledge of composition right behind it. Jim Zuckerman has a book named "Perfect Digital Exposure" and teaches a class here as well. It is a great investment and will remove the mystery of photography. Now, to expound on your question - I like longer lenses and shoot most portraits with a 70-200mm lens and vary my DOF depending on the background and how much detail I want in the image. Sometimes I use f/2.8 or 3.5 but I often times use f/7.1 as well because that is a sweet spot on 3 of my L lenses. Which brings about another point - "It's all about the glass" . Well, not entirely but quality optics (lenses) have more to do with clarity and sharpness than your camera does. Take Jim's exposure class and you can thank me later :) - Perfect Digital Exposure Cheers...
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Bruce A. Dart |
Hi Henry, Mastering the basics is THE prerequisite for any fine work. So much of photography "depends" on what you want to do with it. As a professional who has made a living making portraits for the past 30 years, I can say that there are some things to consider. And like many aspects of photography, it is probably a dedication for a lifetime to "specialize." That is not to say that one cannot make fine images in any area of photography with a little practice. Dealing with people is as important as the equipment; getting them to relax and feel comfortable in front of your lens. To some extent, it also depends on one's definition of "portrait" as well. Even those of us who earn a living at it more often tend to make images that are a "record" likeness rather than portraying the true personality of the subject. Portrait painters spent months, sometimes years with a subject before creating a masterpiece. We don't have that luxury and have to produce something magic in an instant. Creating an image of a person in THEIR environment usually helps. And in some cases a wide angle can take it all in. Most of the time, a longer lens helps -- for several reasons. First, it gets you back away from a subject so that you are "observing" rather than intruding. People, unless they are used to being "center stage," are more comfortable if you are not invading their space. Secondly, the physics of the lenses tend to render physical features in a more flattering way (i.e. without distortion) with a telephoto lens, even a short telephoto. The 55mm, unless you have a full frame sensor, puts the focal length around 75-85 mm and that will work fine. The telephoto also tends to compress the background and render it more easily out of focus. I know, I know, the optics guys say it is the DISTANCE not the optics that does this but it is generally easier to say that the telephoto lenses help give less depth of field and therefor helps to select and emphasize the subject more than other lenses. Doing anything well, including photography, takes practice, practice, practice and it won't be perfect the first time. If people are uncomfortable in front of the lens, it is up to you to help them be more at ease. THAT is as hard as the camera work! Remember to have fun and not take yourself too seriously and your images will continue to get better. Bruce
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Or you could just find somebody famous, or really good looking Instant great portrait.
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Henry Jr. R. Doctolero |
thank you so much Sir Gregory, Sir Peter, Sir Carlton and Sir Bruce.I really appreciate your help :) To be honest, some of my friends wanted to be my model :) for free but i'm a bit of hesitation due to my capability to do portrait:) I'm a nature macro artist but I only used compact camera. I learn here and thanks again :)
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