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Category: Best First Cameras

Photography Question 

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Learning to Take Portraits


Hi, I have enjoyed taking snapshots for years and would love to learn to take portraits (especially because I have a 14 month old little girl and I spend a fortune on her pictures) and possibly for a p/t business. Where do I start? A friend that works at Ritz said buy a camera and lights and start practicing. He also recommended a digital camera. Do you agree? Thanks so much!


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September 24, 2003

 

doug Nelson
  The guy at Ritz wants to sell you a digital camera, perhaps. If I worked at Ritz, I'd try, too.

Buy an SLR (film or digital). If you go with automatic focus and autoexposure, be sure you can turn these OFF. For what you're proposing, you need control.

If you are serious about going into business, you'll need lights. For now, photograph your little one in open shade. Also, try soft window light. Put a homemade reflector (piece of foamcore board) opposite the window to open up the shadow a little. You'd be surprised how this works. You can worry about better lenses than the one that comes on the camera later. If you have a choice, though, go for a 50mm over an el cheapo zoom. There are a lot of bad zooms out there, but almost no bad 50's.


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September 25, 2003

 
BetterPhotoJim.com - Jim Miotke

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  Hi Melody,

I agree with Doug about focusing on outdoor portraiture at first - you will find it much easier to work with natural light outdoors than artifical light indoors.

I would also recommend that you check out the Kodak book "The Portrait".

More importantly, since you mentioned photographing your 14-month old, take a look at Vik Orenstein's excellent book, Creative Techniques for Photographing Children.

Or considering enrolling in Vik's fantastic course here at BetterPhoto, entitled Photographing Children.


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September 29, 2003

 

John A. Lind
  Melody,

Also not too surprised the guy at Ritz wanted to sell you things . . . that's his job. Just recognize a camera store is not a really free advice counter although a good one will work to head you in the right direction . . . while still working very hard to sell you something. It's a business; if they don't sell things (or enough of them), they go under. Also remember that a camera store salesman may try to convince you that buying the next gadget or gizmo, or another lens, or even a complete camera system will magically solve all your problems. Not quite true. Equipment is an enabler, but all by itself it won't create anything. Photographs are *made* by the photographer . . . period.

Portraiture has two critical elements, controlling lighting and light's interaction with the subject and that requires having a lot of techniques for working with people. In your case with small children, it is much different in some respects than working with adults. Control of background is also important. It's not as simple as it seems, especially with children not your own, but it's also something nearly anyone can master if they work at it for a while. The guy at Ritz was very correct about one thing: practice. Combined with some study to learn concepts and get some ideas, it's the experience of doing it that will perfect your techniques.

There is a rather steep learning curve to using studio lighting . . . and a high cost to procuring enough equipment to be effective (even with a minimal setup). Best to learn about how to work with light as others have suggested by using natural lighting outdoors and working at modifying it with simple, home-made devices first. If you do advance on to using studio lighting indoors, you'll have a very good idea about how you want to use it and the learning curve won't be quite so steep.

If you're considering your own business doing infant/child portraits, go into it knowing that the competition in this field is very stiff. You will be competing against every Sears, Wal-Mart and Meijer store that has a "studio" for doing just this in the back. You must be able to provide something more than they do. You will likely *not* be able to do it with lower prices. Their Achilles Heel is the simple formula "cookie cutter" approach and assembly line McPortrait results. They're not "bad" portraits, but everything looks the same; just change the faces. Provide something uniquely tailored to the subjects that brings out something special about them and those who consider more than just bottom line lowest possible price will hire you.

-- John


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October 04, 2003

 
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