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| First, the "Don’ts" |
| 1. DON’T let the model put two hands behind her head with the elbows flung out like chicken wings unless she is in Kate Moss’ league. This is the most amateur of all poses. Corny is never in style! |
| 2. DON’T crop your model at the hips. Let the body resolve itself to a thinner area between the knee and the waist. For female models, this lets the hourglass contour of a woman’s body reveal itself. |
| 3. DON’T crop a person at the joints. This will lead the viewer out of the image, wherever that appendage exits the frame. |
| 4. DON’T let your model lock an arm in a straight vertical position. This creates a big shoulder which, besides being a distraction, makes the head appear smaller. |
| 5. DON’T say, "No, no, no," if you don’t like a pose your model takes. Rather, direct the model into a position that works for him or her. Sometimes, exposing a frame or two in a less-than-ideal pose keeps the session flowing and helps protect shy or inexperienced subjects from becoming overly self-conscious. If you’re not getting the pose you want, demonstrate what you want him or her to do. At the very least, you’ll get a good laugh; at best, you’ll get a great shot. |
| Now for the "Dos" |
| 6. DO take advantage of the knowledge of others. When I photograph a professional model for a fashion shoot, I ask the designer, fashion editor or a stylist what elements of the clothing should be highlighted and how a particular outfit or dress should hang. When taking the photograph, it’s vital to look at the whole ensemble, not just the model’s face or body position. This applies to photographing friends and family, too. Talk to your subject about what she’s wearing, jewelry or other personal effects that you can highlight. It will make the portrait more meaningful for her. |
| 7. DO try shooting headshots from slightly above your subject’s eye level. When the subject looks up at the camera, the eyes are more open and a double chin, if there is one, is reduced. This angle also creates a nice jawline. Focal lengths between 85mm and 105mm (on a full-frame 35mm sensor) work well because of the lens compression. An aperture around ƒ/4.5, because of its shallow depth of field, helps focus the viewer on the eyes—which, as they say, are the windows to the soul. |
| 8. DO try shooting from a slightly lower angle, aiming up, if you want to convey a sense of power. Your subject appears to loom above the viewer in a dominant position. |
| 9. DO make sure to separate the arms from the waist. Arms flat against the side of your subject create the illusion of a very wide waist. |
| 10. DO study classic photographs created by photographers such as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon. There’s a reason why they’re legendary. When you come across portraits that make you stop and look, take note of what’s working for you and try those ideas yourself. Learn from what you like. |
| Digital Photo Magazine |
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| A wise photographer recently told me that a great model
makes pedestrian lighting look expert. Sage advice, for sure. But I also
would contend that the reverse is true: Simple and effective lighting
techniques can make a plain subject look great.
What’s one of the simplest tricks for amazing people lighting? Overexpose the flash. Subtle overexposure evens out skin, eliminating blemishes and in most cases providing a pleasing high-key effect. The best part is that it even works with point-and-shoot cameras. |
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| To test this portrait lighting with a point-and-shoot camera, you’ll need one of two things: close proximity to your subject or a camera with flash exposure compensation. The first is easy - getting close just requires you use your feet to zoom in. The close flash is often overpowering to even the lowest ISOs and highest apertures at your camera’s disposal, so more often than not, a flash picture within a few feet of the subject will find them overexposed. The problem is, controlling it for a pleasing effect is a bit more difficult. | |
| To control flash overexposure with point-and-shoot or even SLR cameras, exposure compensation is the way to go. Sometimes found on a dial, more often than not, the combination lighting emblem (representing the flash) and +/- symbol (indicating exposure compensation) is found in a flash control menu. Set the flash exposure compensation to +1 stop. This is a good starting point. Most cameras with exposure compensation offer it in third- or half-stop increments, so more subtle fine-tuning is easily achievable. | |
| With hot-shoe-mounted flashes or studio strobes, the process is similar and can even offer additional control. For a hot-shoe TTL flash, the same exposure compensation can be used, as can manual controls. The manual controls work the same with a hot-shoe or stand-alone strobe -and both are quite simple. | |
| For manual adjustment of a strobe exposure, start by finding the "correct" exposure with a light meter or by utilizing the distance chart on the back of many strobes. Next make a test shot and examine the LCD and histogram to check the results. Chances are it will look relatively normal, so to make it high key and overexposed, you have a few options. | |
| Starting from a normal flash exposure, moving the flash closer to the subject without changing the aperture will create a high-key effect. The closer you move it, the more overexposed the result. But moving the light source also changes the shape of the light, so most photographers prefer another option - like adjusting the aperture to let in more light. Opening up from, say, ƒ/11 to ƒ/8 will overexpose the flash by a full stop. Again, this may be too much. The good news is that a third- or half-stop aperture adjustment makes it easy to fine-tune. | |
| Lastly, the power of the flash can be increased for an overexposed effect. Some strobes have third-stop increments over a very wide range - say, six total stops or more. This makes it very easy to make even dramatic exposure adjustments to the flash without changing the direction and shape of the light, and without adjusting the camera’s exposure. No matter how you do it, subtly overexposing the flash is a great way to smooth skin and make more flattering portraits. | |
| DigitalPhoto Magazine | |
| These Quick And Simple Techniques Will Make An Immediate Difference In Your People Pictures |
1. Use The Portrait Mode. Many cameras have a dedicated portrait mode. It's recognizable as an icon of a person's face. Sometimes you set it on a dial and sometimes you do it through the camera's menus. By adjusting certain camera settings, Portrait mode makes backgrounds less obtrusive and renders skin tones nicely. It's the easiest single thing you can do to achieve better-looking portraits. 2. Eliminate A Distracting Background. You want the person to be the central area of interest, so try to shoot against a plain background. You can minimize a "busy" or otherwise distracting background by doing two things: 1) Move your subject away from it; and 2) manually adjust the aperture (f-stop) to the widest setting possible. The background will be more of an out-of-focus swath of colour that complements the person instead of detracting from him or her. 3. Fill-Flash Is Your Friend. Even in the middle of a bright, sunny day, use your camera's fill-flash setting. Giving the portrait subject a little extra light will help to bring the person out as the central element in the frame. Flash often adds a nice "catch-light" or sparkle to the eyes, and it reduces harsh shadows on the face. If you're shooting in the shade, the effect of fill-flash is especially nice. 4. Avoid A Shooting At High Noon. When the bright sun is high in the sky, people tend to have really harsh, dark shadows on their faces. You can minimize the shadows by using some fill-flash (Tip 3), but if it's at all possible, move the person out of the sun into an area of open shade. You'll end up with better pictures and reduce the chance of developing skin cancer all at the same time. 5. Get Closer. A good portrait can almost always be made better by getting in closer and tighter. Sure, you can easily do that by cropping in the computer, but why waste precious pixels of data? Instead, get close when you initially take the picture through a combination of zooming in and physically moving closer. 6. Go Telephoto. At the telephoto end of the focal range, perspective gets less distorted and slightly flattened. This usually gives a more pleasing and attractive portrait than one that's taken at the wide-angle end of the focal range. For a basic head shot, the 105-135mm (in 35mm terms) tends to work well. 7. Tilt The Camera. Since most people are taller than they are wide, tilt the camera so you photograph them in that orientation. Obviously, there are exceptions when you don't want to do this, but very often you can end up with a tighter composition just by tilting the camera and then zooming in. 8 . Avoid The Bull's Eye. Most optical viewfinders have a circle right in the centre. The natural tendency is to place that circle right on the middle of your subject's face. The result is a photo where the lower part of the body is cut off and the upper part of the frame is a mass of wasted space. Get out of the habit of targeting the face like a it's a bull's eye. 9. Did We Mention Get Closer? 10. Be Reflective. The use of a simple reflector can make a huge difference in any photograph, but especially a portrait. You can fill in any annoying shadows with some light with a silver or a white reflector. If you don't want to buy a photographic reflector, try a large white card (about two feet square) or one covered with some crumpled aluminum foil. Also, a car windshield reflector works great and is inexpensive. PCPhoto |
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| One-light portraits: When less is more |
The statement "less is sometimes more" may seem contradictory, but technical simplicity in photography often produces images that are more elegant, more compelling, and more dramatic than photographs created with a complex set of lights and effects. |
Portrait lighting is a case in point. Traditional studio portraits are often made with five lights: a main, a fill, a hair light, and two lights on the background. This technique produces images that have all the elements long considered necessary in a professional portrait. The background is evenly illuminated, the subject is separated from the background with the hair light, and the main and fill lights provide a flattering ratio of light on the face. While there is certainly nothing wrong with this approach, it personally leaves me wanting. There is no emotion, no drama, nothing that makes me say "ooh" and "aah." The glamour head shots we see every month on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and many other fashion magazines are another example of emotionless lighting. They are often monotonously flat, shadowless, and boring. Yes, the models are beautiful and flawless (especially with makeup and digital retouching), and glamour photography is more interested in illustrating clothes and the latest shade of lipstick rather than revealing the inner soul of the young woman. This kind of photography pays very well, but it also leaves me cold. One of my favourite techniques for capturing a person on film in a studio is to use only a single light source. This simplified approach suits me well. It is quick to set up, less intimidating to inexperienced models, and easy to accomplish in any indoor situation, at home or abroad. In addition, for those on a limited budget, it is easy to afford. More importantly, though, with a single light I can create dramatic illumination that seems to reveal a person's character more so than with other types of lighting. Tungsten vs. Strobe Any kind of single strobe or photoflood can be used for this technique. Both types of lights can be controlled to achieve the desired effect. They can be diffused, focused to a narrow beam, and easily repositioned. The decision you have to make has to do with three factors; cost, light output, and heat. Any flash, no matter how inexpensive, will cost more than a reflector and a light bulb. The latter can be purchased at a hardware store for under R100. Flash units range from less than R500 to a lot more if you purchase a studio power pack. The second factor is light output. A 500-watt bulb in a reflector puts out a lot of light, but it is very harsh on your subject's eyes. Squinting does not contribute to a natural-looking portrait. A 100-watt bulb is significantly less bright, of course, but the depth of field available to you is much more limited. In order to use small lens apertures, you need enough light for a correct exposure. While you can get good results from a small, affordable flash, the amount of light available is several f-stops less than that provided by more expensive Speedotron or Balcar studio units. In addition, the more advanced units feature built-in modelling lights which provide a visual preview of the results. Just as with the 100-watt light bulb, the depth of field choices you have are reduced. To use f/11 or f/16, a faster film must be used, or the flash must be placed very close to the subject. The Background Most portrait photographers insist on lighting a person such that he or she appears separated from the background. In an outdoor portrait during daylight hours, this is easy to do simply by using the ambient light. In a studio, a bright background in back of dark hair (or light hair against a dark background) creates the contrast necessary for separation. If a dark background is used with a dark-haired subject, a hair light is employed to create the separation. The portrait that accompanies this article shows no separation at all between the young girl and the black background. I purposely juxtaposed a model with black hair in front of a black backdrop to meld the two together. Notice what happens to the face. There's virtually nothing else to look at. Everything in the composition is dark except the only thing that really matters. By using one light and directing the illumination on the face only, I literally force a viewer's attention on my subject's face. With portraits of glamour models, business executives, groups of people, and a bride and groom, this technique isn't appropriate. But for dramatic individual portrayals, it is simple to do and very effective. Film Choices If the one light used does not provide a significant level of illumination, you will be forced to use a fast film starting in the ISO 400 range. Medium telephoto lenses are used for most portraits, and this means that to keep the entire face in focus-from the tip of the nose to the ears-a lens aperture of f/8 or smaller is required in most cases (depending upon how close the camera position is to the subject). Small apertures in turn require more light. If the single light source isn't bright enough, fast films (or slower films that you push one or two stops) are the only options. Kodak's T-Max 400 is a good choice, as is Fuji's Neopan 400 or 1600 or Ilford's Delta 400. These films are relatively fine grained despite their speed. On the other hand, a more powerful light source will give you more choices. You can choose a sharp, ultra fine-grained film, or a faster, grainy film can also be used for a more coarse look. Agfapan 25 is an excellent fine-grained film that produces tack sharp negatives. When I use a grainy film like Kodak Tri-X (I usually rate it at EI 320) with a powerful light source, it's often necessary to cut the power of the output because even with my smallest lens aperture the light may be too bright. This can be done with neutral density gels over the flash, or a polarizing filter can be placed over the camera lens for roughly a two f-stop reduction in exposure. The Expression One-light portraits are very stylized. They are compelling and poignant, and I think they are more effective with certain kinds of expressions and body language. Quiet, introspective, and pensive moments are conducive to being portrayed with a single light source. I ask my subjects to sit erect (a slouched posture is never attractive) and look down or off to one side significantly away from the lens axis. (Shooting a person looking slightly to one side of the lens drives me crazy. I think it's ridiculous.) Usually, I ask them to close their lips. I might ask for a hint of a smile (with no teeth showing), or a more somber or thoughtful expression. On occasions when I ask my subjects to look into the lens, I am looking for different qualities depending on the subject. In children, I want to elicit their innocence. Large, luminous eyes in a young face should be level with the camera (too many adults point the cameras down at children). In a young woman, I might ask her to lower her face somewhat with her eyes looking intently into the lens. This makes her eyes appear a bit larger and more sensual. In a man, strength and assuredness are traits I try to capture. To that end, I might place my single light more to the side and ask for a serious and/or intense expression. Shadows A single light source creates contrasty shadows, so be sure to pay special attention to the shadows on the face and upper body of your subjects. Move the light to a different position until you like what you see. Side lighting offers the most dramatic contrast, where one side of the face is dark. Rembrandt or 45° lighting creates classic shadows on the face, while front lighting places shadows on either side of the face and under the nose (if the light is raised high enough) to form the famous "butterfly" shadow. Petersens Photographic |
| Portraits in soft light |
| Whether you’re shooting black-and-white or colour,
outdoor portraits are most attractive when the light is soft and
directionless. I know this is counter-intuitive, because from childhood
we’re taught that we should take pictures in bright sunlight.
"Have the sun at your back" is the rule, but this type of
shooting only produces harsh, contrasty shadows and subjects that squint
their eyes at a brilliant sky. Soft light is most flattering for both animals and people. There are no dark shadows, your subject’s faces are relaxed because they won’t be squinting, and taking an exposure reading with a TTL meter is simple and accurate. Look for Soft Light I recently returned from a trip to the Philippines where I had the opportunity to photograph one of the primitive hill tribes, the Ifugao, in northern Luzon. One of the tribal elders was perfect for a classic travel portrait, but the time was around 10:30 a.m., and the sun was already high. The harsh shadows on his face contrasted with the bright highlights to such a degree that no film could properly expose both areas. If I exposed for the highlights (which is the proper thing to do when shooting colour slides), the shadows would be rendered black with little or no detail. If I tried to compromise by using a light reading between the two extremes, I knew I’d be displeased with the whole thing. I looked for a place to position the Ifugao warrior, but found none. Refusing to accept a less-than-ideal situation, I walked along a mountain road until I found a portion of vegetation protected from the sun by a small cliff. I asked the man to join me at the new location and I made the shot there. Diffuse Light Options My point in explaining this situation is that if you are faced with harsh, midday sunlight, spend the time to look for another location nearby where your subject can be photographed in soft light. This may be under the shade of a tree, in the shadow of a building, or when a cloud covers the sun. Sometimes I’ll use a collapsible diffusion panel to soften the sunlight on a person or small animal. Anything that diffuses the light is worth the trouble. Petersens Photographic |
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In addition to a good subject and good composition, we all know that successful photographs must have great lighting. Whether we are shooting landscapes or wildlife, or taking a mug shot of a lovely lady, good lighting is essential. Not the quantity of light, but the quality of light. In this respect, there is a photographic maxim which I think is more important than any other - more important than such technical truisms as " the smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field", or "the faster the shutter speed, the greater the chance of freezing action", or any other such pearl of wisdom. |
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It is this: " The photographic quality of light is directly proportional to the size of the light source." |
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In other words, the bigger the source, the better the quality of the light. That is way professional studios are equipped with enormous lamps and reflectors – so-called "swimming pools" and "fish friers" and umbrellas. The light coming from these large light sources tends to wrap itself around the subject, producing softer and more pleasant shadows. |
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So, if you want to take better portraits, close-up shots of glassware, still-life, flowers, or even bugs, remember to pay heed to the size of your light sources. Fill-in flash might seem like an exception to this rule, but is really is not. The flash is only supplementary to the main source of light. However, no one should commit the cardinal sin of using on-camera flash as the main source of light, because it combines the twin vices of being a point light source and fully frontal, thereby producing harsh shadows and poor surface rendering, In the history of photography, excluding photo- journalism, there has seldom been a good photograph taken with an on-camera flash. |
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Sometimes it is true that a sharp raking light may be necessary to emphasize texture, but usually the reverse is needed. "Bigger is better" is a good rule of thumb when it comes to lighting. |
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Portraiture is the heart of most family picture albums, because we all want to keep timeless snapshots of those we love. Unfortunately, many albums look like police mug shot books, with the person "up against the wall." By following these simple photo hints, you can vastly improve your portrait photography. |
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Eye-Level |
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Background, Background, Background! |
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A bad background can ruin a perfectly
good portrait if you're not careful. Bright colours, shiny objects,
writing on signs or even other people can be a huge distraction if they
can be seen behind your subject. It is important to shift your
concentration from your subject to your background before you click the
subject, and ask yourself if it can be improved.
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Red Eye Reduction |
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When using cameras with a built-in flash, it is common to get the unpleasant red-eye phenomenon in your photographs. It occurs when your subject's pupils are dilated and the on-camera flash actually illuminates the blood vessels in the eye. The only way to avoid this is to close down the pupils by raising the room lights, or using Red-Eye Reduction Flash Mode. This mode fires a pre-flash or a bright lamp prior to exposure, which closes down the pupil, thereby resulting in less red-eye. |
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Fill-Flash |
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Fill-flash is a terrific flash mode that is built into some point-and-shoot cameras and made possible with some accessory flash units on SLR cameras. By definition, fill-flash fires even when there is enough light to make a good exposure without it. However, the fill-flash serves to lighten up the shadows and add nice catch-lights to your subject's eyes. It is ideal at high noon, when the sun casts harsh, unpleasant shadow's under the subject's eyes and nose. It is also an excellent choice for backlit subjects. |
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Self-Portraiture |
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Most of today's cameras have a built-in self-timer. This function usually delays the shutter from taking the picture for about 10 seconds - enough time for the photographer to run in front of the camera and get in the picture. For the best results, use a tripod to hold the camera in place while it is unmanned. If you don't have a tripod, you can snuggle the camera on a jacket, or balance it on a solid object like a fence. |
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Compositional Hints |
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Good composition is a large part of
successful portraiture. |
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Jeff Dunas |
The
quickest way to improve most portraits is to shoot from the subject's
eye-level. For children, this may mean getting down on your knees or
even your belly. Looking up or looking down at your subject often causes
unpleasant distortion of their features. The closer the camera is to
them, the more the distortion. Being at the subject's eye-level also
creates a far more intimate picture, because the viewer of your pictures
feels that they are looking straight into the subject's eye's for an
intimate discussion.
WIDE
APERTURE.
Portraiture
TraditionCourtesy: Take great pictures