CanonUser
8th of April 2004 (Thu), 19:52
For the new folks who just jumped in to the wonderful and confusing world of digital photography, I hope the veterans here can contribute a few facts and tips on how to most effectively use the camera. A couple of basic instruction on how to use or where to learn about lens, flash, gear, vendor, pitfalls, and mistakes to avoid would be an excellent start.
Here is my contribution...
PORTRAIT: The photographer creates the portrait and the lens captures the image. Thus, depending on the situation, a certain lens can be a better choice but there is no such thing as a "perfect portrait lens."
A portrait photo comprises of the subject, the lighting, the pose, the scene or background, the mood, and the composition. The lens ties all of these together.
But the most important ingredient of a portrait is the subject's spirit and essence; Without these qualities, the photo will be lifeless no matter how great the photo looks. Technical error can be overlooked if the photo captures the heart and mind of the viewer. Here is an example...
http://www.photosig.com/go/photos/view?id=1181924
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4182937&a=31184488&p=67659454
That said, there are a few lens that compliment imperfections found on a person's body or facial features. Lens with a field-of-view equals to the focal lenght of 85-135mmm (35mm format equivalent) tends to make the subject appear a bit thinner, and therefore, a little more desirable (may be). A lens that has a wider apeture is also preferred. An aperture of f2.8 or wider will give the background a nice blur (called bokeh) and pop the main subject out from everything else in the photo.
Happy Shooting,
Alan
Here is my contribution...
PORTRAIT: The photographer creates the portrait and the lens captures the image. Thus, depending on the situation, a certain lens can be a better choice but there is no such thing as a "perfect portrait lens."
A portrait photo comprises of the subject, the lighting, the pose, the scene or background, the mood, and the composition. The lens ties all of these together.
But the most important ingredient of a portrait is the subject's spirit and essence; Without these qualities, the photo will be lifeless no matter how great the photo looks. Technical error can be overlooked if the photo captures the heart and mind of the viewer. Here is an example...
http://www.photosig.com/go/photos/view?id=1181924
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4182937&a=31184488&p=67659454
That said, there are a few lens that compliment imperfections found on a person's body or facial features. Lens with a field-of-view equals to the focal lenght of 85-135mmm (35mm format equivalent) tends to make the subject appear a bit thinner, and therefore, a little more desirable (may be). A lens that has a wider apeture is also preferred. An aperture of f2.8 or wider will give the background a nice blur (called bokeh) and pop the main subject out from everything else in the photo.
Happy Shooting,
Alan