How To: Outdoor Portrait???

[mblanton]

I have a 10D, 17-40 L, 28-135 IS, 50 mkII, 75-300, and 420ex. What setup (lens, mode, metering....etc) would you use for a simple outdoor portrait? I'm trying to learn, but having a little trouble. Help would be appreciated.

Mike

[robertwgross]

Despite what normal snapshooters do, I would try to avoid direct sunlight. Generally, if the brightness is diffused somewhat by clouds or a cloth panel, the portrait can look better. Then, when you get that much worked out, adding back just a tiny bit of fill flash can be good.

---Bob Gross---

[Digital Prophet]

There is a book by Jeff Smith called Outdoor and Location Portrait Photography (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1584280700/qid=1113998949/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-3840100-4043269?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) that I have thumbed through many times. Like most Amherst Media publications this is a well written and extremely affordable book full of uselfull information.

For $20 I seriously suggest you check it out.

- Digital Prophet -

[Longwatcher]

With the lenses you have I recommend you use the 28-135 for portrait shots, use it at the long end (around 70-100mm). And keep the sun to your back.

[chtgrubbs]

Probably the best known natural light potraitist is Monte Zucker. Check his website:
http://www.montezucker.com and his column at http://www.zuga.net

[KevC]

chtgrubbs: Awesome site! Thanks!

[PhotosGuy]

setup (lens, mode, metering....etc) would you use for a simple outdoor portrait? The pic below is as simple as you can get. Not saying it's a great shot, but it was simple. I'd have liked to have bounced some light in, but the outdoor brightness was bothering her eyes & since she was squinting, this is what we settled for.
It's a pic of my cousin's daughter, taken in the shade of a cement walled building, in 5 minutes. 105mm, f/4, ISO 100. Metering: Took a shot & chimped to get the exposure I wanted on the histogram.
Other than that, Bob has given you some good advice. You'll probably get a lot more, too! ;)

[mblanton]

Thanks for all of the great information. I am going to keep reading and plugging away at it till I get it right. I am visiting a friends house this weekend and plan on shooting some simple portraits of her 5 year old and new baby. She is very understanding and this will be a great opportunity for me to get some practice. Thanks again.

Mike

[Harry Settle]

I shoot most of my outdoor portraits with either my (soft)Sigma 24-135 2.8 or my Sigma 24-70 2.8. I always keep a flash on the camera.

[tim]

Probably the best known natural light potraitist is Monte Zucker. Check his website:
http://www.montezucker.com and his column at http://www.zuga.net

He seems to use a lot of lights for a natural light photographer. Some of his studio shots, especially older ones, are hideous, horrible creations, but some of his newer ones are ok. Overall I don't really like his style.

I'm pretty new to photography, so take my thoughts in that context. To me getting the best portrait shots seems to be about capturing the moment without staging it, and managing the shadows. Straight on flash usually results in a boring, washed out, flat photo. You want to make sure you have enough light to capture the details, and have a difference in lighting across the face. How much difference and how you do it is down to your style. Reflectors seem like a better idea than flashes for a lot of shots, though flash fill with FEC turned down could be helpful to suppliment natural light too.

You could spend years studying this stuff.

[JX]

Tim,

I agree with you on Monte Zucker. I took a look at his website and was not impressed.

Jim

[Longwatcher]

Is he still alive?
My Dad took a couple of courses from him before I joined the Air Force, which I am retired 5 years from now. And he had been doing it for many years before that from what I was led to believe. He either started teaching at age 20 or he is at least in his 70s by now, maybe both. Probably a lot to learn from him, but I would have trouble believing he could teach more then fundamentals in the digital age. Could be wrong though.
Maybe it is a clone (or someone took over his name).

[Harry Settle]

Check out some of the stuff here at the Photoflex School site.

http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/

[Niall]

Probably the best known natural light potraitist is Monte Zucker. Check his website:
http://www.montezucker.com and his column at http://www.zuga.net

Those sites are REALLY good. Nice links :)

[chtgrubbs]

Yep, Monte is alive and kicking. He retired from shooting weddings and portraits some 10 years ago and now leads workshops and seminars. He was an early adopter of digital for portraits, but he probably isn't a technical guru. When you are that famous you have assistants for that sort of thing.

[MT]

I can't claim to be good, but I have attempted a lot of outdoor portraits.

Overcast days work better than bright sun. (example)

http://www.pbase.com/billcarter/image/39214122.jpg

If bright sun is unavoidable I tend to look for shaded spots that have lots of reflected light. One of my favorites is a narrow railway underpass - lots of light is reflected off the "far" wall (example)

http://www.pbase.com/billcarter/image/40457402.jpg

Alternatively, full shade with a reflector sometimes works. (example)

http://www.pbase.com/billcarter/image/40457380.jpg

I rarely use fill flash and then only when I have no alternative, and it seems like I can always find an alternative.

For camera settings, I always us AV mode, and I normally start wide open. Wide open creates a better boken that seperates the subject from the background. I would be partial to the 50mm, but I have used the 28-135 (typically @135).

Good luck.

[grego]

Always be aware of your backgrounds.Backgrounds are very important in making or breaking a photo.

Lighting:

Early morning or end of afternoon are your best times. Noon to early afternoon is your worst time because the sun is at it's brightest and at its highest point.

You dont' necessairly have to have the back to you, just don't shoot against the sun, but if you do, you need to fill in the subject with fill flash.

Be creative, use the surrounding areas that filter light through them like trees, fences, etc. Always get nice effects off of those.

All this advice will help you, but really, only time and experience will get you to where you want to go. (sorry, talk too much).