getting started with portrait photography

[krista1]

Hey! I am very new at this. I want to start taking portraits of my friends using natural outdoor lighting. Are there any tips you have for me regarding the camera settings, etc.? Thanks!

[Dermit]

Krista,

Natural outdoor lighting is a very general term and can describe many different types of light and scenarios so it's impossible to tell you what settings to use. But here are a few things to make note of...

Outdoor light often has a very large dynamic range, meaning the brightest areas are very bright and the darkest shadows are very dark. What this means to you is when trying to expose a very extreme light dynamic you must realize that the camera cannot render detail in all the tones. You will have to either expose for the bright areas and have no detail in the shadows or expose for the shadows and blow out the bright areas.

Of course this is very undesirable so to get the best outdoor lighting images you must try and 'narrow' the dynamic range of the light. How do you do this? There are a number of ways. One of the most popular ways is to pose your subject in open shade, set the camera settings to expose the brighter background properly, and use a flash to light the subject properly. Without the flash the subject would be very dark, underexposed. So the flash is bringing the darker tones up to a higher level which is how you are narrowing the tonal range.

It is also usually a goal to try and draw attention to the subject. The more you can keep the viewers eyes on the subject when anyone looks at the image the better the image. And on closer shots ideally you want the attention drawn to the subjects eyes. So how do we do this more successfully?

Our eyes are drawn to contrast, focus, color, details. So try and minimize a distracting background. Often times using a wider aperture will blur the background and keep focus on the subject which helps a lot. By having the subject in contrast with the background we get a better image as well. Do this by making the background all tonally darker than the subject or all tonally lighter than the subject. If you have powerful enough lights you can purposely underexpose the background but expose the subject properly with the flash. This helps the subject 'pop'.

[EOS_JD]

I suggest buying "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Petersen

There is no "magic" camera setting that will work as it depends on the light available.

[SuzyView]

Starting anything in photography is not as easy as you think. Learning the lighting issues is minimal compared to learning about the gear and the business of getting clients. But the Bryan Peterson book is a good start. If I were you, I'd search the FAQ threads in this forum. You'll get a lot more if you search what's already been discussed.

[EOS_JD]

Originally Posted by SuzyView

Starting anything in photography is not as easy as you think. Learning the lighting issues is minimal compared to learning about the gear and the business of getting clients. But the Bryan Peterson book is a good start. If I were you, I'd search the FAQ threads in this forum. You'll get a lot more if you search what's already been discussed.

I disagree. Without knowing what each lens does/is capable of, how can you choose? You choose by learning about the gear and light.

I have the gear, I have the cients but am still learning about light. (not sure I'll ever stop learning right enough)!

[SuzyView]

Originally Posted by EOS_JD

I disagree. Without knowing what each lens does/is capable of, how can you choose? You choose by learning about the gear and light.

I have the gear, I have the cients but am still learning about light. (not sure I'll ever stop learning right enough)!

This is why it's important to read the FAQ or stickys in each forum. The lens forum has a really good review of lenses. For good portrait photography, primes are usually suggested first. There are a few suggested here repeatedly, one is my favorite the 85 1.8. I wouldn't have known to buy that lens without someone recommending it to me. So, we are agreeing, just from different angles.

[EOS_JD]

Originally Posted by SuzyView

This is why it's important to read the FAQ or stickys in each forum. The lens forum has a really good review of lenses. For good portrait photography, primes are usually suggested first. There are a few suggested here repeatedly, one is my favorite the 85 1.8. I wouldn't have known to buy that lens without someone recommending it to me. So, we are agreeing, just from different angles.

Although I agree more with this, I think the only way to know what you need is actually to know what you are shooting - and ho to shoot it. Yes no doubt reading the fuorums helps but as can be seen here everyone has different views and requirements.

What works for you may be different from the OP and both may be different from mine Views are just that and the OP can take the advice but needs to work out for himself from his own experience what to buy.

I bought an 85 but it's rarely used as it's a tad long on a crop camera. Gets the odd use. In fact I rarely use primes as I prefer the convenience of a quality zoom.

Primes do have their place though.