Wanting to get into portrait photography.

hope this is the right place to post this..

I have been a "photographer" for the past few years and have recently been wanting to get into the portrait side of the art and possibly down the road, create a business out of it. I've taken several head shots for friends and such and have found I really enjoy working with people. My main question is: how do I break into the world of portrait photography? Where do I start? My current arsenal of gear includes a 5D Mk II, EF 40mm f/2.8, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM, and a good sturdy tripod. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Your 100-400 should be a great starting point, you need to specify what type of portraits you want to do. outdoors using natural lights or indoor studio type and everything in between.

To be successful at anything you have to have a good business head on your shoulders you can have someone that is a fantastic photographer but fails when it comes to promoting and organising essential aspects of a business I firmly believe if your images do speak for themselves and you always work in a professional manner your punctual and polite your get there, your only ever as good as your last job the secret is to be succeed in all avenues but most importantly be good at what you do
and yeh sorry nearly forgot do your research u need to advertise have a website leave business cards at hair dressers where ever and use ur local radio station there are loads of things u can do

Eventually I would like to do studio work. For now I plan on sticking with outdoor type portraits since I don't have the funds to purchase lighting equipment. I should have included this in the original post, I have no idea on how to go about finding talent..

maverick75 wrote in post #15584679
Your 100-400 should be a great starting point

I have NEVER heard the 100-400 referenced as a go to portrait lens...

OP - If you want the best IQ for the money - look at primes. 35/50/85/135 lengths are pretty common - or look at 2.8 zooms like 24-70 and 70-200 if you want flexibility and have the budget to back it up

A 100/2 or 85/1.8 are excellent and rather cheap portrait lenses too. While the 100-400 might be a good starting point range-wise, the thin DOF of one of those lenses can be a real benefit.

I have taken some fairly decent shots with with the 100-400 it is a bit cumbersome though. I have thought about both the 85 and 100mm. Though what I am mainly after right now is where to look for talent. I need to break away from shooting friends and family. Charlie, I have been doing quite a bit of research. I would love to get a website up and running. Only problem is I don't have much portrait work to show off.

The absolute simplest answer is model mayhem

Hi Mr Jack.

My first advice is: Dont DO IT! haha...

But if you are absolutely stubborn like myself, then do it. As cliche as it sounds, you will need to be able to put this aspiration as your number 1 priority. Think about all the prosumers out there taking gigs for side money. It depletes the market... you have tons of competition.

4 years ago I made the plunge, quit my job and full time freelanced. Keep in mind I am 31, have no kids, and little to worry about other than my two dogs.

Since I am too lazy to tell you everything, here are 5 points which I learned over the years which make every bit of difference. For the record, I am signed with an agency here in Los Angeles and now shoot for clients such as Paul Mitchell, Black and Decker (stanley, kwickset, baldwin), OPI costmetics, Deleon Tequila and many many more.

1) Your portfolio is EVERYTHING. This means void it of all friends, cousins, neighbors and any other regular looking person. A beautiful girl is NOT a model. Do what ever it is you can to put agency signed models (may be difficult in NM but dont know for sure). You know your worth and skill, but clients dont. An easy way for them to know is by the caliber of people in your portfolio. The same applies to the quality of MUAs you use etc. Whether you shoot portraits, fashion, headshots... doesnt matter. High quality team, high quality images.

2) Network. Many photographers suffer from nerdism. this is not a knock as I am a serious nerd. But I am also extremely outgoing and love meeting people. If you are a pleasant, fun outgoing person people will want to work with you. I consistently attend events and throw parties for the people in my industry. Models, MUAs,... the works.

3) Be talked about. When your network is large, it is imperative to stay at the top of everyones mind. Facebook, twitter, tumblr, (as well as what I mentioned above) all matter. You need to be known and trusted as "the photographer". Your name must become synonymous with your craft. This is a referral based business and everyone knows 10+ photographers.

4) Ignore gear. learn trends, study images, pay attention. My favorite camera costs $20. I am not kidding. My last shoot was shot on a $20 camera and is going to get published in a trendy fashion magazine, C-Heads.

5) accolades. get published. get noticed. My MUA shoots for me for free since I get her published time and again. That means that she gets hired from other photographers on a regular basis based off of exposure I create for her. Shoot editorial spreads and submit to trendy industry based mags. Ones with large facebook followings etc. No MUA or hairstylist fees means more margin.

If you do all of the above you can create a buzz round your name. Your name is your brand, and it needs to be constantly buzzing.

Anyway. I truly hope this helps. I am sure there are plenty of people who will completely disagree with me, but I am not trying to survive as a photographer I want to succeed as one and make it to the top. Just be agressive and never give up. Thats how you can do it.

PS: I never shot 1 wedding... barf.

Just remember, pretty girls are everywhere but are they so beautiful they look like theyre from another planet? Prom queens are not models. Models are models and you wont find them on model mayhem.

AlanMura wrote in post #15584861
Models are models and you wont find them on model mayhem.

Top shelf models? Of course, they are too busy flying from LA to NY to Milan to Paris to Tokyo... etc. But this guy is just looking for anyone not friend or family to shoot. MM is the perfect starting point until he has honed his technical craft, no?

The problem with MM is its 99% garbage models. I made the mistake early in my career using "models" from MM. TF shoots are great, but the best way is to take an agency model workshop or something and get in with the agencies. Or, hire a great model. You dont need Coca Rocha, but you need a real model is all im saying. MM is a disguise. Besides, newbies on MM get newbie models. Good models see this in your port and automatically think, "newbie". So its a downward spiral. This is just my experience it may be different for everyone else.

Sell your 40mm/2.8 and get a 85/1.8 stat.

catchquan wrote in post #15585820
Sell your 40mm/2.8 and get a 85/1.8 stat.

Just got my 85 f/1.8 and I already love it. Totally agree. If you want to do portraits, grab an 85, 100, 135, 70-200, etc.

I say shoot as many friends as you have. They're free "models". There are going to be a lot of people that you shoot that aren't models in the portrait business. You have to learn how to pose people. You have to learn how to interact with people. Normal, non-modeling people.

From there, IF you're good, your work will show it and your friends will rave about you and you should start getting people that wants you to photograph them. When you're starting out, no one's going to know who you are. I think it all starts with word of mouth.

HiepBuiPhotography wrote in post #15586898
I say shoot as many friends as you have. They're free "models". There are going to be a lot of people that you shoot that aren't models in the portrait business. You have to learn how to pose people. You have to learn how to interact with people. Normal, non-modeling people.

From there, IF you're good, your work will show it and your friends will rave about you and you should start getting people that wants you to photograph them. When you're starting out, no one's going to know who you are. I think it all starts with word of mouth.

I'm quoting this as it seems to be a great start/alternative to even MM for a beginner. I'm still one myself, and the shots I've gotten thus far have been with friends and MM members. Learning how to pose is crucial, especially when you're dealing with models.

1) If they don't like your port or you need more posing work, they'll think "newbie" as AlanMura mentioned.
2) When they say newbie, they don't work with you.

Considering I got hired on full time at a job I'm enjoying, photography isn't my #1 priority as much as I'd like it to be. I get the feeling that this thread is going to get more awesome over time, though.

Especially if gems like the ones AlanMura and HiepBuiPhotography are continually dropped.