Please help, I need some tips

Hi All,

I was looking for some ideas and tips here, I have been into photography but due to some commitments, I did take some time off and looking to come back now. At the moment, I am in the process of booking some models to take shots in ambient light. I am also trying to study more about lighting where there isn’t ambient light.
Please look at the photos in this link (www.amandaherbert.com/​south-bank-london-portrait-photographer)
, I am looking to take something similar with the type of equipment that I have at the moment. How can I get this kind of flattering looks, the photos will be shot around the same location as the one in the link, and besides I do not have a full frame camera, my kit can be seen by my signature.
Any tips on undertaking a shoot like this?

Hi,

I have a shoot this sunday with a model, I am not sure if I want to be tutored whilst the model is in attendance, this is mainly due to time constraints.

I am happt to donate the amount if you can proove that you are the owner of the website, just that I am not sure how it will all work.
I just like the way the shots are composed with the ambient light. Another idea is that whenever you have a shot, maybe I can be a tutor and watch. I find that I learn quicker once I have a mentor etc.

Thanks.

What Mandy is recommending is actually pretty normal in the mentoring method. You don't have to tell your model anything about your "assistant". There are several studios locally to me, that you can work with that they call "Rent a Mentor". They accompany you to a shoot and they are there to consult with as your mentor and they can help you set up the shots and also are there to answer your questions that might come up during the shoots. Most models won't have a clue one way or the other who the other person is. Around here, to actually accompany them on their shoots cost considerably more.

platforminc wrote in post #16588243
Hi All,

I was looking for some ideas and tips here, I have been into photography but due to some commitments, I did take some time off and looking to come back now. At the moment, I am in the process of booking some models to take shots in ambient light. I am also trying to study more about lighting where there isn’t ambient light.
Please look at the photos in this link (www.amandaherbert.com/​south-bank-london-portrait-photographer)
, I am looking to take something similar with the type of equipment that I have at the moment. How can I get this kind of flattering looks, the photos will be shot around the same location as the one in the link, and besides I do not have a full frame camera, my kit can be seen by my signature.
Any tips on undertaking a shoot like this?

Secondly, I am looking to work with a model and I have noticed that a lot of the pictures above are using non-ambient light, in cases like this do you still need flash and also what kind of light source are they using. Also, if the model likes full body portraits, what kind of DOF and settings would one need to consider, usually if I want a shallow DOF and make the subject pop out, I would use a narrow DOF 2.8 on my 17-50 Tamron lens, or perhaps 1.8 prime. I have read that its not a good idea to use the lowest f stop on the lens, so on a f1.8 50mm lens, go up 1 or 2 stops.

Any other practical tips here ? Most of my pictures often look flat. I can do some post processing, but not an expert on it, I prefer to take good photos that need only little time post processing.

Thanks in advance.

The "tips" are to learn how to use light and post processing. Lenses and cameras are trivial.

The style seen in the images copied in this thread comes from the way the subject is illuminated and the way the resulting image file is processed. If you want to accomplish something similar, you're going to need to spend a long time studying several techniques.

First you're going to need to learn how photographic lighting works. The images copied to this thread likely used multiple lights and modifiers.

Next, you're going to need to study advanced post-processing. Programs such as Photoshop offer a seemingly infinite range of adjustments.

The first steps toward being able to duplicate the styles in the copied images is to search for and select schools that teach the photographic and post-processing skills necessary. That means abandoning your current life and spending months or years in study. With enough personal dedication and work you can reach these goals, but you won't be able to accomplish these things with a few "tips." The best portrait and fashion photographers bring decades of experience and study to their craft.