# What the secret?



## Evertking (Jul 14, 2016)

I have been looking at professional portrait photographers web sites and trying to figure out how they get those rich, dreamy shots!!??  Is it light room? I bought a 85 mm 1.8 to use in stead of my nifty fifty and it does a awesome job! I'm still new to all this but I can't help but wonder what's the secret?


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## tirediron (Jul 14, 2016)

Perhaps link (Please don't post images which aren't yours) to some examples of these "dreamy" images and post a couple of your own detailing where you feel they lack.  Generally speaking however, it's a result of experience, skill, and basic technique:  Proper exposure, lighting and focus, selecting the best aperture and posing the subject to advantage.


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## Evertking (Jul 14, 2016)

Here is just one of mine.. I'm a noob but some of the pics I see are just awsome.. dreamy is not a good word. They just POP I guess..
I figured it is my skill level as I'm just learning and not even attempted manual mode yet.  But I'm guessing that is why some lens cost sooo much is that they give the results I see. Or is my Canon 85 mm 1.8 capable of these images?


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## Trever1t (Jul 14, 2016)

it's in the focus, the light and the depth of field. Your kid is a real cutie but you missed focus, you should've shot this in vertical (Portrait) mode.


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## tirediron (Jul 14, 2016)

Just a few quick thoughts for future improvement:

1.  Cute shot, great moment and lovely backlight.  Faces are slightly under-exposed and white balance is off; older child is yellow, younger red.  Watch the crop/framing as the you've cut the elbow off of the younger child.

2.  Looks like some gaussian blur added in post.  Highlights are a touch hot (but not bad), and would have preferred the hair not be cropped off.  The background image left is very busy and distracting.

3.  Soft due to missed focus and slightly under-exposed with a 'not quite' right white balance.  As mentioned would have been stronger if shot in portrait orientation.


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## Evertking (Jul 14, 2016)

I seem to have a lot of missed focus..  I don't know how or what I'm doing to miss focus. Any advice for me to get this right?
I really REALLY appreciate all the feedback learning all this seem overwhelming right now but I'm loving it!


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## tirediron (Jul 14, 2016)

For portrait work, use single point AF and place the focus point on the nearest eye, and ensure that you use an aperture which will provide the necessary DoF for the subject.


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## Trever1t (Jul 14, 2016)

what lens and what f-stop? Shoot a little more closed down. Use single point focus on the eye.


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## DScience (Jul 14, 2016)

The best modern portrait work is done with a lot of speed lights, flashes, diffusers, hot boxes, strobes...etc. Plus Photoshop. Lightroom is for bulk work, not high-end portraiture.


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## Evertking (Jul 14, 2016)

Those above were 50 mm f 2 and 2.5 I think.


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## Trever1t (Jul 14, 2016)

DScience said:


> The best modern portrait work is done with a lot of speed lights, flashes, diffusers, hot boxes, strobes...etc. Plus Photoshop. Lightroom is for bulk work, not high-end portraiture.



Uhm, I disagree. Of course photoshop is used by most all but certainly excellent images can come right from the camera. LR is fine for good basic edit. By the way I rarely use any lights or light mods. Very rarely.


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## tirediron (Jul 14, 2016)

Trever1t said:


> DScience said:
> 
> 
> > The best modern portrait work is done with a lot of speed lights, flashes, diffusers, hot boxes, strobes...etc. Plus Photoshop. Lightroom is for bulk work, not high-end portraiture.
> ...


I think you'll find that most of those turning out the real top-end work are using BOTH Lighroom and Photoshop.  Remember that in addition to it's raw "editing" capabilities, LR is an outstanding cataloguing application.  As far as lights & modifiers go, a LOT of really, really good work is being done with one or even no lights at all.


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## DScience (Jul 15, 2016)

hahah I said " the best " ! I find it funny you guys both put yourself in that category.


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## tirediron (Jul 15, 2016)

DScience said:


> hahah I said " the best " ! I find it funny you guys both put yourself in that category.


I don't think either of us said that we were the best, or even anything to indicate that we thought we were especially good.  I will state however that I believe, both Trever and I are more knowledgeable and experienced in the field of portraiture than are you.


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## smoke665 (Jul 15, 2016)

Trever1t said:


> DScience said:
> 
> 
> > The best modern portrait work is done with a lot of speed lights, flashes, diffusers, hot boxes, strobes...etc. Plus Photoshop. Lightroom is for bulk work, not high-end portraiture.
> ...



I always enjoy your top notch work, but I think you've missed an important point - "Style". You've taken all the elements and put them in a unique package all your own. If you were to tell us every step you take I still couldn't match your particular work. However that said we each see things differently and I am trying to not worry about comparing what I do to someone else, but to study and learn from others that I may make an informed decision on how "I" think the image should appear.


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## SquarePeg (Jul 15, 2016)

Kids are rarely still - increase your shutter speed if you're having trouble with focus using single point AF.  Your ss on these seem low to me for candid type portraits of little ones.  Also, make sure your camera holding technique is solid to avoid camera shake.  I mention both of these because I was having similar issues on those rare occasions when I take people pics.  I was getting a lot of missed focus.  Concentrating on my holding technique and upping the ss really made a difference.  You can bump up the ISO a bit if you're worried about underexposing.  I'd rather have a slightly noisy shot than a missed focus.


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## table1349 (Jul 15, 2016)

The secret is really no secret.  The secret is simple, the solution not so simple. It is a 4 step process.

1.  Learn photography.  Not just the "settings" to take kid shots, or dog shots or landscapes, but PHOTOGRAPHY.  Every dirty little bit of it.  You will never learn it all but I have yet to see someone with too much knowledge and have seen far too many with too little.

2.  Learn post processing.  With film that means learning everything there is about using and working in a darkroom.  With digital learn to use any program.  Lightroom, Photoshop etc all have the same basic functions. Color temp is color temp, saturation is saturation, levels are levels.  Some programs are better than others with their tools but the tools themselves really are all the same.  Learn what each and every function does and then learn how they interact together.  Kind of like learning the exposure triangle with photography.

3. Learn how to "see" a good photograph in the making.  For some it comes naturally, for others it is a struggle.  Everyone can learn if they try hard enough.

4. Learn to put all that knowledge into each and every photo you take.  Will they all be winners? No.  Will you have the tools to make them better than the average button pusher of today? Yes.


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## DScience (Jul 15, 2016)

tirediron said:


> DScience said:
> 
> 
> > hahah I said " the best " ! I find it funny you guys both put yourself in that category.
> ...



Trever for sure, but if you are basing this statement off the examples you have on your website, I disagree.


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## tirediron (Jul 15, 2016)

DScience said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> > DScience said:
> ...


That's the great thing about a free country and free speech; you're free to do so.


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