# Portrait Photography - Tips/Tricks?



## tevo (Oct 20, 2011)

Want to try shooting some portraits. I have some people from school that are willing to be (free) models, so I am scouting around where I live trying to find some interesting places. What are steps I should take to prepare/practice for this? There is no set date - the whole thing is up in the air at this point. I just know I want to shoot some portrait shots, and am looking for some guidance from you more experienced buggers. I have a flash, tupperware (diffuser), some work lights, can lights, nikon d7000, 18-105 f/3.5, nifty fifty, tripod, trigger, photoshop. Can DIY equipment if there is good means to do so.


Let me know!



(also, general portrait photography tips/advice thread)


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## tirediron (Oct 20, 2011)

What kind of portraits?


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## shootermcgavin (Oct 20, 2011)

If they're free female models I suggest your bedroom, if they are male models the football field.  I wish all answers were this easy.


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## Patrice (Oct 20, 2011)

Tevo,


At least you did not come on here asking what to do because you have paying customer coming in a couple of hours. Good.

You have time to do a bit of research and a bit of learning and a bit of practice. Good.

Google 'portraiture'

Google 'posing for portraits'

Google 'rules of portraiture'

Google 'portrait lighting'

Google 'how to direct a portrait sitting'

Google 'photographing people'

Google 'portrait photography'

Google 'portrait photographers'

Google 'portrait styles'

..... as you can probably surmise there is quite a bit to this topic in photography.

As you do all of these google searches be aware of the age of any bystanders looking over your shoulder.

As a first try, borrow a teddy bear from your sister, sit it on a stool, aim your flash at the ceiling or at the wall over your shoulder, set your aperture to f/4 for a start and fire away. Now compare this image to some of the ones you just found in your google trip and see where they differ. Try to replicate what you like in the images you found. (Not the content, but the technique!)

When the girls do finally show up and you do manage to get your head thinking about the photography (mind you don't let the little head take over now) you might have a chance to get some decent images done.

Have fun.


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## Kerbouchard (Oct 20, 2011)

Start here... 
The Rules Of Good Portraiture

Advice from a worldclass portrait photographer.  I would link to a similar thread on this forum, but there just isn't one as good as that.


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## tevo (Oct 20, 2011)

Patrice said:


> Tevo,
> 
> 
> At least you did not come on here asking what to do because you have paying customer coming in a couple of hours. Good.
> ...




Excellent. Search queries. I always have trouble finding the right things to search for, I will start looking now! Thanks a lot 


(lol @ the little head)


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## tevo (Oct 20, 2011)

Kerbouchard said:


> Start here...
> The Rules Of Good Portraiture
> 
> Advice from a worldclass portrait photographer.  I would link to a similar thread on this forum, but there just isn't one as good as that.




Thanks much! Reading now.


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## tevo (Oct 20, 2011)

tirediron said:


> What kind of portraits?




Not sure. Before now I hadn't really looked at portrait styles - or payed attention to them at any rate. I'm thinking more candid portraiture.. but for the purposes of this, just general shooting techniques for portrait photography.


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## dots (Oct 20, 2011)

Kerbouchard said:


> Start here...
> The Rules Of Good Portraiture
> 
> Advice from a worldclass portrait photographer.  I would link to a similar thread on this forum, but there just isn't one as good as that.



Excellent info! Thanks a lot for the link!


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## CCericola (Oct 20, 2011)

There is a free webinar starting tomorrow on CreativeLive that might be of interest to you.


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## tevo (Oct 20, 2011)

CCericola said:


> There is a free webinar starting tomorrow on CreativeLive that might be of interest to you.




Time? Link?  Sounds interesting.


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## CCericola (Oct 20, 2011)

Exploring the Light with Rick Sammon | creativeLIVE


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## MTVision (Oct 20, 2011)

CCericola said:
			
		

> Exploring the Light with Rick Sammon | creativeLIVE



I'm going to check it out too. Thanks


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## WilfordSy (Oct 21, 2011)

Patrice said:


> (mind you don't let the little head take over now)



Great tips Patrice. But for some reason, this was all I got. LOL :lmao:

@Tevo - Good luck bro! Sorry, I can't really comment much on how to help you since I'm quite a newbie when it comes to Portraits.


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## Noxire (Oct 21, 2011)

CCericola said:


> Exploring the Light with Rick Sammon | creativeLIVE



Wow! 

I've enrolled at once! 
So as I understand it the course is free if i manage to see it while it is live which is beyond awesome.

Thank you so very much Christina for sharing the link


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## CCericola (Oct 21, 2011)

I sign up for everything just in case. Most of the time there is a replay later that night. And if you really liked it and want to see it over and over you can order it. It is about the cost of a college text book. $99 I think, preorderd


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## DiskoJoe (Oct 21, 2011)

Use the fifty. If it is out of focus then shoot the picture again. Really have no idea of a reference point for your work to base advice from. Post some pics after you take them and people could give you better advice.


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## Village Idiot (Oct 21, 2011)

Do you have an umbrella and stand and can you shoot with your flash off camera?


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## tevo (Oct 21, 2011)

Village Idiot said:


> Do you have an umbrella and stand and can you shoot with your flash off camera?




I cannot - although I have never tried.. my flash is an older Vivitar.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Oct 22, 2011)

shootermcgavin said:


> If they're free female models I suggest your bedroom, if they are male models the football field.  I wish all answers were this easy.


 That's a pretty narrow world view.


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## tevo (Oct 22, 2011)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> shootermcgavin said:
> 
> 
> > If they're free female models I suggest your bedroom, if they are male models the football field.  I wish all answers were this easy.
> ...



Exactly!

Sex in the living room and Soccer are two completely different, yet acceptable outlooks.


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## Village Idiot (Oct 24, 2011)

tevo said:


> Village Idiot said:
> 
> 
> > Do you have an umbrella and stand and can you shoot with your flash off camera?
> ...



You would need a way to trigger it and a stand, umbrella, and adapter. About $95 all in all, but it would allow you to get much more creative. I had my camera at a friend's birthday last Saturday and a girl there said the wasn't very photogenic and something else about photos of her not turning out well. 5 minutes and 3 shots later with the speedlight I carry in my bag and an umbrella and adapter that happened to still be laying in my back seat from a shoot in DC a few weekends ago, I had proved her wrong.


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## tevo (Oct 24, 2011)

Village Idiot said:
			
		

> You would need a way to trigger it and a stand, umbrella, and adapter. About $95 all in all, but it would allow you to get much more creative. I had my camera at a friend's birthday last Saturday and a girl there said the wasn't very photogenic and something else about photos of her not turning out well. 5 minutes and 3 shots later with the speedlight I carry in my bag and an umbrella and adapter that happened to still be laying in my back seat from a shoot in DC a few weekends ago, I had proved her wrong.



Seems like a worthwhile investment!  Links?


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## altitude604 (Oct 24, 2011)

Kerbouchard said:


> Start here...
> The Rules Of Good Portraiture
> 
> Advice from a worldclass portrait photographer.  I would link to a similar thread on this forum, but there just isn't one as good as that.



Great link! Thanks!


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## photo guy (Nov 13, 2011)

You could also use the local park with the trees as a backdrop


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## tevo (Nov 14, 2011)

photo guy said:


> You could also use the local park with the trees as a backdrop



That's a good idea - I'll consider that when looking for a location!


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## Village Idiot (Nov 14, 2011)

mpex.com makes kits in their strobist section. You can put the items together yourself on B&H for cheaper and with out some of the extras.


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## tevo (Nov 14, 2011)

Village Idiot said:
			
		

> mpex.com makes kits in their strobist section. You can put the items together yourself on B&H for cheaper and with out some of the extras.



Will check it out, thanks!


Oh btw the village called..


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## MReid (Nov 14, 2011)

If you feel you must use flash and lights.....don't try to learn on the fly at the shoot.
Set up a lamp shade out in your back yard and learn how to use all that stuff.

Or leave it all at home and shoot natural light....which will be your best chance for success.
It still takes a lot of practice but at least it is can be more productive while you are learning.


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## Village Idiot (Nov 14, 2011)

MReid said:


> If you feel you must use flash and lights.....don't try to learn on the fly at the shoot.
> Set up a lamp shade out in your back yard and learn how to use all that stuff.
> 
> Or leave it all at home and shoot natural light....which will be your best chance for success.
> It still takes a lot of practice but at least it is can be more productive while you are learning.



Why not? If you have free models that realize that you're learning, I say that's the best time to try out the lighting.


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## tevo (Nov 14, 2011)

Village Idiot said:
			
		

> Why not? If you have free models that realize that you're learning, I say that's the best time to try out the lighting.



Exactly the purpose of this endeavor.


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## Rockadile (Nov 20, 2011)

I'd like to try outdoor portraits with flash.
What are the good and cheap equipments needed? Can I use something like the Yongnuo YN560? I don't know about the stands, receiver/transmitter, umbrella/softbox?

(off-topic) Using flash for snowboard shots, should I have some friends hold speedlights?


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## tevo (Nov 20, 2011)

Rockadile said:


> I'd like to try outdoor portraits with flash.
> What are the good and cheap equipments needed? Can I use something like the Yongnuo YN560? I don't know about the stands, receiver/transmitter, umbrella/softbox?
> 
> (off-topic) Using flash for snowboard shots, should I have some friends hold speedlights?




Amazon.com: StudioHut 4 channel Wireless Radio Hot Shoe Flash Trigger Kit for Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus & Pentax Flashes with 2 Receivers: Camera & Photo

You would get something like this, that would allow you to trigger 2 flashes that are mounted elsewhere (not on your camera); most likely mounted on stands with umbrellas on them, that would bounce/soften the light. Google up the difference between softbox/umbrella lighting - the difference lies in the shadows cast by the light. As for _which_ flash you use, as long as the quality is decent I dont see any problem there. Umbrella Lighting Kits are all over amazon for a couple hundred dollars, sometimes cheaper (whatever fits your budget).


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## Alpha (Nov 20, 2011)

Kerbouchard said:


> Start here...
> The Rules Of Good Portraiture
> 
> Advice from a worldclass portrait photographer.  I would link to a similar thread on this forum, but there just isn't one as good as that.



Is that link a joke? That is some sad LifeTouch ish. In my humble opinion most of it is really impractical unless you're shooting school portraits or something with identical posing and three point lighting in every shot.


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## Alpha (Nov 20, 2011)

Here are some of my basic ground rules, in relative order of importance:

*Prep*

 Study your setting carefully.
 You can't fix bad hair, clothes, or makeup in post. You can only accentuate what's good to begin with. 

*Posing*

 The less experienced your subject is at modeling, the more comfortable they need to be while shooting. That means no exaggerated or tricky posing.
 Never do anything that makes part of a model's body appear bigger than it is in real life. Especially if you are shooting at a shallower DOF, try to get most of the model's body equidistant from the lens. Otherwise, step back and shoot with a longer focal-length lens; compressing the DOF helps avoid the problem.
 As a corollary to the above, don't shoot your subject dead-on unless he or she is very thin. Same goes for shooting them facing mostly sideways.
 With your model's permission, it's OK to pause and physically move them. Inexperienced models can have a hard time understanding how to act on how you're telling them to position themselves. Likewise, photographers who are inexperienced at telling models how to position themselves can be bad at communicating what they want. It can be easiest just to step in and move your subject.

*Perspective*

 No funny angles. Ever.
 Avoid shooting from high above or below unless you know what you're doing.

*Lighting*

 Don't mix light temperatures.
 Make sure there's enough light on the hair. Hair is arguably the hardest thing to touch up in post, and it's immensely more difficult if you don't give yourself enough to work with. 
 If you are using multiple lights, you have to think in ratios. No ifs, ands, or buts.


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## Kerbouchard (Nov 20, 2011)

No, it's not a joke, and thousands of people have found it helpful.  As far as your humble opinion, I happen to believe it is incorrect.  Many of those 'rules' are invaluable, and while one doesn't have to sit there and follow every one of them or print out a checklist, I believe the reasons for the rules should be understood by all portrait photographers.


Alpha said:


> Kerbouchard said:
> 
> 
> > Start here...
> ...


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## Alpha (Nov 20, 2011)

Fair enough. I think they're generally quite narrow and obviously geared toward photographers who work in portrait mills (perhaps unknowingly). That style of photography has it's own set of weirdo rules that are not necessarily applicable to all portraiture in general.


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## tingeliM (Nov 23, 2011)

Well I'm a total noob in portraiture, but I've found good planning the most helpful thing. Having too many ideas is always better than having just a few or none at all. Most of those ideas probably won't work in reality and you probably will come up with some new stuff on the go, but it's always good (at least for me) to have some image in your head of what you want in the end.
And the thing that has helped me a lot in the planning part, is studying other photographers' portraits; the mood, the angle, the post work, the poses, the styling & make-up etc. Trying to simulate stuff like these that you like in someone else's work is a great way to learn, as long as you don't try to be a total copycat.  
I've only shot my friends, so that helps keeping things relaxed and comfortable on both sides of the camera. Some simple and relevant props can help with posing, especially if the model is inexperienced.


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## vtf (Nov 24, 2011)

Look for a simple distraction free background such as evergreen trees, a stone wall, fence row, etc. Place you subject 5-10' in front of it, tell a few jokes, relax and snap away. If the background is brighter than the subject, meter for that and use your flash for fill in. Dial down the flash exposure if using on-camera flash to what you need. Have fun and enjoy learning, most likely your subjects will love the pictures and you will take tons of them before you realize. Someone creative can find a doorway and use up their flash card in that one location. 
Do be prepared with what kind of poses you'd like to see even if you take a cheat sheet, they may have a few of their own.
Good luck and post the shots.:thumbup:


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## tevo (Nov 24, 2011)

vtf said:


> Look for a simple distraction free background such as evergreen trees, a stone wall, fence row, etc. Place you subject 5-10' in front of it, tell a few jokes, relax and snap away. If the background is brighter than the subject, meter for that and use your flash for fill in. Dial down the flash exposure if using on-camera flash to what you need. Have fun and enjoy learning, most likely your subjects will love the pictures and you will take tons of them before you realize. Someone creative can find a doorway and use up their flash card in that one location.
> Do be prepared with what kind of poses you'd like to see even if you take a cheat sheet, they may have a few of their own.
> Good luck and post the shots.:thumbup:



Will do! Got a Sb600, and have been reading up on [Strobist] lighting.. going to get a set of radio triggers / some umbrellas/gel's and shoot over the winter break. I have at least 3 people who are willing to be free models for me, so I will shoot them when I get my materials together fully!


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## 2WheelPhoto (Mar 2, 2012)

CCericola said:


> Exploring the Light with Rick Sammon | creativeLIVE



Fortunately I met Rick in Tampa, he gave us a free seminar. Great guy!


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## jake337 (Mar 2, 2012)

Alpha said:


> Fair enough. I think they're generally quite narrow and obviously geared toward photographers who work in portrait mills (perhaps unknowingly). That style of photography has it's own set of weirdo rules that are not necessarily applicable to all portraiture in general.



It's not a joke and are not strict "rules".  Just guidelines, built over many years, that can help a photographer pose and light an individual.  These are great starting points that one can use to build upon.

Here are some more "rules" as well....

Facial Analysis in Fine Portraiture- Corrective Techniques




It's not about "rules".  It's about creating an image of your client, how you pose and light your client will directly effect the image they are purchasing from you.  So you as a photographer should know some "rules" or "guidelines" that will help you in that venture.


Yes these are geared toward your "classic" and "senior" portrait photographers.  Take a peek in any fashion magazine after reading those and you'll notice, although they break many "rules", they are always following at least a few of them to balance things out.


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## DiskoJoe (Mar 2, 2012)

any pics yet?


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## tevo (Mar 3, 2012)

DiskoJoe said:


> any pics yet?



Hello 

I haven't worked with a model yet, no. I also got my umbrellas / flashes MONTHS later than I expected 


I do have this, shot with an umbrella:





Curiosity by theofficialtevo, on Flickr


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