Lighting portraits

[laura]

Hi everyone. this is the first time i have posted anything on this forum (or any forum) so I hope i'm doing this right.

Having received my first DSLR camera for christmas (Nikon D40X), I have read so many book, magazines and websites, and am really keen to learn about lighting techniques in particular. But all that information can be confusing.

My sister has asked me to take come photographs of her and my nephew, and I really want to make sure I get them right. Does anyone have any advise on the best, simplest way of using light for this. She is looking for more arty, modern photos as apposed to the more formal 'sit up straight and smile' photos.

At the moment I only have the flash on my camera and household lamps (and natural light!) to use. I am interest in buying some studio lights but as I have a very limited budget I want to be sure I buy the right equipment.

I am only on section 4 of the Proud Photography course, so i haven't reached the light and portrait sections yet.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

[ladyups]

Hi Laura,

Just a suggestion but why don't you take their photos outside under all natural light. Either early in the day or in the evening would be wonderful light. You can use your on camera flash as a fill flash for their faces. Just an idea for you to think about. Since she doesn't want sit up straight and smile, why not have them interacting outside somehow.

[laura]

Just a suggestion but why don't you take their photos outside under all natural light.


I hadn't thought about outdoor portraits, but it sounds great. There are so more possibilities that way.
Thank you :)

[LensBaby]

Outdoor light is great, BUT you have to stay away from harsh sunlight. If you shoot early in the morning or later in the afternoon,the photos should be better because the sun will be low. When you shoot photos of people with the sun nice and bright it causes shadows and squinting eyes. Check this site out - you can read more. http://www.geofflawrence.com/photography_tutorial_available_light.php

[laura]

Thanks LensBaby. I think I will try some late afternoon, early evening photos first. I'll post them here and hopefully you can give me your opinions.

[LensBaby]

sounds great!

[Snappers]

Hi Laura,
Have a look at the following post by Jerry.
http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1212

It has some great advice in there.

Also if you have a sneek preview at lesson 6 (not normally advised as Lesson 4 and 5 will be very important in your portrait outcome)
however the Advanced Flash Photography Resource link which is provided is some great reading and also has some good advice in.

Hope you go on ok with the photos for your sister.

[jerryph]

I am sooooooo behind with my little artilces and pic taking, but I've just been crazy busy!

One of the BEST places to get some serious info about not just lighting, but off camera lighting is to go to www.strobist.com and read/practice/absorb lighting 101 and 102.

[laura]

Thank you all so much.
I think my best bet is to put the theory into practise and get taking some pictures.

[LensBaby]

Yep..Make sure to share the photos with us!

[laura]

I will...now the summers coming I will have more time to get out there and enjoy it.

[gocamels]

If you have to shoot while the sun is out (outside during bright daylight hours) try putting the sun at about a 45 degree angle between the subject's back and the camera. And use your flash (set flash exposure to around -1 stop so that it only fills in the shadows).

This makes the sun act as a rim light/hair light and can make for some nice effects.

Another option for outside during bright sun is to find a big shade tree and position them in the shade with the leaves acting as a big softbox.

[jerryph]

All the theory in the world definately will not help much if you don't practice. Very little can beat personal experience. ;) :D

[julimucca]

Just one important thing I learned recently. I am sure there is more to it, so feel free to add and teach me more. lol
When taking a photo, you want to make sure the background behind the subject isn't lighter. It will make your subject look dark. So I guess to add a little suggestion. When doing outside portraits, I have found that you don't want to get to much skylight in them. Have something like a wooden fence, a tree, some kind of a solid background, will help your light with your subjects more balanced. Again, I am no pro., but this is what I have experienced and read a little about. Another little suggestion is to determine what kind of character the people have. Are they happy bubbly people, soft and kind, rich and dramatic, or solid and bold and striking. I find with my daughter, she is happy and animated and funny, and she looks best smiling and doing her own thing in pictures, she wouldn't look herself in a soft or serious picture. Hope you have lots of fun taking their pictures and make sure to post some! I am looking forward to see how they turn out!

[jerryph]

It will only look lighter *if* your camera is in automatic mode. If the camera is in manual mode, *you* control what is bright and dark concerning your subject. This is one of the reasons the person behind the camera can out think and therefore, out-perform the "intelligence" of the camera. ;)

Also, don't be afraid to take your subjects outside their comfort zone... this is how you often can entice some of the most unique pictures your subjects are capable of.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/3128936818_64aa5b37d1_o.jpg

[LensBaby]

Jerry it looks like the guy with the beer bottle is going to crack the woman that has gone mad over the head. Look at his position of his feet and his expression. I love it. Nice story it tells.

[julimucca]

Thats a fun picture Jerry!

[julimucca]

Laura, just curious, where are you from? I am smack dab in the middle of winter right now, I am jealous if you are starting to get summer! :)

[laura]

Julia, I'm in winter now, this post was earlier this year in July (Check the top left hand corner of each post to see when it was written). I'm in England right in the middle.

[jerryph]

Nice story it tells.

It doesn't tell half of it... that guy on the left and the girl in the front... are not just in the same band, they are also husband and wife! :eek:

They were a great bunch of kids to work with! :)

[bfc]

laura, i may be too late for your question as i have only just joined the community. i was put on the spot at a garden party a few months ago and asked to take some pics of some family members as i had a "posh" camera. the sun was high and bright and i could not find any decent shady location, however my prayers were answered when one of the ladies came out with 2 old fashioned parasols, not only did they privide great props, but acted like diffusers for the light and shaded the faces.just another thought
bfc

[jerryph]

Once someone gets the basics of photography down (control and understanding of ISO, aperture and shutter speed), it is near inevitable that they fall into situations where they are controlled by the environment.

This is where flashes fall in and the new concept that *we* control the lighting instead of the lighting of the environment, controls us. That is usually the point where someone straps a nice big new speedlight (battery powered flash) to their cameras... and then they learn quickly that though they now have control of the light... its very limited and introduces it's own issues and limitations. That is when the next step happens.

True artistic freedom and greater control come once you get that flash off the camera and on a lightstand. This opens up an incredible world of possibilities and great gains in picture quality and final results... however, all of a sudden, there is a TON of info to learn, but if you keep your attitude that of it being fun and a spirit of always learning from each shot, it becomes a "labor of love" and tremendous fun.

This is where I am at in my personal evolution. :)

A wise man once said "if you want to make an interesting picture, don't light all of it". I will also add... don't leave the flash on the camera and once you have the basics down... always try to think outside of the box.

[yoopergal78]

I know this post was back in Sept. but I hope I can still tag on to it. Any good tutorials on getting that flash off the camera? That's where I am at. I want it off my camera! I only have a speedlite 430ex right now for travel purposes but I will get what I need to get it off. I do have AB's in my studio but I want to leave them in the studio and travel as light as possible for weddings etc.

[jerryph]

Check out the first page of this post... I mention the strobist blog site. ;)
As for doing weddings "right", well this is another world and equipment here *really* matters, often as much as skill and knowledge. Example... if you want to take shots in a low light environment, if your lenses are not very fast (F/1.8 or faster) or your camera cannot take a clean ISO 1600 picture, no amount of skill or knowledge will help you.