Any tips or techniques for portraits?

Ebony

Ebony

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Sophy
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Okay so I have been asked by a number of people if I could do a little photoshoot for them, and i'm also photographing a school prom. I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips/techniques? I really want to do a good job of this. I have a Nikon D5000, 18-55mm VR, 55-200mm VR lens and a tripod.

Thanks!
 
Hi Sophy...look at other shots similar to what you'll be doing, pick the best/ones you like most and try and copy that technique if you can.

So many variables with what you're covering that any technical advice might not be applicable...

Go to the Business section and look for threads dealing with Proms and Events - those guys will help with that. For portraits, look in the People section and ask around.
 
Don't be afraid to give lots of direction to help pose the people. People relax more when you are confident and tell them what to do and how to stand. If you have a group, think about the arrangement, otherwise everyone will just stand in a long line facing the camera dead on.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice, I hope the pictures will turn out nice, and i'll post them for you to see. Also, i'm not sure yet lens I should use, my 18-55mm or 55-200mm lens? I was thinking 18-55mm to be the best bet, but i'd like your input too,

thanks!
 
Take both, I expect you'll end up using the 18-55 most. You probably won't use the tripod.
 
I agree with Nicky, Make sure the person you are photographing is comfortable and relaxed! Be confident, and trust the knowledge you already know.
 
Personally I would use the 55-200 more. At the long end, the 18-55 is going to be at f/5.6, an aperture slower than my Gran, and it wouldn't deliver a great deal of background blur.

On the other hand, your 55-200 is a stop faster at 55 and increases gradually to f/5.6 through the focal length. Zoom it in to 80-100 or so mm and you will get an appreciable amount of background blur and a very flattering perspective. You will need to stand back a bit though!

For a full body shot, or anything wider than head and shoulders (this is what I class as a portrait) use the 18-55 and realise that you won't get any background blur.
 
If you could get your hands on an external flashgun for the night that would help too, just dial it down to something like -2/3 so it just acts as a fill, it will help you keep the shutterspeed up.
 
Thank you for all the advice again, i'll probably use my 18-55for group photos and full dress photos, and 55-200mm for head and shoulder shots, thanks everyone! :)
 
Focal length can be so important in portraiture -- it's easy to distort features. Some put a 50mm on a crop sensor camera for head and shoulder shots but the physical characteristics of the lens' elements remain. So with the appropriate lens fitted nothing less than 80mm is recommended when you're that close.

Also, Sophy, looking at the work of others can be really helpful and inspiring. Just yesterday I came across a wonderful double-page spread portrait of actress/director Rachel Ward -- very well thought out, totally original and technically spot on. It's in the July edition of SAGA Magazine, if you're interested.
 
Undercrank said:
Focal length can be so important in portraiture -- it's easy to distort features. Some put a 50mm on a crop sensor camera for head and shoulder shots but the physical characteristics of the lens' elements remain. So with the appropriate lens fitted nothing less than 80mm is recommended when you're that close..
Click to expand...

It's to do with perspective which is a function of camera to subject distance not focal length per se.

A 50mm lens on a 1.6 crop camera is just about fine for, say, an upper body photo but any closer in and it would begin to distort. On FF the same would apply for an 80mm lens, because this delivers the same FOV as the fifty on a cropper, hence, you'd be standing at the same distance despite them being two different FLs.

bridge cameras and compacts use very very short focal lengths (even the long end of a superzoom camera is only like 40mm ish I think) because the sensor is so small there is so much of a field of view crop factor. 7mm on a full frame digital would deliver insane distortions because you'd have to be up the subject's nose to frame it. On a compact you would have to stand so much further back that the distortions would go away and appear fine - regardless, it's still the same FL, just perspective has changed because your distance from the subject has :)
 
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