Getting set up as a portrait photographer?

Dman

Dman

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Dave
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Now I'm not a pro, never will be, but after two months of owning my D60 I think portrait photography 'excites' me the most, and I would like to have some equipment to get me started. Mainly for family and friends to begin with, even if the setting up is going to cost me, as I'd get the enjoyment out of it.

So what would I need? I'm looking at a cheap and easy way of getting a beginners set up. I'm really talking about indoor, or 'studio' photography I guess, although if some of the stuff could be transferred to outdoors then even better.

I have a couple of prime lenses in a Sigma 30mm 1.4 and Nikon 50mm 1.8, and would maybe get the 85mm or 1.4 version of the 50mm. I have one flash which is the SB-400, but in terms of umbrellas, reflectors etc, what would you recommend to someone who's never done this line of photography before?

I look at some of these people who do the shoots for babies in Boots and other places and they never seem to have that much equipment, yet the shots come out pretty well?

Thanks
 
Thanks, that looks pretty good for he price.

Mods - Sorry, this may not be in the right place, please feel free to move it if necessary.
 
That's a good price on the Interfits, they're another £30 on WEX.

Edit: You could go down the Strobist route, There's a guy here called Flash in the pan who sells Strobist kit. The only limitation is your on battery power.

Don't forget a backdrop if you might want one.
 
alpina said:
I bought one of these and for the cash it seems well worth it .. great service too.

http://www.studio-flash.com/b-series/b-series-mega-studio-2-p-275.html
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That looks just the ticket. Do you HAVE to have remote flashes as well or is that enough to be starting with? My D60 doesn't have the facility to use remote flash unless you spend a fair bit on the SU-800 and SB-600/800, so I'd rather not have to go down that route until such time that I decide I want to go serious.

Thanks.
 
The B series kit comes with a hot shoe transmitter and receiver, includes the batts too.
 
While studio flash is useful, don't think that you need it to be a portrait photographer, many use nothing but natural light to produce stunning results. Buying (or making) a reflector to bounce light back into a subject's face will make a big difference to some shots nad is far cheaper than studio kit.
 
NorthernNikon said:
While studio flash is useful, don't think that you need it to be a portrait photographer, many use nothing but natural light to produce stunning results. Buying (or making) a reflector to bounce light back into a subject's face will make a big difference to some shots nad is far cheaper than studio kit.
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agreed.

the best thing you can get when you're starting out is a large reflector. buy or make one. im a big fan of the diy route of portraiture, and although it doesnt tend to show up in the pics (if you're good enough) the sense of achievement you get is phenominal. strobes seem to be a good direction to go in now a days, and theres a huge wealth of information on the likes of strobist. best bet is to read up on different types of light and the various light modifyers that can be used. a lot of them you can make for your flashgun before you might want to splash out on 'proper' ones.

dont think you need loads of lights to get good shots, theres an awful lot you can do with one light and a reflector. good luck!
 
ChrisMClark said:
I love the look of those, but they're so bloody expensive :( And I can't imagine they'd be too easy to transport/set up/take down.
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They are soooo easy, they genuinely do just pop up, then fold back down again. Piece of cake. (Once you have sussed folding it properly, if you haven't then is is like attempting complex origami with paper the size of a bed sheet)

L
 
Yes, we have one. It's a one person job to put up (well, putting it up, it just sort of springs out at you!), and to take down, it tells you exactly how to fold it. Now, it took us about 1/2 an hour the first time of faffing until we sussed we were starting trying to fold at the wrong place. Once you get it right, it is genuinely simple for one person to fold.

L
 
I use one and its a doddle to handle when you've got the hang of it :D
The only reason for a second person to be involved is so they can laugh their socks of at you making a complete hash of it the first few times!
 
paul_g said:
I use one and its a doddle to handle when you've got the hang of it :D
The only reason for a second person to be involved is so they can laugh their socks of at you making a complete hash of it the first few times!
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exactly! The first time we put it up, we were demonstrating to a shopping centre how little space it would take up. Could we get the stupid thing down again? No, we were trailing it around with us, looking like idiots. Then we FINALLY understood the instructions and it actually folds down in about 10 seconds!

L
 
paul_g said:
I use one and its a doddle to handle when you've got the hang of it :D
The only reason for a second person to be involved is so they can laugh their socks of at you making a complete hash of it the first few times!
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Is that all you use for the sort of stuff on your site?
 
I did 2 shoots at local nurserys in June and I did not use reflectors, backdrops etc. I offered natural portraits of the children and thats exactly what I did. Took my 450d and got some great shots. :)
 
geminip said:
I did 2 shoots at local nurserys in June and I did not use reflectors, backdrops etc. I offered natural portraits of the children and thats exactly what I did. Took my 450d and got some great shots. :)
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That's interesting, as your camera isn't far off my D60 in terms of cost and spec. How did you get into that if you don't mind me asking, did you have to get a CRB check and if so, how? Did you simply contact the nurseries to ask them?

Thanks
 
Dman said:
Is that all you use for the sort of stuff on your site?
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Not all of them no, I have a studio as well. To give you an idea, the homepage picture was taken with it, and the little lad on the car.
 
While I'm on this subject, what about lenses, what would be 'essential'? I so far have the standard 18-55 and 55-200, as well as a 30mm 1.4 and 50mm 1.8. I'm on a budget and the 85mm is a bit out of my range at the moment, but have been toying with the idea of an 18-50 2.8? Would that help?

Thanks again.
 
To get started I wouldn't worry to much about lenses, if you're going to use studio flash. You'll be looking to set the aperture to about f8 and so most lenses should turn in a reasonable performance. You're range of lenses will cover pretty well everything. For straightforward kids and family portraiture I use a 24-105 pretty well all the time occassionally going to a 70-200 for tight headshots.
If you feel your lenses aren't sharp enough then its upgrade time but i'd go with what you've got for now
Natural light stuff would mean using faster lenses possibly wide open and so that puts more emphasis on the need for good glass.
 
NorthernNikon said:
While studio flash is useful, don't think that you need it to be a portrait photographer, many use nothing but natural light to produce stunning results. Buying (or making) a reflector to bounce light back into a subject's face will make a big difference to some shots nad is far cheaper than studio kit.
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I'd have to :agree: here

Studio work and white backgrounds are by no means 'dead' as yet, but I've started doing more 'environmental' shots of tots at their own home of late - and guess what... they buy MORE prints from that than they do from the studio :)

Lighting as ever is the key, so (if indoors) I just use the biggest window they have as my 'key light' and position the sprog accordingly, simply moving round the sprog to change the direction of light

All you have to watch out for & amend as needed are the backgrounds, but I tend to use the 50 or 85 f1.8 close to wide open so they aren't such an issue anyway

Either that, or take them outside to play in their own garden and shoot even longer 70-200 (I use the f2.8 VR, but an f4 non-VR would do perfectly well and is at least £1,000 cheaper!)

'Natural' portraits - go for it :thumbs:

DD
 
:plusone: That's how I do it too, especially when there is such good light around as we have now.

Lighting on location with studio strobes is possible but sometimes not easy due to space contstraints. If you think about needing 4-6 feet behind your model and about 10 feet in front, you are looking at needing roughly 16 feet of space before you start. That's where the Hilite can give you that little bit more room because you can shoot with your subject right up against it.

I do still like having a couple of studio heads for things like a boxer that I'm due to shoot later in the year, I'm not dependant on getting good light in a dingy gym then.

I do also like the look of the little portable interfit head that you can get now, I'd dearly love a Bron or a Profoto setup but I need my kidneys!
 
Redpaul said:
Something like this?

Paul
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Going back to this idea, is that literally all I would need in order to have portable lighting for portrait shoots? External flash wouldn't be absolutely necessary to go with it, I'd just plug it in and away I go?

I guess I could then buy interchangeable backgrounds to go with it?

I'm looking to buy it so don't want to make a mistake.

Cheers
 
I'm in a similar situation, and my plan is much the same. I was going to buy a set of studio flashes, and a collapsible background, double sided with a train.
 
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