Need Portrait Advice.

The23rdman

The23rdman

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Dean
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I'm planning on doing taking some shots of my sister and nephew with a view to printing and framing for her birthday. I'm not really set-up for anything fancy (don't even have a flashgun), but could use some advice on making the best of this. Would a well lit room, nifty fifty and a sheet as a backdrop do the job?
 
I would not recommend it. The sheet would need to be lit for it to work properly otherwise it will just look like.......a sheet.

If you have a nifty you could easily shoot outdoors and just use a shallow DOF to isolate them from the background.

If you want it to look like a studio shoot it is going to be very difficult with no kit.
 
How about shooting outdoors and then masking in a white background?
 
Dodgy because it is unlikely that the lighting will be right.

If you really, really want a white background, sometimes there are easy shortcuts and sometimes there aren't and this in one where it is unlikely (Note not impossible) to replicate a properly shot studio setup with no kit. I hire a studio if I want full length white background stuff. At £25 an hour it does not exaclty break the bank and for that I get 4x 1000w Bowens lights on a highglide system and a white infinity cove. If it is just for headshots I use a lastolite highlite with studio lights in it.

To do a white background shot properly you need 3 or 4 studio lights.

Yes, it can be replicated in PP but personally I don't think they are ever quite right because of the lighting coming from less than ideal angles compared to a studio.
 
I would say that it's probably better to do it outside - then you can get some fun shots. It's almost autumn, so the leaves will be falling soon and stuff, maybe having your nephew and sister kicking a big pile of autumn leaves and other fun shots like that too? Just a thought ;)
 
Yeah, I think you're right. I was getting obsessed with a one dimensional approach. I just wanted to shoot soon and have them ready for her birthday. I'll make the best of it with the gear I have. :)
 
Natural light all the way! Get them outside and get shooting at low apertures. :)
 
Thanks everyone. I think I'll do just as suggested and find a nice local park on a fine day and get some natural shots. :)
 
you know, I think the sheet indoors works, well at least it does for the many pro photographers who do it.

Blankets are even better as they do not crease, try to get it some distance from the subject so by using a wideish aperture it will be out of focus. Try to get the light even and soft from the window light.

stew
 
I find it very difficult to shoot two people head-n-shoulders with a wide aperture, because unless you're absolutely square on to both, one will be OOF.
 
awp said:
fine = cloudy bright for this - NOT sunny!
Click to expand...

Thank you. I'm sure "not sunny" will be pretty easy to find at the moment!

artona said:
you know, I think the sheet indoors works, well at least it does for the many pro photographers who do it.

Blankets are even better as they do not crease, try to get it some distance from the subject so by using a wideish aperture it will be out of focus. Try to get the light even and soft from the window light.

stew
Click to expand...

Thanks, Stew. I'll probably have a few test runs with Wifey and see if I can come up with anything that'll work. nowt lost in trying.

pearce_jj said:
I find it very difficult to shoot two people head-n-shoulders with a wide aperture, because unless you're absolutely square on to both, one will be OOF.
Click to expand...

If I'm shooting outside I won't need a particularly wide aperture as I'll have more control over distance from the background, whatever that may be. That is the advantage over trying to create something inside as the room with the best and most even light isn't very long.
 
You could use windowlight (no direct sun though!). If the side wall is not illuminated well you could get a nice dark / black background.

Also pick up £10 reflector from ebay. It makes a huge difference.
 
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