What is the minimum I need for portraits?

[pelagic]

February 7, 2011 at 5:46 pm

Hi,

Over the weekend I tried to take a few shoots of the kids. Nothing came out good enough to even post for C&C.

First: the background jumps into the frame. What do folks use for a simple backdrop? Drapes, roll of cloth?
Second: I tried using on camera flash, but didn’t have a defuser with me. What’s the minmum flash needed? Their faces all went flat!

Have have a bunch of things that were given to me, but don’t really know how to approach the problem:
Lens: 18-105mm and 35mm
Flash: Nikon sb-600, ancient flash triggered Vivitar flash
Defusers: simple plastic cover for sb-600, some kind of Gary Wong thing that looks like a plastic bowl

In magazines i see advice to use reflectors and the like. But I’d like to start out by adding the least to what I own. Maybe outdoors with fill flash?

Hmmm, and maybe a book suggestion.

Baby steps seem like a good approach but this baby doesn’t yet walk. :)

[shutterbug]

February 7, 2011 at 6:01 pm

A simple sheet pinned to the wall can work if there is nothing else available, also
natural light is always preferable, so try to position people beside a window so that
the natural light catches them, if this isnt possible a reflector opposite the window
to bounce light back onto your subject, again a white sheet or white card can
work wonders.
If there is no natural light then try bouncing the flash off the ceiling, by angling the
flash up slightly this takes the main flash off the face giving a softer light, and again
the good old white sheet placed on the floor in front of your subject will reflect some
light back up.

No expert on Portraits myself, but it is something I am going to get more practise at
myself this year. Let me know how you get on, we can swap info! :)

[pelagic]

February 7, 2011 at 6:21 pm

thanx Jenny,

That’s simple enough, even for me. I’ll talk to the warden about using linens.

I’ll see if I can get her to sit still for me while I try your suggestions.

We have light colored floor to ceiling drapes in the sitting room. They have light vertical stripes. I’ll see if I can defocus them enough.

How about a new brain? :? Would that help me? :(

[shutterbug]

February 7, 2011 at 6:23 pm

Ideal! Remember to sit them far enough forward if using the curtains (at night) if using
a flash you will get shadows if they are too close to them.

[pelagic]

February 7, 2011 at 6:57 pm

Oops,

I knew that and have forgotten. Last year I did some family shots and had to spend hours cloning out the shadows.

My lovely bride reminded me that we have a manikin somewhere in the attic. I’m supposed to find it and use it for my learning. :)

[shutterbug]

February 7, 2011 at 7:02 pm

:lol: A great idea, and will probably have a LOT more patience than most
models :lol:

[tsergairl]

February 12, 2011 at 10:37 pm

i used watermelon on chair for the first shooting :-)

thanks God than i didnt start talk to him , after few shots :-) :-D

Chris

[pelagic]

February 12, 2011 at 11:47 pm

Chris,

Great idea. At least you could eat the watermelon! :)

Our attic produced a broken manekin with a glass head. I’ll try just the glass head with a cap on top.

I’m lining up the same nieces I took over to Sandra. But they talk back. :D :D

[Expresbro]

February 13, 2011 at 12:29 am

Also the SB600 is a great little Speedlight..so use it…play with it. Do as Jenny says and angle it to the ceiling..but also bounce it sideways…to get different perspectives. I personally love to bounce the light off a side wall if there is one close enough. It gives a really soft light and nice depth to the shot.

Without checking..I can’t remember if the SB600 works wirelessly…I think it does (I have the SB800 and it does). If so..take it off camera and play around with it…Nikon do flash really well and their wireless system is the envy of other Camera makers…so make the most of it.

Also if you want to blur the background..make sure and stand well back and use the zoom…at the lowest possible aperture..that will help throw the background out of focus. It’s an area where a DSLR will always outperform a compact, so again..make the most of it.

If you have an issue with shadows..and who doesn’t..you could use a plain black background…it also helps separate the subject from the background as well. Any old piece of black cloth will do..as long as it is big enough for the subject to stand in front of and allow a little space either side.

Anyway..I’ve rattled on a bit too long. most of all..have fun…that’s what it’s about :-)

Robbie

[pelagic]

February 13, 2011 at 12:32 am

thanx Robbie,

I’ll get the glass head into the room and see what happens.

[The Fine Print]

February 13, 2011 at 9:48 pm

…apart from talent, imagination and technical understanding? :D
A camera with rel. fast medium telephoto lens (the faster, the better, to a point), and not much shutter lag, perhaps a tripod, and if you don’t what to shoot available light low key only, a background/dropsheet and some (studio) strobes will come in handy. You can then also decide whether you prefer the umbrella- or softbox-look (I’d got with either-or, not both).