Innholdsfortegnelse for #5 Portrait i Improve Your Photography

Portraiture is one of the most rewarding of photographic genres. Unlike a landscape or wildlife shot a portrait subject gives you feedback. Take a great picture of a tree and the tree won’t care. But take a great portrait and the subject will love it, put it in a frame, hang it on the wall, post it on social media for their friends and family to see and comment on how beautifully you captured them. Portraiture offers so many variety of styles, some requiring very little kit. At its simplest you just need a camera with a standard lens and some good natural light. You might want to add a reflector. Or perhaps you might discover a passion for it and invest in a home studio set-up with lighting, brollies,…

This is an age-old conundrum and its prevalence varies from country to country. Some people will expect money, but you need to decide if you are comfortable with that. From street performers to those who dress in traditional costumes, these transactions are now an ingrained part of the economy in some parts of the world. Similarly, if the person is selling something, they may expect you to make a small purchase in return. While transactional-based interactions can stifle the natural engagement that makes a portrait special, they can still lead to amazing images for those willing to negotiate a price.…

1 Distance affects power Halving the distance between the flash and subject will increase its strength by four times – or two stops – in accordance with the inverse square law. 2 Distance and quality Changing the distance of the light also changes its size in relation to the subject – the further away it is, the harder the quality of light. 3 Watch for fall-off The fall-off of a flash is the difference in strength across the subject, and it will be more pronounced if the light is in very close. 4 Look to the catchlights If you want to see how other portrait photographers have lit their photos, the catchlights in the subject’s eyes can indicate the positioning, quantity and type of light used. 5 Bounce the flash…

Have an assistant It’s useful to have someone on hand to look out for unflattering creases, hairs out of place and other things you may not spot. They can also help adjust, move or hold the lighting. If you’re a male photographer the assistant should be female – perhaps the make-up artist, so they can also apply touch ups if needed. Standing poses You always want a bend on the leg nearest the camera as it creates a nice curve and elongates the leg. The weight should be on the back leg, because if you put your weight on the inside leg it will thicken that hip and we want to make it look as slender as possible. Turn the bent knee away from the camera. Shoot from low down…

MANN shoots on an analogue medium-format Pentax 67 camera, something which helps to break the ice with her young sitters. ‘They’re used to shooting on cellphones – they ask “Why do you have this really old camera that only takes 10 pictures?”’ It may be surprising to see a young photographer preferring analogue, let alone a cumbersome medium-format camera. ‘I started shooting on film, that’s how I learned,’ she explains. ‘There’s something nostalgic about it, especially the colours that lend themselves to my work. ‘My process is an obvious one. I’m not snapping people when they don’t know about it. I shoot on a tripod; it’s a big thing. The process of medium format is quite slow – but I think it makes you take a bit more care with…

AP receives a steady stream of books for review, so it takes something special to stop us in our tracks. Yoga: The Secret of Life by US photographer Francesco Mastalia is one such book, being a collection of portraits of yoga masters taken using the Victorian wet collodion process. The images are stunningly beautiful. Compared to digital photography, wet collodion is mind bogglingly time-consuming and fiddly, so we caught up with Francesco to find out why (and how) he used a 19th-century process to document 21st-century yoga masters. Francesco lives and works in the Hudson valley in New York State, and cut his photographic teeth in New York City as assistant to commercial photographers. ‘I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a photographer and when I…

Camera Kristina uses a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV fitted with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens for the majority of her maternity work. ‘My aim is to shoot as much as possible at around the 50mm focal length, but you don’t always have a big space. Backgrounds Kristina uses 5-metre wide rolls of Colorama paper backgrounds. ‘I stick with white, grey and black because I like my pictures to look classic and timeless. In 20 years’ time, they will still look good and not have aged.’ Softboxes For most of Kristina’s maternity portraits she uses a Bowens Octobox 150, which is a 1.5metre diameter softbox that produces very soft light. She also has two long, narrow strip softboxes that she uses for rim-lit torso shots, and a 5ft wide umbrella. Studio…

Carolyn’s profound and moving project ‘Being Inbetween’ focuses quite literally on that often difficult ‘in between’ ages of 10-12 – a time when you’re not quite yet a teenager or an adult, but you’re also rapidly leaving your childhood behind, and beginning to face the struggles that come with that growing up process. ‘Being Inbetween’ first caught my attention in 2016 when an image (Alice, aged 10 – see below right) from the series won a gold medal in the Royal Photographic Society’s International Photography Exhibition (IPE 159). The same portrait was also selected for the 2017 Portrait of Britain prize, and was one of those displayed on billboards nationwide – you may have even seen it yourself. So when I found out that Carolyn would be attending the inaugural…

Camera and lenses Kristina uses a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with the Canon 50mm f/1.2L for most of her newborn photography, but switches to the Canon 50mm f/2.5 compact macro lens for the close-up shots. Beanbag and props Kristina uses a beanbag for her newborn shoots because you can mould the bag to whatever shape you want. She also has a selection of small towels, blankets and sheets of muslin to stuff underneath the baby to mould it or lift its head. A collection of bunnies adds a final touch. Lighting Kristina prefers to shoot in natural light using her big windows, and her clients often request it, but for dark days she has a Bowens Octobox 150, which is a 1.5-metre diameter softbox that does a good job…

Written from the perspective of both photographer and model, One Face, Fifty Ways is an illustrated book that offers an insight into how to expand your skills as a portrait photographer. It explores camera techniques over a range of portrait scenarios, and provides an insight into how to best communicate with your models and work with them to achieve the best results. The duo behind the book also created WeeklyImogen, a YouTube channel, that provides photography tutorials on their joint experiences as both a model and photographer as they venture out to different locations. The aim, unusually, is to show the portrait shoot from not only the perspective of the photographer but also that of the model. What also makes Mark’s approach unique is that he works with models over…

Eye AF-enabled camera The eyes are the most important feature in a portrait. Technology such as Sony’s superb Eye AF accurately tracks and focuses on an eye, giving you the flexibility to compose the shot exactly as you wish. Standard zoom A fast 24-70mm lens will let you work in low light, create beautiful bokeh and separate the subject from the background. The wide end is useful for capturing environmental portraits. Camera bag A simple over-the-shoulder bag such as the LowePro Toploader Zoom 50 AW II or a small messenger bag is perfect when exploring, as it’s light, holds your camera, lens and has space for batteries, memory cards and a lens cloth. Camera strap The strap that comes with your camera isn’t always the best for long days spent…

Environmental portraits Unlike traditional head-and-shoulders portraits, taking an environmental portrait can capture the surroundings of the person being photographed to give both the person and the scene some context. It could be someone working, and by showing the background or including props, the person viewing the image should get a deeper insight or connection with the person in the image. TOP TIP Place the subject either off centre or with enough space around them to show the scene. Either take a step back to show more of the scene or use a wideangle lens and shoot at a narrower aperture of between f/4 and f/11 to keep some of the detail in the background. Traditional portraits On your travels you may encounter someone with a great face. By this I…

Monoblocks These are mains-powered flash units. More powerful than speedlights, they also have modelling lights. They come with a stand, and it’s easy to fit light modifiers to the front. Umbrella Either direct the flash through the umbrella, or angle it away and bounce light back off the umbrella. Useful for lighting interiors and portraits, but hard to control the spread of light. Softbox Softens and diffuses the light, much like window light. Creates attractive rectangular catchlights in the subject’s eyes. Similar to a white umbrella, but easier to control the play of light and shade. Sync cable/wireless trigger Attach this to your camera to trigger the flashes. All studio flash units will have an optical slave. This means if you trigger one flash, the others will detect it and…

A KEY reason to use studio lighting is the many options we have to change the quality of the light using a variety of modifiers. A starter kit will typically include a softbox and umbrella, and we also have the option to fire the flash bare. When fired bare, the light source is very small and, like the midday sun in a cloudless sky, light from a small source is very hard-edged. Note here (left) how it creates deep shadows under the chin. By contrast, when we modify the light with an umbrella or softbox we increase the size of the source so the light is more diffuse and the shadows become much softer. The softbox is arguably the winner here, because the shadows are soft but still nicely defined.…

Profoto D2 Air I use Profoto lights for everything I shoot. I like this one as it has the air remote and I can control power and modelling light remotely, which makes life easier. Profoto 1x6 RFi Softbox Strip I’m a huge fan of this softbox, and I like to use it in portrait and beauty shoots. The grid is quite deep and pulls the light in, making the spill tighter, and creating a darker fall-off of light from the model. Canon EOS 5D Mark III I’ve been shooting with Canon for several years now, and I like the functionality of the camera and the menu systems. Canon 85mm f/1.2 I love this lens. Depending on the brief I will shoot with it wide open, as it creates this magical…

Remote trigger This is the heart of the off-camera flash system. It is what lets you control a number of lights that are separate from the camera. Pick something trusted, because if your trigger stops, then it’s game over. Flashgun Most flashguns are battery powered, but more advanced and powerful systems are available, too. The more you pay generally means the more power output and versatility you have. Lighting stands Either a dedicated lighting stand or a tall tripod can let you mount your lights where you need them. Use something that is taller than your subject as you might need to mount the lights high. Lighting modifiers Use light modifiers to control the shape and type of light that your flash makes. The bigger and wider you can make…

Unlike the cheesy glamour photos that once dominated lads’ mags (and AP), boudoir photography is more romantic and is aimed mainly at a female audience – indeed the vast majority of boudoir is commissioned by the subjects, often as part of a bridal photography package, or for a landmark birthday, or as a gift for a partner. Many women choose a boudoir shoot as a confidence boost after having children, getting divorced or losing weight. Boudoir photography is generally shot in a bedroom setting – hence the name – and is sensual and sexy without being explicit. The subject’s modesty is generally covered by lingerie or bedding, and artful posing. Most successful boudoir photographers are women, for obvious reasons, so male photographers hoping to succeed in this genre should consider…

1 Location Hotels are great locations to shoot boudoir, but look for somewhere that gives you more creative options than just white walls and linen. 2 De-clutter The first thing to do before you introduce the model is to de-clutter the room. Hide the kettle and cups, and avoid the TV being in shot. 3 Clothing Make sure the model has a collection of different lingerie in a variety of styles/colours so that you can pick outfits to complement the room décor. 4 Hair/make-up Good make-up is vital for successful boudoir photography. If possible hire a professional, or ask a friend who is skilled in this area. 5 Props Use props such as a phone, hairbrush or lipstick. Giving them something to do helps provide a distraction for your model…

Photography is a process of a collaboration. That may sound odd considering our romantic notion of the lone wanderer of the streets and landscapes, camera in hand, pointing his/her lens at the sights that inspire them. But look through any of those images and you can see where collaboration rears its head – it’s in the history. Music, literature, art and photography are not made in isolation. All these forms carry the seeds and influence of the countless artists and practitioners that have come before them. Collaboration spans time. It inspires culture to grow and evolve. Take a good look through the work of Italian-born photographer Christian Tagliavini and you get a strong sense of what this means and how this works. Tagliavini, who is now based in Switzerland, happily…

THE WET collodion process was invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. Put very simply, the process involves adding a soluble iodide to a solution of collodion (cellulose nitrate) and coating a glass plate with the mixture to create an image. The photographic material needs to be coated, sensitised, exposed and developed in less than 15 minutes, so exponents need a darkroom, either fixed or portable. Francesco used a custom-made camera, which was built for him in 2005, and an 1870 Petzval lens with a focal length between 85-100mm. ‘It has a very shallow depth of field. The sharpness of the subject and the shallowness of the background is one thing, and then there is the relative sharpness of the subject and the movement of the background.’ Do a workshop…

Portrait retouching is a tricky topic, as it is so easy to mess up through over-lightening or over-smoothing the skin. The overuse of Photoshop retouching, which the press anachronistically refers to as ‘airbrushing’, remains a hot topic, especially with regard to how women are portrayed in magazines. Photographers and retouchers do have a responsibility as well as an opportunity to influence how people are portrayed. Among the retouchers I know, I see a trend towards less manipulation, or at least, less obvious retouching. It is a question of knowing how to use the tools in Photoshop with restraint. One way to do this is to use the frequency separation technique described here to ensure the skin tone texture is preserved as you carry out your retouching. The other thing you…

1 Frequency separation Photoshop frequency separation techniques are really useful to use when retouching skin tones. It’s all about separating out the fine detail skin tones from the soft tone texture. If you convert the Colour Tone layer to a Smart Object before applying the Gaussian Blur filter you retain the ability to adjust the blur settings before you start editing on the layer above. 2 Add Gaussian Blur Open your image in Photoshop and choose Layer>New>Layer Via Copy. Rename the top layer ‘Detail Layer’, hide this layer and rename the original layer ‘Colour Tone layer’. With the Colour Tone layer selected, go to Filter> Blur>Gaussian Blur and apply a low Radius setting of 2.0 pixels (or higher if necessary) to blur and essentially soften the skin tones. 3 Set…

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Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM I currently use Canon’s full-frame EOS 6D body with the 85mm f/1.8 lens. Over the years I have also used the Canon 550D with a 50mm lens. You don’t need the latest and most expensive kit for great results. Reflector I always carry a reflector, a simple but effective piece of kit. It can help to improve natural light on a model’s face or positioned to create shade. I like to experiment with gold, silver and white for different effects. Accessories A model’s look can be changed very quickly by changing his/her hairstyle, so I always carry hair ties. Black gaffer tape can help to adjust clothing quickly, while a stepping stool is an easy way to gain extra height for a strong portrait.…

Shoot in bursts There is nothing more frustrating than discovering your subject blinked in the millisecond the shutter fired. Shooting a continuous burst of 2 to 3 frames will help increase your chances of an eyes-open shot without the subject feeling uncomfortable. Work the angles Think about the type of images you want to achieve on location and always take more pictures than you will need. Mix up your focal lengths, angles, composition and camera orientation to give yourself as many options as possible when selecting the best one. Shapes and shadows People photography is all about the eyes. While this is a good principle to follow, it doesn’t hurt to break the rules now and then. The shape or silhouette of a person or group can tell a story…

Jonathan Bielaski Based in Toronto, Canada, Jonathan creates cinematic portraits of real people in real places. Striving to capture as much in camera as possible, he has mastered his tools and working on location. See more at www.jonathanbielaski.com. Environmental portraits Portrait photographer Jonathan Bielaski shares his portfolio of images as well as his insights on photographing people in their environment Mix the light With external lighting, try to make it look as natural as possible. Drag your shutter to bring in some of the ambient light and match the colour temperatures. It’s ok to play with different tones of light, as in this image, with some light warmer than other parts. Just make sure it’s intentional. Pay attention to colours The colours in your image – from the wardrobe to…

Lit from above A single softbox can give us a wide variety of looks depending on the positioning and strength. Here it’s positioned directly above the face and angled downwards. This is sometimes called ‘butterfly lighting’, as the shadow cast down from the nose looks a bit like a butterfly. Backlighting This time our softbox is positioned behind the subject to the left, lighting the far side of the face. Known as short lighting (as opposed to ‘broad’ which lights the front side), this gives a low-key, moody look. The background is very dark because our flash is angled away from it. High-key A softbox can act as a backdrop for a simple high-key look. The light will wrap around the edges of the face, creating attractive edge light along…

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1 Shoot tethered if you can. This will enable you to see everything in greater detail on a screen. Test and measure and shoot again. 2 Allow plenty of time. Experimenting with new ways of lighting takes time and patience; make sure everyone you are working with is on board. 3 Ensure you have plenty of space. Clear out the furniture or use an empty room, and keep in mind that you will need vertical space too. Softboxes and stands take up a lot of room. 4 You don’t need lots of kit to experiment. I suggest you work with what you have and see how you can use it differently. Move the lights around and see how the light falls on the subject. 5 One light can be used…

Retain sky detail Underexposing a background can be a great way of retaining plenty of detail in the sky, while allowing you to add light to your subject and ensuring they stand out. Backdrops that are much lighter than the foreground can be harder to light and therefore to control, and will most likely detract from your subject. Watch the weather Working outside can bring lots of challenges to both you and your kit. Using a container such as a Peli hard case for all your kit means you have protection from dust, dirt and rain if the weather takes a turn. Keep lights above eye line The height of the sun means we always see faces lit from above. As such, we are used to seeing shadows under the…

Nikon D700 Long-since superseded but this is still Emma’s favourite camera. ‘I still love the look I get from the 12MP full-frame sensor.’ Kit zoom 24-70mm f/2.8 A good general-purpose lens is good for full-length shots at the wide end, and portraits at the tele end. Fast prime lenses 50mm f/1.4 Emma’s favourite lenses for boudoir are her 50mm and 85mm f/1.4 primes. ‘I prefer primes and like to shoot wide open to get a much more creative look.’ Rotolight AEOS I much prefer constant lighting because you can see the effect with your eye. The Rotolight AEOS is powerful yet still portable. Rotolight NEO 2 The NEO 2 is a mini version of the AEOS that can be handheld or attached to a hotshoe.…

One morning in 2017, Essex-based baby photographer Kristina Mack woke up to find about a dozen emails from pregnant women enquiring about maternity shoots with their bumps. Which was odd because she hadn’t had any queries at all during the previous few months. The reason, she soon discovered, is that the previous day one of the world’s most famous pop divas, Beyonce, had posted a picture of her own pregnancy bump on Instagram – an image that went on to become the platform’s most ‘liked’ picture of the year (11.2 million, so far). ‘Instagram has been very influential in the rise in popularity of maternity shoots,’ says Kristina. ‘Whenever another pregnant celebrity posts some, you always get a spike in enquiries’. For social photographers looking for new markets this is…

The set-up Kristina uses a large window for a light source, either on its own or supplemented by a large softbox placed high and pointing down to replicate natural light. Nudes Kristina saves the nude shots till the end of the shoot. These are usually shot on a black background and converted to b&w. This one was lit purely by the window light. Dressing up The mum-to-be brings a selection of outfits from which Kristina picks out the best ones for the shoot. Here the black dress and profile view show off the bump nicely. Siblings If the mum-to-be has an older child Kristina will incorporate him/her into the shoot. This lovely profile shot was lit by a mix of window light and two strip boxes.…

Cupped hands Shots like this and the one above are done with the baby lying on a black cloth and photographed from above, though it looks like the baby is suspended in the air. Fingers and toes Kristina uses her Canon 50mm f/2.5mm macro lens for close-up shallow-depth-of-field shots of baby’s fingers and toes. This was taken at f/2.8 at ISO 640. Details Kristina often presents a collage of close-up detail shots, including the baby’s face, nose and ears. She produces a mixture of b&w and colour images from the shoot. Swaddling Newborns are calmed by being wrapped in a blanket, and are likely to go back to sleep fairly quickly after being removed from the car seat and clothes they arrived in.…

Hair smoothing using the Oil Paint filter A quick way to make someone’s hair look smoother is to use the Oil Paint filter. This is located in the Filter>Stylize submenu. The sliders in the Brush settings section can be adjusted to refine the oil paint effect, while the Lighting section can be used to adjust the angle of the lighting. The Shine slider can make a big difference to the relief texture of the oil paint effect. I applied the Oil Paint filter to a copied layer of a beauty headshot using the settings shown here. I added a layer mask to the filtered layer (filled with black) and then painted with white on the hair areas only to reveal the Oil Paint filter effect. Removing reflections from glasses With…

The Face-Aware controls in the Liquify filter can be used to manipulate facial features. Using the Liquify filter, if a face is detected, the Face tool is selected automatically and the Select Face menu can then be used to select the desired face to work on. If the image contains more than one face you can select the desired individual by choosing Face #1, Face #2, etc. The following sections provide slider controls to adjust the: Eyes, Nose, Mouth or Face Shape. These sliders adjust the individual parameters to change the facial characteristics. With the Face tool active you can even click and drag on the image directly. As you do so, outline guides will appear, although you can hide these by unchecking the Show Face Overlay box in the…

Accessories under £100 Lastolite Fabric Grid for Ezybox Hotshoe ● £65 ● www.manfrotto.co.uk This optional accessory is for Lastolite’s 2462 Ezybox Hotshoe 54cm – a portable pop-up softbox that converts harsh directional light from a flashgun into a much softer diffused light that’s perfect for portraits. The fabric grid comes in its own carry bag and secures easily to the front of the Ezybox by Velcro. Once attached, the fabric grid prevents light spillage and helps direct the light onto your subject more effectively. It’s an extra that is worth considering by those who already own or are looking at the Lastolite 54x54cm Ezybox Hotshoe. Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 ● £52● www.manfrotto.co.uk Small, lightweight and featuring a near-flat profile when folded down, the Manfrotto Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 is designed for…