| Taking a great portrait is still one of the most | | | | the background, say on a tree lined avenue or set |
| useful skills a photographer can have. The need | | | | of columns. |
| for good photos of people is never going to go | | | | Probably the most favored of all portrait lenses is |
| away. Whether it be for weddings, corporate or | | | | the 85mm. Luckily they are pretty affordable for |
| lifestyle photography you will always be in demand | | | | the 1.8 variants, though if your a Canon user the |
| if people like the images you take of them. | | | | ultimate is the 85mm 1.2. It really is a monster of |
| Anyway let us make a start and look at the | | | | a lens with a price tag to match. One thing to |
| camera gear I use. | | | | remember is to adjust the focal lengths if you are |
| Thankfully, most of us already have the kit | | | | on a smaller sensor. The crop factor is normally |
| needed to take a fabulous portrait. The standard | | | | 1.3 or 1.6. So a 50mm lens becomes a 80mm lens |
| kit lens that comes supplied with most digital | | | | on a camera with a crop factor of 1.6. |
| cameras should be good enough to get you in the | | | | Now let us take a look at lighting and exposure. |
| ballpark. When I bought my Canon 5d Mk1, I | | | | Unlike most other subjects, bright sunshine does |
| chose the 24mm to 70mm 2.8 lens as my | | | | not make for flattering portraits. It produces |
| standard lens. For environmental portraits, (when | | | | harsh unpleasant shadows and causes the subject |
| you take a picture of someone and show some | | | | to squint. If you must shoot in the midday sun, |
| of their surroundings) 50mm is an ideal place to | | | | look for some shade in which to place the |
| start. It has a very similar viewpoint to what we | | | | subject. It will be a lot easier to get a good shot |
| see with our eyes and so gives us a very natural | | | | and the light is far more controllable. One of my |
| looking environmental portrait. Be careful not to | | | | favorite techniques is to sit the subject on the |
| go too wide, say much below 35mm as the wider | | | | ground, a few feet under the branches of a tree. |
| angle produces unflattering distortions. The longer | | | | I then place a white reflector on the floor in front |
| end of the zoom range is great for three quarter | | | | of them, this bounces light into the shadows that |
| length/head and shoulder shots. This combined | | | | are typically under the eyes and nose. The light |
| with a wide aperture can separate the subject | | | | coming in from behind you will give you a lovely |
| from the background by throwing the background | | | | catchlight in their eyes and you will get an |
| nicely out of focus. | | | | excellent portrait. |
| Although the standard zoom lens is excellent for | | | | Another popular technique is to place the subject |
| portraits, most professional photographers prefer | | | | with their back to the sun. This avoid the horrible |
| something a little longer. I personally use the | | | | shadows but you now have another problem, |
| Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro lens which is out of this | | | | exposure. If the sun is behind the subject the |
| world for head shots, the fast aperture blurring | | | | camera can get fooled into underexposing the |
| the background and the telephoto really flatters | | | | face. In this scenario I either use spot metering or |
| the sitter. I think anything above 100mm is too | | | | dial in some exposure compensation, a stop or so |
| much unless your going for a full length shot and | | | | should do it. |
| you want that perspective compression effect on | | | | |