the basics of portrait photography - part 1€¦ · portrait photography origin and etymology of...

Presented by Richard Sudbury www.richardsudbury.com www.facebook.com/richardsudburycreative

The Basics of Portrait Photography - Part 1at

Cirencester Camera Clubon

Monday 25th September 2017

Basics of Portrait Photography - Part 1



Plan of Attack

Part 1: 25th Sept.

• Style of portraits

• Lighting

• Framing

• Technical choices

• Equipment

• Inspiration

Part 2: 23rd Oct.

• Lighting setups

• Angle of light

• Height of light

• Type of light

• Other factors

Part 3: 29th Jan.

• Posing & working with a model or subject

• Framing

• Focus

• Styling

• Practical photography with a model?

Part 4: 26th Feb.

• Global post-processing

• Retouching

• Q & A


Portrait Photography

Origin and Etymology of Portrait: Middle French, from past participle of ‘portraire’ - to portray.

A photograph of a person. Capturing the personality of the subject by using effective lighting, backdrops and poses. Often it is desirable to capture the subject's eyes and face in sharp focus while allowing other less important elements to be rendered in a soft focus.



Types of Portrait Photography

ConstructionalistWhen the photographer constructs an idea around the portrait - hard man/woman, intellectual or a trustworthy executive for example. It is the approach used in most studio and social photography. It is also used extensively in advertising and marketing when an idea has to be put across.




EnvironmentalDepicting the subject in an environment, be that a work, leisure, social or family one. They are often shown as doing something, an artist in a studio, a child in a playground. With the environmental approach more can be revealed about the subject. Environmental pictures can have good historical and social significance as primary sources of information.




CandidWhere people are photographed without their knowledge going about their daily business. Street photography, wedding & event photography can all be good examples of the candid style and like environmental portraiture, is important as a historical source of information.




Style of PortraitsHigh KeyLosing detail in the highlights.

Mid KeyKeeping detail in both the highlights & shadows.

Low KeyLosing detail in the shadows.



Style of PortraitsHigh Key - VariationsTop row by photographed by me, bottom row thanks to various sources online.



Style of PortraitsMid Key - VariationsTop row by photographed by me, bottom row thanks to various sources online.



Style of PortraitsLow Key - VariationsTop row by photographed by me, bottom row thanks to various sources online.



LightingControlling Considerations

Light is what allows us to see. It is what shapes and colours every object we can see with out eyes, it creates depth, mood, and colour. The word photography comes from ‘photo’ = ‘light’ and ‘graphy’ = ‘writing’, so photography essentially means ‘light writing’. There are 5 main things to think about when you are controlling light:

1. Exposure - how bright or dark the image is or needs to be

2. Quality - how focused or diffused the light is, how hard or soft to use other terms

3. Colour - the colour of the light in an image, setting the WB correctly to ensure correct colours

4. Direction - what angle the light is coming from and where the shadows fall

5. Contrast - the difference between the highlights and the shadows



1. ExposureThe overall exposure of an image gives it a feeling, a different response from the viewer.

The darker the image - the more ominous, scary or moody the portrait will feel. The lighter the image - the more dreamy, friendly or romantic the portrait will feel.



2. QualityBasically how hard or soft the light is.



3. ColourThe temperature of the lights, diffusers or gels being used will effect how the subject is coloured. So setting your white balance, in camera or in post, is essential. Shooting RAW allows you more flexibility and using a grey card or colour passport allows you to sample colours to cool or warm them up.



4. DirectionWhat angle the light is coming from and where the shadows fall. Adding drama and shape to the face.



5. ContrastBasically a combination of most of the previous considerations, the exposure, the quality, the direction, all add up to the amount of contrast in the image. How much shape is shown and how strong the differences are between the highlights and the shadows, as well as where they are on the face. Trying to avoid midtonitus - if images are too flat, they lose shape and often interest too.



Framing choicesFull body, 3/4 body, 1/2 body, shoulders and head, face or cropped in to the face. There is no right or wrong here really, there can be good and bad treatments, as well as badly framed or cropped images - but as with the lighting the framing of the subject can convey different feelings to the viewer.



OrientationUsually a portrait is shot in ‘Portrait’ orientation - shock, but ‘Landscape’ orientation works just as well but with more online ‘Profile’ style images being used the ‘Square’ format also needs to be considered and embraced.



Technical Camera SettingsFocus - Usually in auto, single point, on the closest eye to the camera...as a starting point.

Depth of Field - Aperture is set to create a completely black image with no lights firing...ambient light is removed, so the depth of field is dependent on that - but ambient light can be removed in other ways too, so you can have a shallower depth of field if you want it.

Shutter Speed - 1/160s is my starting point, as the Canon’s highest sync speed with my Bowens lights is that.

ISO - Always set to the camera’s native ISO, lowest usually - around 100, to give the least amount of noise and the sharpest images.

White Balance - Set in camera at 5600k, as that is roughly my lights temperature - give or take 200k, a grey card shot can be used to eye dropper in Lightroom to get a correct White Balance too.

Lenses - In studio I try to use a prime lens, not a zoom, better quality and consistency of image size. My two main lenses are the Canon 50mm f1.4 and the Sigma 105mm f2.8, but an 85mm is also seen as a very good portrait lens.

Lights - Setup one at a time, key light first - metered to match the desired Aperture on the camera, then any fill, hair, background lights are added and metered or adjusted manually to get the desired fills/separation/highlights/background tones.


Equipment

Studio Lights • Bowens Gemini 400Rx x4 Heads

Modifiers • Softboxes • Octaboxes • Beauty Dishes • Umbrellas • Reflectors • Snoots • Plus stands, arms, extenders, reflectors, grids, boards, vinyls, backdrops

Other Studio Essentials • Light Meter • Grey Cards • Remote Trigger • Sturdy Tripod • Tether Cables



Inspiration

Peter Hurley - US based headshot photographer of actors/singers/sports people

Andy Gotts - UK and US based headshot photographer of actors

Mario Testino - Peruvian born fashion/portrait photographer for people like Kate Moss used in Vogue

Annie Leibovitz - US portrait photographer/staff photographer for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair

David Bailey - British photographer considered one of the pioneers of contemporary photography

Platon - US photographer of political, musical and other famous types

Dan Winters - Another US photographer of political, musical and other famous types

Yousuf Karsh - Iconic portraitist of people like: Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, Pablo Picasso and others

Michael Muller - US photographer of actors/singers/sports people

But have an image search online for ‘Portrait Photographer/Photography’ and try to work out what style(s) you like, then try to find out who’s photographed them, then try to find out how - lighting setups, post-production, lenses etc.


the basics of portrait photography - part 1€¦ · portrait photography origin and etymology of...

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