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Beginner portrait tutorial (video)

portrait tutorial d3100 natural light reflector mike brehaut guernsey

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11 replies to this topic

#1
Mike Brehaut

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Hi all

 

I've been making some video tutorials with tips on photographing various subjects.  

 

Here is my latest on portrait photography if anyone would like to see it :)

 

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=NVCglwSB-rQ

 

Any feedback would be welcome.

 

Cheers

Mike



#2
K-9

K-9

    Jamie

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Excellent instructional portrait video, Mike.  Easy to follow and to the point.  Dispels the myth about having to buy the biggest and most expensive camera out there to get the best results. 

 

I personally have found using f1.8 a little risky in portraiture, in that if a model turns even slightly one way or another, you risk one eye being out of focus.  I generally try to stay with at least f2 or f2.8 for this reason.`



#3
alden

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That was great! Excellent tips, and you covered most of the lighting situations encountered outdoors. 

 

You used an 85mm 1.8 manual lens? Is that a Nikkor lens?



#4
Mike Brehaut

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Hi K9, thanks, I'm going to make some more video's this weekend and again, just use the basic gear.  

 

I think people get to carried away with gear and forget what great pictures you can take with natural light.  Looking for the good light is a skill I teach a lot on my courses :) 

 

Hi Alden, cheers :)  The lens is a standard 85mm f/1.8G, so with a crop factor on this camera it was closer to 130mm.  I was tempted to use the 50mm f/1.4 but do love the look of the 85.

 

Cheers, I'll post the next vid next week.



#5
alden

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OK Mike. Thanks for that info. 

 

I only have a 50mm f/1.8 so far, which seems to be a pretty good portrait lens (it's like a 75mm in a DX format) but I see a lot of photogs like using the 85mm or 105mm for their portrait work. 



#6
K-9

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    Jamie

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Yes, simplicity works most of the time with lighting. I've owned flashguns as long as I've owned SLR style cameras, but usually find myself only pulling them out for weddings, where they are a must. Other than that, I use reflectors and natural light outdoors. It's really all you need.

#7
Graham McArthur

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Thanks for posting the video. I think it is excellent and I am looking forward to seeing more. I know that it takes a lot of time and effort to make these short videos, but they are greatly appreciated by beginners like me. Portraits are what I enjoy the most, but I am not a big fan of posed portraits and prefer to take candid portraits (mostly of friends and people I already know). Candids are a lot of fun and that is what I want from my photography.



#8
Maddie H.

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I enjoyed the video! Fantastic instruction.



#9
alden

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My 55-300mm f/4.5 zoom actually makes for a pretty sharp portrait lens at about 100mm. Just not a whole lot of bokah at f/4.5 but a lot of that depends on how close I am physically to the subject and how far away the background is.



#10
Mike Brehaut

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Yes, the distance of subject to lens and background to subject is all important, your lens would be good at 200mm too.  At these lengths it's important to keep it as still as possible but in good light you can push the shutter speed to 1/250th which would help.



#11
Stas

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Thank you, Mike. Greate video with interesting points. Post more)



#12
Mike Brehaut

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Thanks Stas, I've just posted a new one if you have a look at the You Tube channel https://www.youtube....5Mhp3AaHPN8Jscg

 

Cheers :)







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