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People Photography

peoplephotography potriat

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5 replies to this topic

#1
Nikon16

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Hello,

I am a equine photographer but I am doing a photo shoot for my friend of them self. I shoot with a Nikon D7100 and a 55-200mm lens. I will be outside in a park for this photo shoot and was wondering if anyone could recommend some good settings. I will link a photo of a prior shoot I did with my D3300 with another friend in the same park.

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#2
nbanjogal

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Hi there! Your 55-200 lens should be pretty decent for portraits--if I were you, I'd try keep my focal length on that zoom around 85mm (though anywhere up to 135mm can still be flattering for human portraits...you're on a crop-sensor though, so maybe not quite to 135mm).

 

I'm assuming you're using natural light, right?

 

Are you comfortable shooting in Manual mode? This answer assumes you are.

 

Your aperture can't go too wide on that lens, but you may want to open it as far as you can (probably around f/4) so that you get some nice bokeh. The image you posted above seems a bit underexposed in the shadows--even though you got some nice rim light, you might want to try exposing for the shadows rather than the highlights if this is where you will be shooting your next set. (Set your camera for spot metering--unless you have an external meter.)

 

As for ISO and shutter speed--just adjust those as needed to get the exposure you want with the aperture you have chosen. As long your shutter speed isn't so slow that you get camera shake, they are a bit more flexible. When I shoot portraits I am most interested in aperture and getting the depth of field I want. Shutter speed and ISO are complements to that, if that makes sense.

 

If you are not comfortable shooting in Manual mode, Aperture priority is a great option for portraits.



#3
dcbear78

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I agree with Nicole (although I'm the kind of person to shoot at 200mm and be a mile away to get the bokeh).

My 2 cents is to think about where you are placing your subject in your surroundings. Look for leading lines and natural things to frame your subject like archways etc. Also having your subject further away from the background helps with bokeh and subject isolation.

#4
leighgion

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While the wrong settings can ruin your photos, the right settings are only a small part of getting a good photo.

 

Going by your example, I agree with Nicole that you need to consider how you light your subject even if it's how you position them in natural light. 

 

I would also add that the "head in the middle of the frame" is a generally undesirably composition, as you have a lot of negative space that isn't adding anything. 



#5
nikdood17

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First things first. You need to look at the light. The light on the young lady's face is not particularly flattering for her. A flat, soft, even light is very good for portraits. You can't see her eyes in the photo either. You need to concentrate on the face, not the background. A guy most times does not mind looking rugged in a photo but the ladies mostly do not. Heavy shadows and uneven lighting might do for a modern day Errol Flynn but not Lana Turner, if you know who those olde time actors are.



#6
Dogbytes

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Good advice here already but if you're looking to get a portrait of your friend, rather than an environmental portrait, then fill the frame with her a bit more.

 

With the lens you're using you can pick any length you want and you won't go far wrong - it's not short enough to give an unflattering perspective. I'd go as long as you can without the aperture closing down too much and introducing the problem of camera shake. Having said that, if you're happy working that way you can always stick it on a tripod.

 

Out in the woods you probably have room to separate your subject from the background by physically moving her away from it - so working with your lens wide open, even if that only means f5.6, should be fine.

 

Finally, if you're close enough, and this'll be controversial :D, I'd use that oft-maligned pop-up flash, set to under-expose a stop or two (depending on the light levels), just to fill the shadows. Pop-up flash is often terrible when used as a significant proportion of the illumination of a subject but it can be fine just to add a quick, hassle-free, fill-in to get rid of some of the worst contrast.

 

Looking forward to seeing how you get on.