Tips for Portrait Photography
Tips for Portrait Photography – by William S McIntosh
THE TWILIGHT PORTRAIT
The best time to make outdoor portraits is just before the sun comes up and just
before the sun goes down, especially on bright, sunny days. I live close to the
Atlantic Ocean, so most of my outdoor portraits are made in the sand dunes or on
the oceanfront. The same technique would also apply in wide open spaces without
trees or shade. It is possible to make portraits during normal daylight hours in
these conditions, but I find that most subjects squint a little because of the bright
sun. I also find the light to be very contrasty, resulting in very dark shadows.
For most twilight images, I used a bare bulb Lumedyne strobe, which covers a wider
angle for groups and gives a softer light. The standard 5-inch reflector concentrates
the light and will leave a harsh, dark shadow unless it is used very close to the
camera position. It is also more directional and would not have covered the groups
evenly from side to side if it was placed close to the subjects.
PORTRAITS IN THE HOME
The easy way to make portraits in the home is to take two umbrella strobes, pose
the family on a sofa or stuffed chair or in front of the fireplace, and make the
exposures. My method is a lot more involved. I like to tell a story about the people
by including space around them and filling the space with their paintings, sculpture,
personal artefacts, flowers, or anything they would like included in their portrait.
I pose them in the foreground in an attractive arrangement and light the background
like I was making a fine portrait of their home for Architectural Digest magazine.
I visit the home before the session, consult with the patron, and decide with them
how the portrait will be made. We talk about what clothes to wear and, if there
are children who are two to seven years old, I advise the parents to keep them out
of sight while my assistant and I are setting up the equipment. My method of photographing
children is to surprise them by making up stories about my stuffed animals and squeaky
toys. If they watch us getting ready for the shoot, there is no surprise and they
are bored with us before we start.
I use wide-angle lens for most all of my home portraits I carry at least four strobes
with me, and for a large room with other rooms behind it, I may carry six or seven,
strobes.
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