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 Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:55 pm
This Christmas, the husband and I are going up to visit his family, and rather than buying tons of gifts, I figured we could make a bunch of portraits at the Christmas Eve party and print them out. It's a small space, and there will probably be around 15 people there, so they'll have to be split up into smaller groups. Going outside isn't really as I'll be working with young children and elderly, and it's gonna be pretty cold in Missouri.. so..
I need some advice.
I'll probably have the groups posed on the living room couch. I need some help on how to get decent quality with the gear I'll have with me. Here's what I will have:
Nikon D40
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Lens: Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR (vibration reduction)
60 inch tripod w/bubble level
43 inch 5-in-1 collapsible reflector (Translucent, White, Black, Silver, Gold)
Wireless remote for camera shutter
I may set people up in chairs around/in front of the Christmas tree instead of just sitting them on the couch, but it seems like that may make the photos a little more "Let's just pull this out with Christmas decorations" instead of a year-long thing. The lighting is decent in that room, and I'll use the reflector even out the shadows on their faces... Then, of course, I'll do some editing in Photoshop...
I'm currently in three photo courses, so I'll know more by the time December rolls around, but I'd like to get input from you guys. Is there anything in particular I could do to increase the quality of the photos? I know the tip of having the people in the photo leaning toward each other... any other tips?
Thanks in advance!
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:25 am
If at all possible try to use natural light. Photography loves natural light! Open blinds, curtains, what ever. It will make the picture look much nicer.
Flash light can be harsh. If you have an external flash please use that, and bounce the light off the ceiling or walls. I would never ever use the built in flash for a portrait. It gets SUPER harsh.
Portraits are fun, so above all make sure you have fun with it, and your family has fun with it. If they are all wondering why they are still there, the photo will look forced. If you can get them all to actually smile at the same time, shoot then! Especially with shots with multiple people, you should keep your little trigger finger ready. Sometimes the best shot isn't posed or planned at all, and if you aren't ready, you'll miss it.
Last thing, don't cut off any body parts. With portraits I tend to frame the shot so I have some extra border space around the people I'm shooting. It helps to keep from cutting them apart, and I can crop it to where I like it later.
Thats my 2 cents. I hope it helps! P
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Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 1:35 am
Kokihi If at all possible try to use natural light. Photography loves natural light! Open blinds, curtains, what ever. It will make the picture look much nicer. Flash light can be harsh. If you have an external flash please use that, and bounce the light off the ceiling or walls. I would never ever use the built in flash for a portrait. It gets SUPER harsh. Portraits are fun, so above all make sure you have fun with it, and your family has fun with it. If they are all wondering why they are still there, the photo will look forced. If you can get them all to actually smile at the same time, shoot then! Especially with shots with multiple people, you should keep your little trigger finger ready. Sometimes the best shot isn't posed or planned at all, and if you aren't ready, you'll miss it. Last thing, don't cut off any body parts. With portraits I tend to frame the shot so I have some extra border space around the people I'm shooting. It helps to keep from cutting them apart, and I can crop it to where I like it later. Thats my 2 cents. I hope it helps! P Great suggestions!! I'm gonna add that when opening all those curtains, be careful of a window behind a group and flash back or silhouetting
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