Posts Tagged ‘flash’

Taking Great Outdoor Portraits Part 1

When most people think of portrait photography, they think of a camera perched upon a tripod, studio lighting,and a canvas backdrop. But most photographers don’t have access to professional studios, and honestly, it’s not necessary for capturing good portraits. All you really need is a willing subject, a decent outdoor setting, and your camera. Then you can can start capturing those outstanding images.

Here are some of my magic rules for great outdoor portraits:

Use fill flash.
If you really want to impress your subjects, position them in the
open shade with a nice background in the distance. Then turn on the fill flash and make sure
you’re standing within 10 feet (so the flash can reach the
subject). Your shots will be beautiful. Turning on the flash outdoors is a trick that
wedding photographers have been using for years.

Get close to your subject.
The tighter you frame your shot, the more impact it
will have. Extend your zoom lens and move to
create more powerful images. Once you’ve moved in close,
and have shot a series of images, get closer and shoot
again.

Communicate.
Communicate with your subjects and try to put them at ease.
Nobody likes the silent treatment from the photographer. It
makes them feel like you’re unhappy with how the shoot is
going.

And last Be Kind.
Be kind to your models and they’ll reward you with great shots.
Avoid busy backgrounds. Bright colors, linear patterns, and
chaotic landscape elements will detract from your compositions.
Look for continuous tones without the hum of distracting
elements.

To be continued...