ok, so im about to do my first portrait

[blakklabelx]

my cameras not that great, (fujifilm s5700), and im gonna do a black and white, low angle portrait with the sky in the background. im not sure which f-stop to use, or shutterspeed. any tips?

 

[MarcusM]

My biggest recommendation would be to read and practice - There is no "best f-stop or shutter speed" to use - it all depends on the shot you are going for, the time of day, the lighting, etc.

I'm assuming you're not getting paid, so just mess around with the settings and see what the results are - take several shots and test it out.

"Understanding Exposure" is a good beginner's book.

 

[KhronoS]

Maybe in your case just mess around with the aperture witch affects the depth of field... usually in a portrait it's nice to have a blurred background which pops out the portrait
Good luck..

 

[tirediron]

Marcus is bang on; there is no "best setting" although you'll want a shutter speed of at least 1/125 to freeze any small movement. More important than that however is your lighting. Portraits are all about the lighting and exposure; getting the highlights correct, avoiding deap shadows, making sure the DoF is appropriate. This is far more than can even be touched on here. I would strongly suggest stopping at your local library and checking some books on portraiture and reading up on at least the basics of composition, exposure and lighting, otherwise, both you and subject(s) may well be disapointed.