Wanting to do Portraits

[Mgw189]

I have been playing around now for about three years with photography. Mostly concentrating on landscape and artistic type things. I dont have much for portraiture work although I am looking to change that in the near future. It will be a slow process however.

Equipment wise I have

Sony Alpha A100
Kit 18-70
70-300 5.6
Cheapo slave flash
I have various work lights clamp lights and a big 500w halogen light.


Want list
New body
Speed light
50mm f1.7
lighting
reflector
Backgrounds

I did one shoot this summer for my step daughters prom below are some of the better results. I would really like some input from the more experienced people as far as sites you have used or found useful or any equipment that I dont have listed that you would say is a priority.

#1 A foreign exchange couple that was here last year.
What I see wrong is the dark areas on here face I am thinking a reflector would have helped with this.

My step daughter.
What I see. The lighting is a little harsh, HER POSE, facial expressions, her hair and bra oh and that little branch growing out of her head which is easy enough to PP out.

Most happy with this shot of my step daughter and her date.
What I see. Her eyes are a little darker than I would like them to be. A reflector to help with that?

 

[tbphotography]

i prefer a fill flash over a reflector...

 

[Mgw189]

i prefer a fill flash over a reflector...

I can understand that. Just looking at pricing issues reflectors are $50 where as a flash is going to be $200 - $500 depending on model and options.

 

[tbphotography]

I hear ya! i've been a professional wedding/lifestyle photographer for two years now and I just buy the cheap digital concept flashes and use them as slaves for fill flash. it works, just bought me a new one for $30 for an upcoming model shoot. hey, $30-50 on cheap flashes every two years isn't bad... and they actually work (surprising for the cost)

here's the link

 

[Kegger]

As much as I use flash, I prefer reflectors and diffusers. Much softer results unless shooting with softboxes and umbrellas. They allow you to use the light that is already provided, and even out a lot of the lighting without blowing your highlights.

 

[bdavis]

I'd say a reflector would be a nice option if you are interested in saving money...plus you don't have to worry about all the settings for the flash (not sure if you know about this). Also when photographing outside, maybe you could try placing them in a shady area and cropping in close which should eliminate the harsh effects of the sun. Shooting them early in the morning or later in the day could help too. Also, another option is having an assistant standing on a chair, ladder, etc and holding a light diffuser between the sun and the subjects, that will soften the lighting and get a much more natural feel. Just my 2 cents....

They are really nice pictures though, keep it up!

 

[K_Pugh]

I would say the first thing you should invest in is a good lens, the 50mm you mentioned will be good - Look at the top-left corner of the 2nd image!!

 

[Kegger]

Holy crap!!! Yeah, I agree good glass first. The CA is horrible in that picture.

 

[Mgw189]

LOL yeah I noticed the CA as well however I think its more a product of PP than the lens itself. I applied some Unsharpmask to the image and made it worse. The 50mm is the first thing on my list of stuff to buy. These shots were taken later in the day maybe two hours before sunset.