What's the key to a good portrait?

[DeadEye]

Derrel is spot on about the equipment choice. Its experance talking.

FF is best. Speedo is quality rock solid dependable and cheep on ebay.

I use speedo with 1d mkIII,not FF but bigger than dx,I wish for a 1ds or 5d

Craig uses speedo too

Working pro tools to make the job more easy.


I say as a student use what you have. Learn Learn Learn

I learned on film then on xti.

Shoot the film and dslr both on same subject to see your own results.

Cheers Dan

 

[mariusz]

the use of light!

 

[JerryPH]

Why at the ripe age of 17 are you interested in shooting retail photography?

At 17, I was more interested in "shooting" girls than retail photography... lol

I agree that for ULTIMATE final results, a FF helps, but to get good portrait shots a FF camera is *far* from mandatory.

Knowledge and lighting will get you 80% of the way there. The other 20% you can pick up with the FX camera once you can afford it. Lenses make a bigger difference than just the DX vs FX issue, IMHO.

This coming from someone that owns FX and DX cameras.

 

[Village Idiot]

Not following the rules...

 

[SanDiegoPhotographer]

I got into photography when i was 16 in high school and started with a Nikon N75 and a 28-90. Now at 21 I own my own company and have upgraded to the Nikon D300 and shoot portraits with my 50mm 1.8. Nothing special at all but people pay me and they enjoy their photos. I even teach classes.

The reason I stated this is because depending on how you define photographic success it is certainly possible for you to take your passion to another level at a young age and do it quickly.

When it comes to taking portraits you need to practice, practice, practice. I still don't even think I am that great and I will always be constantly looking to improve. In order to do this you need to get some of your friends, guys and girls and ask to shoot them for fun (make sure they are photogenic and at least want to be in front of the camera) By doing this it doesn't matter if the pics are good or not. You are able to play with different techniques and experiment with the equipment you currently have. I would even recommend working at a local camera store for a little while. I worked at a Ritz Camera and found it to be the better than any class I ever took. I was able to learn about all the different equipment and play with it.

So my final bit of advice is you got to be confident. When taking your pictures act like you know what you are doing even if you don't. This makes you and your subject feel better and the photos will come out better because of it.

I hope this helps

 

[JerryPH]

...make sure they are photogenic

When taking your pictures act like you know what you are doing even if you don't.

Well, if you can make the people who are not all that photogenic and make them look good, to me, that is a bigger challenge than having some supermodel look-a-like just stand and smile for me. There is a lot less effort involved to make a supermodel look good vs someone who is more ordinary.

When I was learning from scratch at the start, I was sincere... 100% sincere... my subjects knew I was inexperienced, but that I would do my best all the time. I always made light of it and just relaxed and did my thing as I tried to help the model do her thing in the direction I thought I wanted.

"Acting" doesn't cut it for me in any aspect of my life... either you are, or want to be experienced and "acting" and/or "faking" are just too close to my way of thinking and I avoid that mindset.

Confidence comes from experience and experience comes from making MANY mistakes, thousands of pictures and lots of practice. Be yourself and enjoy the process, confident or not.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Next year, in college, I'm hoping to get an intern spot with a local photography group. They specialize in portraits (like school shots, sports, family, modeling, etc.). What is the key to a good portrait shot? After my year or two, or maybe 4, what kind of equipment would I need to look at getting. Rolling with a Nikon D60, Nikkor 18-55 and 55-200mm (need a better lens yes?) and a SB-600.

If you're interning I imagine this group will teach you how they want you to shoot for them. What you say of this group makes me think of retail photography and this kind of companies usually have a set way of doing things that they don't like their people to deviate from too much.

I have never worked for this kind of companies so I'm not sure how they decide who they hire but I would think it is more a question of your understanding of the basics of photography and your teachability than any thing else.

With this type of company, it used to be that you would go out on assignments with a trainer for a while and when the trainer decided you could go on your own, meaning you could deliver what the company wanted, you would set "free."

It seems to me they also gave you the equipment to work with.

Now, I'm an old fart and I'm sure some things have changed but, if this is what you want to do, I would worry more about what gets you hired than anything else.

 

[ArmoredPersonel48698]

If you're interning I imagine this group will teach you how they want you to shoot for them. What you say of this group makes me think of retail photography and this kind of companies usually have a set way of doing things that they don't like their people to deviate from too much.

It's actually a newspaper. A local one at that. I'd be interning with their "photographer." Hell, I can take better pictures than him with my phone. He's pathetic.

I have never worked for this kind of companies so I'm not sure how they decide who they hire but I would think it is more a question of your understanding of the basics of photography and your teachability than any thing else.

I know of some of the basics of photography. I'm just starting to "master" lighting, flash, effects, etc.

With this type of company, it used to be that you would go out on assignments with a trainer for a while and when the trainer decided you could go on your own, meaning you could deliver what the company wanted, you would set "free."

Meh. I doubt they would set me free. Considering I'm in school for 8:15 - 3:15, and taking pictures for my schools yearbook after that, it'd be kind of difficult to intern with anyone, much less have a job.

It seems to me they also gave you the equipment to work with.

Actually my friend, that's my stuff.

 

[ScottsdaleImages]

I read all the advice, and to me everyone missed one key element to a good portrait. Yes, I agree, decent equipment is important, lighting is important, and so is confidence in your ability. BUT, no one mentioned creating the expression on the subject. And thats a talent. Esp if you are talking retail. high-volume. If you can create good expressions in your subject, the other aspects are often overlooked. And you will make a sale of your images.
I spent 4 years working for high volume photo companies, Fraternal Composite Service, the nations leading Fraternity/Sorority Composite creater, where I photographed over 40,000 people in 3 yrs. I won awards for creating great expressions because thats what sold the photo. I then spent another yr at Olan Mills and recieved another award for expressions. The sales people loved my images, because the subjects looked great and the parents bought the images.

You can have basic equipment and simple lighting, a strong confidence in your ability and a talent at making people smile and capturing it and you can make a nice living.

 

[skieur]

The key to great portraiture is simple. Use your skill to flatter the subject, photographically.

skieur

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I think the key to a good portrait is a connection between the viewer and the subject.

You can light it however you want, and it can be the most amazing light in the universe, but if the picture doesn't tell the viewer anything, it fails.

You can use a large format camera, a hasselblad, FX, DX, 4/3rds, or a compact/disposable, great portraits can be made with any. Henri Cartier-Bresson rarely used anything but a 50mm on his 35mm and we all know who he is.


The key is connection, look in a Natl. Geographic, alot of the portraits are poorly lit, on DX cameras with tons of noise or grain, but they're good portraits because the viewer can connect with the subjects.

 

[Mike_E]

Their feet or their butts.

Whichever they are putting their weight on.

Just like a photography career- just like life- the first thing you have to have is a good foundation, after that everything else falls into place.