Portraits notes

Shoot a Formal Portrait

• prepare in advance; make list of all equipment and supplies needed
• practice set-up routine ahead of time
• be relaxed
• have friend assist and adjust location of lights and hold reflector

1. - background close to wall
-10-20 feet of clear space in front of background, plus room to sides
-background can be a roll of paper, background cloth, or wall
-stool in front 4-6 feet from background
2. -light about 45 degrees to right of subject
-reflector on subject's left side, about 3-4 feet away
3. -camera directly in front, 6-10 feet
-talk to subject, guide how to pose

Camera Settings

• formal portrait- shoot with wide open aperture to make the background out of focus
• normal lenses= f/2 or f/2.8
• zoom lenses= f/3.5 or f/4.5
• these f-stops will keep subject in focus and the background out of focus
• wide-open aperture-=increase shutter speed on camera

Lighting for Formal Portraits
Indoors

• place one light 45 degrees angle on one side of subject
• use reflector on opposite side

Outdoors

• direct sunlight isn't the best lighting for portraits
• shooting in open shade good idea
• reflector to light up any shadows, 3-6 feet away
• cloudy days are great

The Candid Portrait

• don't try to pose your subject
• take w/o subject noticing
• include your subject's surroundings
• be sensitive to subject's facial expressions
• include high and low perspectives, close-in and distance shots

Camera settings

• faster shutter speed like 1/250 and higher= freeze action
• use low built-in flash or accessory flash= get closer within range

5 random pictures

Self Portrait

This is how I identify myself because fashion is a big part of my life and I take great care when I'm going out to make sure what I wear really expresses what I want it to. I try on a lot of things before coming up with the perfect outfit because its all part of a process. AI also shot it in black and white because I prefer it over color because it gives a more stylistic mood and it also describes my mood and personality.

Notes (108-113)

Working with People

• must work together to create an image that says what both people want it to say about the person in the photo
• portrait photographer learn to b4ecome comfortable in front of people and interact with them

Camera Formats

• balance btw having enough detail and being able to respond quickly to your subject
• candid and environmental portraits, 35mm cameras are perfect- fast to operate; won't capture as much detail as you may need for formal portraits

Film Choices for Portraits
Film Speed

• slow films (50-100 ISO)- finger grain captures more detail and creates smoother looking image, which makes them good for formal portraits; slow film= tripod
• fast films (400-3200ISO)- faster films= mores sensitive to light and are ideally suited to available- light photography, like candid and environmental portraits; doesn't capture fine details nearly as well; you can handhold the camera

B&W or Color?

• b&w can focus attention on subject;formal, serious quality;edgy
• color can carry feelings and impressions

Equipment Choices: Lenses for Portraits
24mm

• distortion is obvious in portrait
• too close to subject

50mm

• distortion decreased

100mm

• near normal perspective, w/o any distortion

Camera Accessories

• tripod- 3-legged metal stand on which you can mount camera; best for stationary subjects, rather than fast moving situations
• cable release- flexible wire, one end of which attaches to camera's shutter release; when pressed,lets you trip the shutter w/o touching and jarring the camera
• reflector- anything that will reflect light into shadows to lighten them for a flattering and 3-D portrait

The Formal Portrait

• simplest portrait style and should emphasize the person and nothing else
• can be anything from a close-up of the face to a full-length view of a person

Julia Margaret Cameron (England, 1815-1879)

• Victorian photographer
• started at 48yrs
• began to photograph neighbors and friends, sometimes making straight portraits of them, other times dressing them up in costumes to act out scenes
• self-taught
• was one of 1st people to approach photography as an art, and not just as a way to document the world around her

notes (p. 102-107)

Portraits

• People are most popular subjects
• self portraits- way to explore who we are to ourselves and to other people, and who we want to be
• reveal truth about ourselves or other people
• can also be fictional stories-photo fiction

Early Portrait Photography

• Photography replaced painting as primary medium of portraits
• nearly everyone could afford photos
• Gaspard-Felix Tournachon (1820-1910)- 1st great portrait photography, started photographing in France in 1853; known as "Nadar"; produced "speaking likeness"portraits that revealed his subjects' personalities
• August Sander (Germany, 1876-1964), created some of 1st environment portraits- showing the setting of his subjects' lives and work

Creating Portrait Photos
Thinking Artistically

• value- range of light and dark areas in a photo
• keep in mind location of light and dark areas
• can provide sense of depth in an image
• values can also bring emotional content to a photograph

Shape and Form

• shapes can be organic, w/flowing curves and irregular outlines, or can be geometric
• presenting your subjects as the dominant shape you can emphasize him or her

Photo Essay

locked up

good morning sunshine

scaring neighbors

FOOD!

nice stroll

stalking neighbors



duty calls




game time