Research different settings e.g. outdoors, indoors Outdoor Portrait outdoor settings – ‘Blurring the background is the key to classic portrait shots, to direct attention to the main subject. Using a standard zoom lens, set the focal length to between 50 and 100mm. Set your camera to Aperture Priority and select the largest aperture available on your lens, such as f/4 or f/5.6. While the aperture and the depth of field are important, you also need to watch the shutter speed. Make sure you’re using a shutter speed of at least 1/125sec to freeze any camera shake or subject movement. You also need to set the Autofocus mode to single or one shot, and select the focus point so that it’s over the eye of the subject.’ Location One of the great things about outdoor portrait photography is that you can shoot almost anywhere, from your back garden to a glorious tropical beach. But it’s important to know how to get the most out of any location you choose. There are few hard and fast rules when it comes to working a location. If the location adds to your portrait, you can include the background, but if the location isn’t particularly photogenic, try using limited depth of field or tight framing to concentrate attention on your subject. For the most striking portraits, it’s often best to keep things simple, so try to shoot against uncluttered backgrounds such as the sky, a wall or foliage. This will help your subject stand out. However, like most rules, there are times when it’s best to break them – particularly when you’re shooting environmental portraits where you want to show the surroundings almost as much as the subject itself. Composition and framing Try to position either your subject’s face (on a half or full-length portrait) or eyes (on a head-and-shoulders or close-up shot) using the rule of thirds. This gives a much more balanced composition than if they are in the centre of the frame. When shooting closer than full length, you’ll need to think carefully about framing. A good rule of thumb is to avoid cropping the portrait so that any joints such as knees or elbows come too close to the edges of the frame. http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/09/03/shoot-like-a-pro-outdoor-portrait- photography-made-easy/2/
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Transcript
Research different settings e.g. outdoors, indoors
Outdoor Portrait outdoor settings –
‘Blurring the background is the key to classic portrait shots, to direct attention to the main subject. Using a standard zoom lens, set the focal length to between 50 and 100mm. Set your camera to Aperture Priority and select the largest aperture available on your lens, such as f/4 or f/5.6.
While the aperture and the depth of field are important, you also need to watch the shutter speed. Make sure you’re using a shutter speed of at least 1/125sec to freeze any camera shake or subject movement. You also need to set the Autofocus mode to single or one shot, and select the focus point so that it’s over the eye of the subject.’
Location
One of the great things about outdoor portrait photography is that you can shoot almost
anywhere, from your back garden to a glorious tropical beach. But it’s important to know how to
get the most out of any location you choose.
There are few hard and fast rules when it comes to working a location. If the location adds to
your portrait, you can include the background, but if the location isn’t particularly photogenic, try
using limited depth of field or tight framing to concentrate attention on your subject.
For the most striking portraits, it’s often best to keep things simple, so try to shoot against
uncluttered backgrounds such as the sky, a wall or foliage. This will help your subject stand out.
However, like most rules, there are times when it’s best to break them – particularly when you’re
shooting environmental portraits where you want to show the surroundings almost as much as
the subject itself.
Composition and framing
Try to position either your subject’s face (on a half or full-length portrait) or eyes (on a head-and-
shoulders or close-up shot) using the rule of thirds. This gives a much more balanced
composition than if they are in the centre of the frame.
When shooting closer than full length, you’ll need to think carefully about framing. A good rule of
thumb is to avoid cropping the portrait so that any joints such as knees or elbows come too close