pg. 114--119

How to Shoot a Formal Portrait

1.       There should be about 10-20 feet of clear space in front of the background, plus some room to the sides. Put a stool in front of the background about 4-6 feet in front of the background.

2.       Place the light about 45 degrees to the right side of the subject

3.       Set the camera directly in front of the subject, anywhere from 6-10 feet away. The more telephoto the lens is the further away you’ll have to be.

Camera Settings

·         It is a good idea to shoot with wide open aperture to make the background out of focus

Lighting for Formal Portraits

Indoors

·         Place one light at approximately a 45 – degree angle on one side or the other of your subject.

·         Use a reflector on the opposite side of the subject from the light

Outdoors

·         Try shooting in open shade, such as the shadow of a building or tree

·         Cloudy days are great for photographing

The Candid Portrait

·         Capture a person going about everyday life and activities

·         Don’t try to pose your subject, try to take the photograph without the subject noticing you.

·         Be sure to include your subject’s surroundings in candid portraits

Camera Settings

·         For candid subjects you might take action shots

·         If your camera has flash you can use it for candid portraits

Enterprise

Self Portrait

Journal Notes Chapter 5 pgs. 108-113

Working with People

·         A portrait is usually a collaborative project between the subject and the photographer

·         A successful portrait photographer learns to become comfortable in front of people and interact with them.

·         Make your subjects feel at ease

 

Camera Formats

Thinking Artistically

·         Value is an important design element to consider when creating a portrait

·         Keep in mind the location of the light source in an image

·         Values can also bring emotional content to a photograph

·         You can also use light and dark values to emphasize certain aspects of your subject

Camera Accessories

·         Tripod- Three legged metal stand

·         Cable Release- Flexible wire one end of which attaches to the camera’s shutter release

·         Reflector- Anything that will reflect light into the shadows 

The Formal Portrait

·         Is the simplest portrait style and should emphasize the person and nothing else

·         Place the person in front of a neutral background.

·         You should decide how much of the subject you want to show