Portrait photography

[clio_chris]

Ive been wanting to get into portrait photography for a while now but I've got no experience at all with it. Does anyone have any tips for it, aswell as working with models?

Cheers guys!

 

[GaryS]

Get a decent lighting set up and learn how to use it, practice on friends, make the models feel relaxed.

 

[Bash]

do as many test shots as you can with friends then approach some of the "lesser" agencies first with your portfolio (I do assume you have other photography work). And do some more test shots for them, then approach a company like the blue rooms http://www.thebluerooms.net/ with you portfolio and ask them for a job. Work there for a few years and then keep harassing the top agencies for a model for a test.

 

[clio_chris]

Ah yeah I have other photographic work, but it's mainly been with landscape/waterscape/architecture etc.

Thats some great advice, thanks guys

 

[Brown.]

Make sure you experiment with a prime lens, canon's 50mm f/1.8 is exellent and cheap....stay away from wide angle part or a zoom if your using a zoom as barrel distortion will give you alien style heads

if you feel weird with getting close to people, use a zoom lens, but lighting will have to be spot on....no on-camera flash unless its a ring type that mounts around the lens, you do use on camera or built in flash diffuse it or bounce it off an adjacent wall if possible......you tube is your friend!!.

 

[18tooo]

also take a look at http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/ great advice about off camera lighting (essential for most decent portraiture) and some tips for doing it on-the-cheap!

also once you get into it, post pictures to flickr groups/internet forums i've had some really useful advice that way

 

[clio_chris]

Thats awesome guys, ill have a read of them and post stuff up when i can