The Chair Portrait

Any amateur can set up this shot with just 2 elements. One light source and a chair.


Many professional portraits on location have been done using a backwards chair. It helps the subject's posture and if the camera is set to a 45 degree angle, the shoulders

set up at a pleasing angle. Of course the subject can look at you or not and the hands can do what ever you want. Woman can claps them together for a more feminine look and man can just hang them over the edge - for a manlier look. As for the light source? Well I used one inexpensive strobe, but since you don't have to worry about color cast by converting to B&W, you can use any bright spot (or even work) light.

I used my black background for this shot. You can put up a black blanket, or a brick wall, whatever you like - just make sure to underexpose it! That will make it dark and allow all the light (and attention) on your subject.

Simple portrait. And it was fun to do. (photographer's secret: He was wearing sweat pants). Might as well be comfortable...lol

POST: converted to B&W. Adjusted contrast.

Child Christmas Portrait on a Budget

Portraits at a mall studio are cheap. You can sign up for a yearly package and spend next to nothing (I'm told). And the results are "OK", but as you know, I HATE studio portraits. Living in northern, NJ I will allow them at only one time of the year. Christmas.

So my friend takes her son to one of those studios and has new portraits hanging up every month. They do a nice job but she was not satisfied with his Christmas shot. After bribing me with compliments and a free meal, I stopped by and got this shot for her. It was a very simple setup. They had just gotten their tree (not yet decorated) and propped in up in a corner near a window. Perfect! I set up my TTL flash, camera left, as my key light and used the window (that had a diffused shade) as my fill light on camera right. I liked the outcome and spent only 7 minutes in Photoshop Elements. Adjusted color and saturation, and burned the edges. In addition, I burned just the shadows in the tree. Send it to Walmart, they print it up on their Christmas card paper and you are good to go.

Fast. Cheap. The comfort of home for a 2 year old?  ....Priceless!

Child's Play

SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Or at least photograph your kid playing in it

If you are anything like me you occasionally stumble across a good idea, simple in its design, and think: why didn't I think of that?!  A few years ago this happened to me. I was getting into portraiture and kept over-thinking the set up to my shots. Where could I bring this person? Is there cool graffiti nearby? Is that park down the street still open??

I found a trick that anyone can use that renders candid portraits (my favorite), natural lighting, a fun time photographing, interesting elements and a relaxed subject/victim.

Natural AND Flattering....And All You Need To Do Is Lie

My mother is one of the most difficult people to photograph. She hates having her picture taken and it shows when you force her to smile for the camera. Well I was thrilled that this one turned out. And how did I get it? Easy, I lied.

You see, when you are an amateur you have some built-in excuses. People expect you to fumble around and take time to "get things right". Do you know how many killer shots I have gotten by saying "Just hang on, I'm getting some light readings, don't worry, we're not starting yet". YEAH RIGHT! I scored this one by telling my mother that I was just refocusing and not actually taking a picture. HA.


I am not suggesting that you need to lie to be a good photographer, but whenever you can disarm your subject, you get a much more relaxed and natural look. Try some techniques of your own to get those candid portraits. We all have the Uncle Marty that smiles at the camera like a dope every time you go to a family function. Try to get a picture without them knowing. Candid portraits (or at least not "posed" portraits) are almost always my favorites.

This all goes to the importance of having a comfortable relationship with your subject. Even if you met them the day you shoot them, talk to them for a few minutes before the camera even comes out. Tell them briefly what you'll be doing and that it is EASY and will be FUN. That alone goes a long way.

I remember my first paying client. I had no idea what I got myself into and she had never been part of an on-location photo shoot. Not only was it my first paying client, I knew it would be published on a magazine cover. First thing I knew I had to do: lie. If I was nervous and she was nervous (because I was nervous) it would have been a disaster. As it turned out we started off by just chatting. And when we started shooting I told her things like, "Stand here, this will look great!" Half the shots weren't great. But it didn't matter. She was having a good time and was relaxed. It was all I could ask for. That assignment taught me so much about getting your subject to be at ease. You should have fun and so should they. If that isn't happening in your shoot, you are doing something wrong. You're an amateur, you aren't getting paid so you better at least have fun.

The shoot, by the way, was a success. I'll post the pictures in a future post.
>> On the photo above I converted from color to B&W and increased contrast. I hate OVER-post processing, so I do the bare minimum....hmmm sounds like a future post.

Sun Worshiping

If you asked me what my favorite light source was when I started in photography 15 years ago, I'd immediately say the sun. If you asked me today, with over a decade more experience, I'd still say the sun. It is very pleasing for skin tones, it's large and even, it's often available when you're outside, and it's free! It is almost perfect. Almost.


IT'S ALL ABOUT SHADE AND BOUNCE

So remember 30 seconds ago when you read that I love the sun? Well I do, but I rarely, if ever, use it directly. Especially for portraits. It falls under the theory of "too much of a good thing". It is often too harsh and the shadows it casts on the other side of the face are just not pleasant (and hard to get rid of in post-processing. So how do you get the best of the sun, without the negatives? Move into the shade. Not too far in, just a few feet. The shade of trees, a house, a building, whatever is around. In the photo world this is called open shade.

One of the biggest reasons to be in open shade is so you can use a bounce to fill in any shadows. That is because the bounce can be placed in the direct sun. In the photo above, we used a bounce card, held in direct sunlight just below and to the left of the subjects. This way all the lighting CAN be from the sun, just from different angles and diffused. It provides good balance to the lighting and a soft natural effect. I actually didn't use any fill flash for this shot.

Bounces can be purchased online in multiple sizes designs and colors. Bounces are typically white, silver and/or gold. There are reasons for this and you should search Google for the reasons why (I don't want to waste the time doing so here, but it is important to know - bouncing is the Holy Grail of photography lighting).

Though I own one, I also made a mini one for my Speedlite flash. In a big room with a tall ceiling, it is priceless. If you are interested, there are plenty of Youtube videos and Google posts that show you how to make ones of different shapes and sizes. If you want to play with the idea of using a bounce, buy a large piece of foam board from the craft store and go crazy.

One last tip for shooting in the sun: Never shoot mid-day. Shoot within the first two hours of sunrise or wait until late afternoon, within a few hours of sunset. The color cast of the light is warmer - more yellow/orange. It is great for skin tones. And never forget that some overcast days can offer good lighting too. No shadows to deal with! Try taking some portraits outside on sunny days, overcast days, early morning, mid-afternoon (eek!). See what you can learn from your own experience.