Just starting out

[bikingbadger]

Well like with all things I belive you can only imrove by practicing. Having just started out on this path of photography I focused mainly on still life and landscapes, but one of the reason's I want to take photo's is to actually get out on the street and take interesting photo's of people. Well this week I managed to get my friends at work to allow me to take some photo's of them. I have no idea of the first thing about portrait photography but I would like to use natural light and not take the photo's in a studio that I don't have. So here are the first portraits I took and only lightened some of the photo's using Picassa. Please could you point out the area's I should be paying closer attention to.


Exif data
Camera Nikon D90
Exposure 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture f/16.0
Focal Length 85 mm
Focal Length 84.8 mm
ISO Speed 400

[windrider86]

First thing I noticed was her eyes squinting. Try taking your photos in the shade, a different time of day or not looking into the sun. That alone will help a great deal

[bikingbadger]

This is something I was aware of but was not sure how to change it. I think the horizone was too bright.

[TBrown00]

I noticed the shutter speed was 1/200, I assume you used the flash then? I wouldn't use the flash in this situation unless it was needed to combat harsh shadows from the sun. The first thing I would do would be to turn the flash off and lower the ISO to 200, which will allow you to shoot at a larger aperture. This will really help you blur out the background.

[bikingbadger]

Originally Posted by TBrown00

I noticed the shutter speed was 1/200, I assume you used the flash then? I wouldn't use the flash in this situation unless it was needed to combat harsh shadows from the sun. The first thing I would do would be to turn the flash off and lower the ISO to 200, which will allow you to shoot at a larger aperture. This will really help you blur out the background.

Correct with the flash. I used the flash though to fill in the light on the face. I prefer shooting at larger aperatures but the background was far enough away for it not to come into focus. My problem was the harsh sunlight that cause the squinting.

[Kyle]

I don't think it was necessary to fire your flash in an outdoor picture. the sun is coming behind her which creates a nice gold tinge on her hair, and maybe that is why your camera thought it needed to expose the face more.

You can change this by overexposing the image with the exposure bias. Also you could get more background blur, which I think looks really great with portraits, by shooting on aperture priority mode and at the lowest aperture (16 is kind of small).

I also think you could have framed it a little better, maybe even horizontally because it feels cramped when she is looking to the (camera's) left and framing her on the right side of that photo will give more space. (though this may be unconventional I think it would be interesting in this situation.)

One more thing is that the model seems to be a bit uncomfortable, she is squinting and kind of forcing a smile.

I'm just a beginner so don't take my critique offensively, this is just my opinion.

[TBrown00]

I would recommend shooting later in the day so that you don't get the harsh lighting. Even though the background was further away, using a larger aperture would have really helped blur it out.

@Kyle: I think you meant largest aperture - smaller f number = large aperture. You're right about 16 being small though

[paulwalker]

I anticipate you could accept affected it a little better, maybe even angular because it feels awkward if she is searching to the larboard and framing her on the appropriate ancillary of that photo will accord added space.