New to this forum...Need some advice please [Dog & People Portraits]

[AngieJsPics]

I would like to know what the best settings are going to be for taking portrates of people and their dogs outside. Like the apature and the shutter speed settings. This is my first event. I will have a blue canopy, for my set up is going to be outside. I'm in Kansas and the event will take place in October. The biggest picture i will print up is 8x10 and the other size will be 4x6. I have an Olympus E500 Digital SLR Camara. Yes, I will have a tripod. my set area is a 10x10 area. including the space needed for a table for my printer. Thank you for your help.
Angela

[candleman]

if you are putting them under a blue tarpaulin on a bright day i strongly suggest you learn about custom white balance.
if you dont set it properly, white dogs will be blue and skin will look rather aweful.

use whatever mode works for you, but i'd suggest you read about the effects of aperture and depth of field.
also, be mindful of distracting backgrounds.
on a bright day you my look a bit silly using a tripod, but thats your call. i dont see any reason to use a tripod. i find them restricting and only use mine when i have to.

all the best

[Trader]

Hi Angela and welcome to DPS. I do a lot of location portraits of people with their dogs but I almost always do indoor shoots. You didn't say what lens you are using or what you will be doing to control the lighting. I shoot with a Nikon D300 and have two SB-900 speedlights. One set high camera left on the person and the other camera right on the dog. I usually shoot with a prime 105mm macro lens using an f-stop of 2.8. That gives me a nice blur on the background. Hope that helps.

[cphoniball]

You could like, you know, learn about it. By reading things like the tutorials on this page. Just sayin.

[AngieJsPics]

To Trader
I will moast likely be using a 14-45mm lens, The only extra lighting I would have is the natural outdoor light and the Kodak P20 Zoom Flash. All this is a new setup for me and I probably don't have everything to make the shot absoutly Professonial. I had gone to my aunts for a visit and she suggested I use my photo taking talent to a new level. So here I am. For refrence she is an administrator at a high school and helps young ones out with these kind of things. I wish I could afford to take a few classes. I appreciate any help you give me. Thank you.
Angie

[AngieJsPics]

Ok thank you Cphoniball I will look through it. Have a great Day!

[candleman]

Originally Posted by AngieJsPics

I will moast likely be using a 14-45mm lens, The only extra lighting I would have is the natural outdoor light and the Kodak P20 Zoom Flash. All this is a new setup for me and I

to learn how to use your flash i'd suggest reading planet neil
definatley the best sit on the net for on camera flash (that i've found)

for off camera.. Strobist


have fun, and, as i should have said before, wlcome to the wonderful world of DPS

[AngieJsPics]

Thank you all for your help. It happens in the first week of October and I will let you all know how it went! It will be great!