Chapter 1
Portraits
IN THIS CHAPTER
Shooting inside with an elevated ISO
Using a great lens with a wide aperture
Capturing an unposed shot
Keeping a group in focus
Working with a telephoto lens
I love photographing people. I specialize in spontaneous shots of people in everyday life. It’s very rewarding.
When you take photos of people, you normally want to open the aperture (see Book 3, Chapter 2) to create a shallow depth of field (area of focus). This separates subjects from the blurred background and looks really nice.
When people are moving, make sure to dial in a fast enough shutter speed (see Book 3, Chapter 3) so they don’t blur. ISO (see Book 3, Chapter 4) often has to rise to pick up the exposure slack. Don’t be afraid of a higher ISO. It’s better to have a noisy photo that you can work with than nothing at all. If necessary, get additional lighting or use a flash.
Capturing Birthday Moments
I took the photo shown in Figure 1-1 on my son Jacob’s birthday. He had just opened the skateboard he wanted and was beaming with joy. Digital SLRs make great birthday party cameras. We have four kids, so I get a lot of practice.
Interior shots with inexpensive lenses (even when mounted on a mid-range Canon APS-C dSLR like this) tend to be frustrating because there isn’t a lot of light inside. Inexpensive lenses don’t normally have large maximum apertures, especially when zoomed in. I don’t like using a flash in these situations, so I’m under even more pressure to get a good exposure.
In these cases, keep two things in mind: Shutter speed is important, and shooting with a moderately high ISO may be necessary. If necessary, switch to shutter-priority mode. This shot was taken using aperture-priority mode at 46mm, f/5.6, 1/80 second, and ISO 1600.
Keys to this photo:
- Use image stabilization to keep the camera steady.
- Don’t let the shutter speed drop past 1/60 second.
- Expect high ISOs.
- Open windows and turn on lights.
Using a High-Quality Primes Lens
Figure 1-2 is a portrait of my wife I took early one summer evening. Although it looks like a bright afternoon, it’s past 7:30. The light is amazing. I took this shot with a professional 50mm prime lens mounted on an entry-level consumer dSLR from Nikon.
When shooting portraits, try to open the aperture as wide as practical so that the background blurs pleasingly. The blur differentiates the background from the subject, which makes them stand out more.
The combination of crop factor and focal length makes this a near telephoto portrait. I was able to open up the aperture nice and wide. That helped the camera set an acceptable shutter speed and ISO. This shot was taken using aperture-priority mode at 50mm, f/2.8, 1/80 second, and ISO 280.
Keys to this photo:
- Framed off-center to include background (cropping optional).
- Fast, professional near-telephoto prime lenses perform magnificently.
- Smooth, aesthetic tone caused by natural light from windows.
- Aperture not so wide that the depth of field shrinks to nothing.
Snapping Casual Portraits
I was literally heading out the door with my Pentax K-1 full-frame dSLR when I looked over and saw my son Sam playing on the computer. I told him to smile and took this casual snapshot shown in Figure 1-3.
If you have your camera with you, always be ready for action. Casual portraits that you take at a moment’s notice often capture a person’s natural beauty and personality better than posed shots.
The professional-level camera and lens make a difference in this shot. The light from the window, although gorgeous, is not like being outside. I opened the aperture and was able to use a fast shutter speed and very reasonable ISO. This shot was taken using aperture-priority mode at 68mm, f/4.5, 1/100 second, and ISO 400.
Keys to this photo:
- Quick, casual shots often produce the most natural-looking portraits.
- It’s hard to beat a 36.4 MP full-frame camera and quality lens.
- When inside, take advantage of natural light from windows.
Posing Group Photos
Figure 1-4 shows a group shot of my wife and three generations of women from a family we’re good friends with. It’s a classic group photo that I took one afternoon at a baseball game for the kids.
I love this shot. It was bright and beautiful outside, but late enough that the sun was not directly overhead. The colors pop, and everyone is happy and smiling. I had the two on the top row lean in so that everyone would be on or close to the same focal plane. It’s very hard to get everyone in focus if the group is spread out from front to back.
I shot this with a top-end consumer-level Canon dSLR and standard zoom lens. This shot was taken using aperture-priority mode at 27mm, f/4, 1/1000 second, and ISO 100.
Keys to this photo:
- I had them look down at me to keep them from squinting.
- Frame using the Rule of Thirds.
- Take two or three shots in situations like this and choose the best one.
- Line people up at the same distance so they are all in focus.
Using a Telephoto Lens
I don’t normally use a 300mm lens to take portraits, but I had been using the lens earlier to take photos of harness racing. We were on our way home and stopped to eat, then decided to take some “tourist” shots. The photo of my son, Ben, in Figure 1-5 turned out really nice. This was a posed shot —nothing spontaneous about it. He is sharply focused and well lit. The natural late-afternoon light is not casting any harsh shadows. The background is very nicely blurred. I stood well back from him and used a monopod to support the camera and heavy lens. It’s a keeper.
I used a mid-range Nikon dSLR with a nice 300mm telephoto lens. This shot was taken using shutter-priority mode at 300mm, f/4, 1/1000 second, and ISO 200.
Keys to this photo:
- Posed and framed using portrait orientation.
- Relaxed composition that features plenty of background.
- Natural late afternoon light.
- Great lens produced awesome bokeh.
