The Natural Light Portrait Book by Scott Kelby -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Title Copyright Dedication Acknowledgments About the Author Contents Five Things You Need to Know Up Front . . . To Keep You from Destroying Your Life, or Worse! Chapter One Portrait Lenses It All Starts Here

A 70–200mm f/2.8 or f/4 Zoom Lens An 85mm f/1.8 Lens A Fast 135mm Portrait Lens Avoid Wide-Angle Lenses for Most Portraits Should You Ever Shoot Portraits with a Wide-Angle Lens? Why I Avoid 50mm Lenses for Close-Up Portraits Yes, You Need That Lens Hood It’s These Three Things That Create Soft Backgrounds Minimum Focusing Distance How Lens Choice Affects Your Background Shoot ‘Em at What You Bought ‘Em For! Should You Buy a Lens with IS or VR? Well, That Depends

Chapter Two Camera Settings F-Stop, Shutter Speed & ISO

Shoot with Your Camera Set to RAW Format Choosing Your Shooting Mode Which Aperture (F-Stop) to Use Why Your Shutter Speed Is Important How to Stop Worrying about Slow Shutter Speeds When to Shoot at Your Lowest ISO What If Your Camera Chooses the Wrong Exposure? How to Keep from Damaging Your Highlights Choosing the Right White Balance How to Focus for Sharp Portraits How to Focus f/1.8 Lenses or Faster Which Eye to Focus On Why the Eye Autofocus Feature Rocks Shooting Group Shots at Wide-Open F-Stops Where to Focus for Multi-Row Group Shots Image Stabilization: On or Off?

Chapter Three Window Light Portraits Working That Window Like a Dutch Master

Why Direct Window Light Is Often Bad Light Turn Off Any Room Lights Move Away from the Window Move Behind a Window or Doorway For the Love of North-Facing Windows Use a Shower Curtain Liner Close the Sheers for Better Light How to Position Your Subject for a Window Light Portrait Rembrandt Window Lighting Highlight Profile Portrait What If You Don’t Want the Classic Window Light Look? Shooting with Your Subject Facing the Window What Kind of Window Am I Looking For? Watch Out for Changing Window Light Using an Open Doorway for Light Using Hard Light Shadow Patterns Shooting with Painted Backdrops Adding a Reflector Choosing the Right White Balance It Might Be Tripod Time

Chapter Four Shooting Outside Making the Bright Beautiful

My Outdoor Photography Secret Weapon A Small Tri-Grip 1-Stop Diffuser and Stand When to Use a Gold Reflector When to Use a White Reflector Use a Black Reflector on Cloudy Days Where to Position a Reflector Use a Reflector to Create Shade Diffusing Group Shots Avoid Dappled Light Find Shade Near the Edge of Bright Sunlight Another Great Option: Shooting in Full Shade Shooting on Cloudy Days Position Your Subject to Have Directional Light Nailing Your White Balance Outdoors

Chapter Five Shooting in Direct Light Taming the Beast

The Advantages of Shooting with the Sun Behind Your Subject Watch Out for Light Spilling on Their Face Using the Sun as a Rim Light or Hair Light Getting Sun Flare Effects The “Overexposing by a Stop or More” Trick The Best Time to Shoot, Hands-Down Look for Contrasting Backgrounds What to Have Your Subjects Wear

Chapter Six Composition Gettin’ It All in the Frame

Composing for a More Intimate Portrait Eyes Go in the Top Third of the Frame Don’t Center Your Subject in the Frame Cut Off the Top of Their Head Don’t Leave Too Much Space Above Their Head Compose So There Is Space for Your Subject to Look Into You Want to See Catchlights Avoid Distracting Background Elements Keep the Scene Simple Avoid Bright Spots in the Background Get Low for Full-Length Shots Shoot from a Slightly Higher Angle Avoid This Framing Mistake Don’t Cut Off Their Feet Environmental Portraits Photographing Kids

Chapter Seven Posing How to Be a Poser

What Makes a Truly Memorable Portrait? Photographing Photogenic People Build a Posing List Build Rapport Which Outfit Should They Wear First? Stop and Review Five Minutes into the Shoot The Shots between Poses Directing Your Subject during the Shoot Looking Directly Toward the Camera Looking Off-Camera The Eyes Have It Avoid Seeing Too Much Whites in the Eyes If They Have a Roundish Face, Do This If They Have a Thin Face, Do This Instead Peter Hurley’s Famous Jawline Trick Chin Down for Better Eyes and Much More Thinning the Nose Tilt Their Face Up toward the Light Don’t Let Their Expression Go Blank Add Volume and Movement to Hair Turn Their Shoulders for a More Flattering Look Don’t Shoot Flat-Footed with Straight Legs Another Trick for Thinner Waistlines Making Legs Look Thinner Keep Their Arms Away from Their Sides Sitting? Put Them on the Edge Keep Arms, Legs, Fingers, Everything Bent Avoid Showing an Open Palm Keep Fingers Closed, Not Open Add Simple Props

Chapter Eight Post-Processing The Important Lightroom & Photoshop Stuff

Adding a Sunburst Effect Adding a Soft Glow Effect Adding a Sun Flare Effect Desaturating Skin Removing Blemishes Reducing Wrinkles or Moles Reducing Shiny Spots on the Skin Enhancing the Irises Sharpening Portraits Brightening the Eyes The Perfectly Clear Retouching Plug-In Cinematic Color Grading for Portraits Using Liquify’s Face-Aware Feature Removing Fly-Away Hairs along the Outside Brightening the Face, So It’s the Focal Point Adding a Subtle Vignette Adding a Spotlight Effect Adding Texture to Solid Backgrounds Brightening Skin Smoothing Skin

Chapter Nine Portrait Recipes The Ingredients for Making Great Portraits

Overhead Sun Portrait with Diffuser BTS

Final Image

Large Area Portrait with Diffuser BTS

Final Image

Backlit Sun Flare Portrait BTS

Final Image

Backlit Indoor Window Light Portrait BTS

Final Image

Direct Sun Location Portrait with Diffuser BTS

Final Images

Harsh Direct Light Portrait with Diffuser BTS

Final Image

Dramatic Window Light Portrait BTS

Final Image

Classic Window Light Portrait BTS

Final Image

Cloudy Outdoor Portrait BTS

Final Image

Direct Sunlight Portrait BTS

Final Image

Glass Door Light Portrait with Diffuser BTS

Final Image

Window Light Bridal Portrait BTS

Final Image

Low-Perspective Bridal Portrait BTS

Final Image

Open Shade Portrait BTS

Final Image

Epic-Style Indoor Window Light Portrait BTS

Final Image

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