Retro Portrait Photography Tips

Before taking portraits, we must first be familiar with our own camera, understand the advantages of our equipment, make good use of slow exposure, pay attention to switching focus points, and then take the most beautiful portraits. In this issue, beautiful photographers share with you tips on retro portrait photography in autumn and winter, using the warm afternoon sun to warm up girls.

1. Preparation for the shooting concept

Before the shooting, the theme was decided to be retro portraits in autumn, so the costumes and props were prepared in a retro literary style, and the model’s makeup was also We chose bright red and a vintage bicycle as a prop.

The scene was shot in the family area of ??Sichuan University because Sichuan University is relatively old and some of the houses in the family area are older residences. Although the background environment chosen in this way is a bit messy, it is the most real life. Environmental portrait photography should be like this, integrating the characters into the environment and becoming a complete story.

Before taking portraits, we must first be familiar with our own camera, understand the advantages of our equipment, make good use of slow exposure, pay attention to switching focus points, and then take the most beautiful portraits. In this issue, beautiful photographers share with you tips on retro portrait photography in autumn and winter, using the warm afternoon sun to warm up girls.

1. Preparation for the shooting concept

Before the shooting, the theme was decided to be retro portraits in autumn, so the costumes and props were prepared in a retro literary style, and the model’s makeup was also We chose bright red and a vintage bicycle as a prop.

The scene was shot in the family area of ??Sichuan University because Sichuan University is relatively old and some of the houses in the family area are older residences. Although the background environment chosen in this way is a bit messy, it is the most real life. Environmental portrait photography should be like this, integrating the characters into the environment and becoming a complete story.

2. Shooting time and use of light

Start shooting around 3:30 in the afternoon. When the light is sufficient for environmental portraits, the aperture can be slightly closed to increase the depth of field and prevent eye damage. Defocusing can also make the background more vivid and portray the environment.

If you shoot under strong light, the light is relatively large, and strong shadows are easily formed on the face. Even if you use a reflector to fill in the light, you can't remedy it. You can do it in the shade of a tree or in the shade of a house that is not exposed to direct sunlight. Shoot. If you encounter an environment with mottled tree shadows, you can use a diffuse reflective reflector with a grained surface to produce softer and more even light. However, under direct sunlight, it is difficult to control the light perception of the characters. You can choose a shaded place, and pay attention to avoid the shadows cast by the sun through the branches, which will cause light spots on the face.

3. Use your own equipment wisely

The camera I use is Pentax KR. When shooting, I choose the corresponding custom image mode, and then adjust the contrast and saturation according to my color preferences. Degree etc. KR has a lot of custom image styles, so those who are weak in post-production can take advantage of KR.

KR also has 11-point focus and 9-point cross focus in the center, which is a very good feature for portrait shooting. So I turn on the focus function "focus point switching" every time I shoot. This is very helpful for composition and focus on faces.

4. Use the reversal film mode to blend out the warm yellow effect of autumn

In order to shoot a retro-style autumn feeling and highlight the warm effect, use the "reverse" in KR "Picture" mode, adjust higher contrast and saturation in advance, so that the color tone of the straight-out photo will be warm and yellow. In the afternoon, the mottled old wall and the bicycle complement each other in warm tones. Use the "warm" mode to add warm yellow tones, making the girl more feminine in the sunshine.

5. Use the anti-shake function to compensate for slow shutter defects in low light

Although the shooting was taken during the day, the shooting scene was chosen in an old residential area, among the darker trees. When shooting in Yinhe residential areas, you need to use the anti-shake system of the camera body to compensate for the adverse effects of jitter on the picture. You can adjust the shutter speed to the highest 4 levels for compensation, and there is no need to use a flash.

6. Switch the focus point to lock in the most beautiful expression

In order to highlight the girl’s expression, I used a large aperture to shoot. It is very important to be able to quickly select the focus when shooting portraits. I use Pentax KR's 11-point focus and 9-point cross focus in the center. This mode is more free and flexible than single-point focus and autofocus, and it is very helpful for composition and focus on faces. Good help.

7. About post-production

In post-production, PS’s optional colors are used to adjust the tone of the photo to be more film-like, and then the uneven tone of the picture in the original film must be solved. . Because the light is very bright but the model is too dim, the picture looks dull. However, you can also use PS to even out the tone of the entire picture and add sunlight to make the picture fresh and breathable.