What are the skills of portrait photography and how to take a good portrait with a digital camera?

When you want to take pictures of people in their homes or workplaces, you may need to overcome some difficulties. At this time, you will lose control of the light intensity and direction, and the space will be narrow and crowded because of the random placement of furniture. But the person being photographed will be very relaxed and comfortable in his own environment, and you will have the opportunity to photograph all aspects of his life, which is often not shown in other occasions.

Lighting potential

As far as lighting is concerned, you should be prepared for any situation, from the direct sunlight gurgling through the big window to the dim light of various large aperture and low-speed shutters when shooting with fast films. It is recommended to make a field trip in advance to see if you need a flash or other auxiliary equipment. Then you can decide what kind of camera to use and when the light is best in a day.

Picture layout: auxiliary flash

In order to shoot the sculptor Green Williams in the studio, soft direct light is needed to capture the subtle texture of the stone statue. Natural sunlight with low illumination requires flash lighting, while light-colored walls and ceilings provide ideal reflecting surfaces for reflecting light.

Theme scenery

In this picture layout, the sculptor is the main body, and the elaborate stone statues mark the foreground, middle scene and background of the picture respectively.

Frame a theme

Find the best way to frame the theme. In this photo, the sculpture forms an obvious outline shape on both sides of the creator.

Simulated sunlight

When shooting portraits in the working environment, it is best to use natural light to express an environmental atmosphere. If you can't illuminate the room with natural light, you can arrange a flash to simulate sunlight. The light entering the room from the window has directional function, which illuminates the near part of the subject and casts a shadow in the far corner. When shooting portraits, you may need to use auxiliary lighting or reflectors to reduce this contrast. However, the lighting in Gao Fancha can form a natural scene without external interference.

Picture layout: the natural light is not good

Natural light with low illumination will cause similar lighting problems to pages, so it is necessary to use a diffuse flash lamp to illuminate the sculptor evenly in a dark room, and at the same time put a flash lamp with a reflector in a proper position to illuminate the face of the subject. Nevertheless, the wall in the background is still dark.

natural light

Putting the sculpture in the direct sunlight creates this Gao Fancha lighting effect.

Simulated sunlight

Diffuse flash is usually used to supplement the dim sky light. Although the direction and quality of this light is similar to natural light, it is necessary to ensure that the shadow area of the subject's face is not very dark.

Portrait of children

Taking pictures of children requires patience and a sense of humor. In the studio, children will feel very novel about the shooting environment and photographic equipment. They may come into contact with everything and question everything. In order to get good shooting results, we should try to make the shooting process full of fun. Let them observe the scene through the camera viewfinder. Even if you are busy filming, answer their questions about what you are doing and why you are doing it as completely as possible.

Cameras and lighting equipment

Children seldom want to sit quietly, so don't restrict their activities too much. Otherwise, they will be agitated and unwilling to cooperate. Flashlights should be set on both sides of the scene to produce extensive and uniform illumination. You may be "active" like a child, so a hand-held camera with a telephoto zoom lens will bring great flexibility to your photography.

Picture layout: extensive scene lighting

Wide-angle flash with soft box provides shadowless lighting for the whole set. Lower the position of the lighting lamp to fit the height of the object. At the same time, adjust the viewpoint to the height of the child's eyes.

Full-body portrait

The skateboard tilted inward provided the boy with something to rely on, adding a sense of randomness to this full-length portrait.

Image plane composition

A telephoto lens allows you to shoot at close range without having to be close to the subject. Zoom lenses can provide greater flexibility-you can let your child's smiling face occupy the whole picture, or you can get a strong sense of form like this bust.

kids photography

35mm camera is very suitable for children's photography because of its light weight and simple operation. You must shoot children quickly, because there is almost no time to focus on each photo and adjust the exposure. You should shoot more films than usual to make up for the inevitable mistakes in composition and focusing. Many children are happy to show themselves and like to be photographed by others. However, the presence of parents and other relatives will increase children's confidence. Parents can also stand behind the camera to encourage their children, make him laugh and make him laugh.

Toys and games

Young children easily become restless and have no lasting attention. You need to have some toys or other things at hand, such as books and games. After getting an interesting toy or playing a colorful comic book, they will immediately concentrate on what they are doing and forget all about the camera.

Snapshot method

Children don't stay still for long. The little girl danced to the music and forgot the existence of the camera. At this time, you must act quickly.