Tips for outdoor photography of urban scene portraits

Introduction: Portrait shooting is not limited to a specific location, and can be roaming and shuttle-style outdoor shooting throughout the city. The venue is so borderless and unrestricted, so how is it different from the normal situation during shooting? Photographer Rou 7 uses an example shooting to explain to everyone that the city is in Hong Kong, let’s see what is worth learning from! Urban scene portraits Outdoor photography skills

1. Look for distinctive elements

It was already evening when we arrived in Hong Kong, but Hong Kong’s night view is world-famous and dimly lit, so I really shouldn’t not go out and take some photos. So we came to the most famous Temple Street.

When you are doing roaming outdoor photography in a city, it is best to understand what the city’s biggest features are, and then find these elements and add them to the shooting. Only when this kind of film comes out can you Down-to-earth and not cookie-cutter.

This is a Hong Kong-style minibus with various big signs behind it. Although it is a night scene, there is plenty of fill light around. When shooting night scenes, you need to pay attention to the light field. The light source that shines on the model's face should be as cold as possible. Because if there is a warm light source on the face, there is not much room for post-production.

Lost in Hongkong Author: Rou 7

Camera location analysis

One of the most distinctive features of Hong Kong is the most famous bar street, Lan Kwai Fong. . Because it is such a landmark, taking pictures here is a must. The crowds of people in the back were in stark contrast to the stillness of the models in front. The contrast between cold and warm light increases the layering of the picture.

Lost in Hongkong Author: Rou 7

Camera position analysis

2. Try to get closer and find the foreground as a cover

This is Lan A roadblock isolation fence next to Guifang. At first glance, the environment is cluttered, but in fact, you just need to get closer, and then get closer. Capa also said that if you don't take good pictures, it's because you don't get close enough. Although this doesn't apply to all situations, it makes sense. In this photo, there is a semicircular blurred light in the lower right corner, which occupies most of the picture. Behind the lamp is a miscellaneous scene, so the lamp is cleverly used to block it. The contrast between this foreground and the background behind is very harmonious. The foreground lights, the people in the middle ground, and the road in the back ground are all very clear.

Lost in Hongkong Author: Rou 7

Camera location analysis

3. How to shoot in the flow of people in the city

Shooting in the flow of people , the model's mood will definitely be affected by passers-by, so what you need to do is to communicate with the model in advance and let her relax as much as possible. Anyway, the shooting time is not long, so there is no need to pay too much attention to the silent pressure of others, and this is not a very obstructive behavior.

The theme this time is Lost in Hong Kong. In fact, the meaning behind it is also about finding oneself. This film was shot with reference to the feel of Wong Kar-Wai's "Chungking Express". The background lights are commotion and people are passing through. When shooting, I opened the aperture to the maximum to prevent the background from overtaking the subject. If you have a tripod, you can also try a slow shutter speed to create the effect that the subject is motionless and there are crowds of people around you.

Lost in Hongkong Author: Rou 7

Camera position analysis

4. Different angles

During the daytime the next day , I took a ride on Hong Kong’s old-fashioned double-decker car. As mentioned before, this is also a symbol of old Hong Kong.

But during the shooting process, I suggest you not to follow suit. You can use this idea to shoot other locations, but here is just a special case to explain. Because I wanted a different perspective, I thought of sticking the whole person out of the window to shoot, because the elements were too monotonous when only shooting inside the car.

At this time, you need to master the light ratio well, but the most important thing is to find a model who is willing to go crazy with you. Photographing with your life. (It is really recommended not to follow suit, because even if you are not in danger, if you are seen by the Hong Kong police, the consequences will be very troublesome! In the same way, you must also pay attention to safety and order when shooting elsewhere.)

Lost in Hongkong Author: Rou 7

Camera position analysis

5. Use telephoto to compress the scene

This is on the ferry building of the Star Ferry Terminal, with Victoria Harbor in the background. The model was asked to stand on the edge of the corridor, and I stood on the overpass 40 meters away. Use telephoto to compress the entire background. The advantage of shooting with a telephoto lens is that its sense of compression produces less visual distortion. Telephoto shooting is not easy. You need to find a suitable scene to make sense. Observe more possible places and try it if you think of it.

Lost in Hongkong Author: Rou 7

Camera position analysis

6. Selecting images in a restricted environment

This is On the ferry, because it happened to be a cloudy day in Hong Kong that day, the ambient light inside the cabin was darker than outside, so I simply overexposed the outside part. You have to know the trade-offs during the shooting process. In fact, the outside is too bright. From another perspective, the white highlights can increase the contrast of the film. Of course, in this situation where the ambient light is relatively large, you can also try different exposure values, each with its own taste.

Lost in Hongkong Author: Rou7