Portrait Photography Lighting Tips & Techniques For Amateur Photographers

Many people believe that for taking great portrait shots, you need a load of expens°ve photography equipment to get the job done successfully, but that just isn’t the case today.

I learned quite a bit recently from a course I took by Don Giannatti called “Portrait Photography with Simple Gear”, and I must say it really did make me think differently about portrait photography, not only with regards to cost effectiveness, but also just how exciting this is for all amateur digital photographers on a low budget… It goes without saying that you will need some accessories or props to take great portrait photography, so let’s take a look at some of the options you have.

Now, virtually every camera on today’s photography market comes with it’s own built-in flash, so if you do want to take awesome looking pics, donít ever use it as it will create harsh shadows on your portrait. So to avoid this, the majority professional photographers would use an external flash, which is mounted on top of the digital camera or a tripod if you use one. You can get a good quality external flash for under $100, so if you need one, just shop around online.

Generally, digital cameras come with an automatic flash setting, but that doesn’t mean using it will always produce optimum results. You’ll be able to take better portrait shots by controlling your flash manually. So if you’re just beginning to take your first portrait pics here is how I would start off. So, let’s just say for example, you’re taking outdoor portrait pics and you need some good results. It’s sometimes a good idea to turn on the flash to light up the subject, especially when he or she are positioned in a shady location.

On the other hand you’re indoors and you really need to prove your digital skills, then you could just try turning off the flash, as 9 times out of 10, using the flash indoors can result in unnatural skin color and harsh glare in your photos. The solution though to get the lighting correct when shooting portraits indoors, is by using light modifiers, and there are two types… diffusers and reflectors.

The term “flash diffuser” means how the light spreads from the flash of a camera. In effect, the light will not come from one concentrated source (like a spotlight), but rather will spread out, bounce from reflective ceilings and walls, thus getting rid of harsh light, and hard shadows. This is particularly useful for portrait photographers, since harsh light and hard shadows are usually not considered flattering in a portrait. A diffusion filter is used in front of a camera lens to soften the image of the scene being shot.

Reflectors are used for bouncing light onto your portrait, and most photographers tend to make use of walls, ceilings and even entire rooms. So look around you when facing problems with appropriate lighting while shooting indoors, and if shooting portraits outdoors a great technique is to use walls to reflect sunlight back onto your subject, and so reducing shadows.

As we’ve now ventured outdoors, we need to begin to understand how light works on portraits, and a simple Triangle formula holds the key. But before that, the first step is to take some quick practice portrait shots, just so you can see how the light reacts before you add some of your own. So, if you know what the strobe output is at specific distances, then it soon becomes apparent. Then it’s just a matter of “angle to subject”, “the angle to the camera” and finally “camera angle to the subject” this being the triangle which reveals the basis of lighting.

There is also the angle of the strobe to the subject which needs to be worked on. Try keeping the strobe at the angle of the portraitís face… Still renders well from camera, but prevents shadows from appearing on the face. This is actually easier to do with an artificial flesible light source, but if you’re working with a professional model, he or she will know how to “work towards the light”, and that way you’ll get great results, and without the extra expense of a light stand:)

Anyway, before we get out of our depth, let’s see how to control our flash unit, so first off, we need to have some relative readings, which in most cases tend to remain pretty fixed, meaning that the strobe will react the same each and every time. We can use this consistency to our advantage, and you’ll soon see just how the flash does with those fixed settings. The main benefit of this ofcourse is that you can relax, and move around a lot quicker, which really helps to get your portrait subject a lot more concentrated and receptive.

So, just to conclude this portrait photography tutorial, you know, one of the great hidden features found on digital cameras is the fill flash or flash on mode. You just need to be able to have control of the flash to make sure it goes on just when you want it to, and not when the camera deems it appropriate. Just by doing this, you’ll have taken an important step towards capturing great outdoor portrait pictures.

So in a nutshell, when the camera’s in flash-on mode, it will expose first for the background and then just adds enough flash to illuminate your portrait subject, and producing professional-looking pictures with perfect composition. Most wedding photographers tend to do this, and when you get the hang of it and try it outdoors, have a go at positioning your portrait subjects so the sun illuminates their hair from the side or from behind, and this technique is known as rim lighting. Another great technique is to place your portrait model in the shade, for example under a tree. Then use the flash to illuminate your subject, keeping your model comfortable and composed, and will also help them to avoid squinting their eyes from the harsh sunlight.

Anyway, that’s the end of this portrait photography article, which I hope you have enjoyed reading, so now just “CLICK HERE to read more of my photography tips” or just bookmark “My Blog” for future reference…. Thanks!