Portraits

[ricardojh]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I'm hoping for some advice on portrait photography with the X cameras. I do a lot of street photography, pre-set for instant images. Often, people will hand me their camera and ask me to take their picture - a perfect time for me to snap take one of them with my camera as well. Any recommendations for settings that may work well with the X? Thanks. Ricardo.

[erl]

Not familiar with the 'X' cameras but methods are universal. You are shooting 'street' and these people are in the street. The fact they have handed you their camera doesn't change the 'settings' you are using.

 

Tight portraits usually are better with longer focal length, but not necessarily. Just shoot and see what you get. Modify to suit your desire next time. Life is a learning curve. Just keep the incline pointing up!

[phancj]

Depends on how many people are in the shot I guess, for me I usually go f/2.8 whenever possible, ss 1/60, iso I adjust accordingly, something in that ballpark, unless of course there are people at different "depths" in which case I go wtih f/4 to f/5.6 rarely higher.

 

having shot quite a bit of portraits since having the camera at launch I think the X1 is a great portrait camera.

 

CJ

[Chuck Albertson]

Shoot vertical. Fill up the frame. Don't stick anyone's head in the center of the frame. Switch on the facial-recognition AF feature--it works quite well.

[ricardojh]

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. It's appreciated!

[JDFlood]

One of the real strengths of X is auto-focus with multiple points. I shoot street all the time, and never pre-focus... It is really good at figuring out what you are shooting at and setting the focus... And exposure for that matter. I frequently shoot at arms distance, but can still see the points it chose, so I can see what it decided and I can rotate a bit, lock in the focus and exposure then shoot when re-composed. I also have a Fuji XE-1 and while it's IQ is way better than the X2, it's auto functions are no-where near as good. The is a fantastic automatic cameras with the ability to over-ride where you want to. JD

[nicolaspinel]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Life is a learning curve. Just keep the incline pointing up!

 

Excellent !

[Peter_S]

The sensor size, focal length and maximum aperature limit the X1/2 a bit. That does, however, force one to approach the whole subject of portraits a bit different, which can be a good thing. You need to get closer to your subject, to create the required seperation from the background. At the same time, the 35mm equiv. focal length will always capture a bit of the environment, which I find nice.

 

I had to use my X1 for a documentary work (along my M7), with some success:

PS-Photo - Refugees in Armenia

The 2nd, 4th and 5th are taken with the X1, as well as the first in the 2nd row.

 

All done at f/28, with single spot AF, focus lock and re-compose.

[rob_w]

Peter, these are wonderful pictures as you are no doubt aware given their "master shot" status. Thank you. I would encourage anyone thinking of an X1 or X2 to look at them.

 

That said, the M8 pictures just have a tad more authority or composure, to my eye. Do you think?

[Peter_S]

- double post -

[Peter_S]

Rob, thank you very much for the kind words!

 

sure, the Ms are better choice for this sort of work. The project those photos were taken was setup very spontaneous while I was in Georgia for something else, and the X1 and my M7 with a few remaining rolls of film was all I had. The X1 did very well, just like a few weeks prior when I had to shoot an entire (mountain photography) photo project with the X1 and a Contax T3 when my M7 failed on day 1 .

 

In the end, that is why I love the X1 - it gets you through every photographic challenge if need to be (and they made it with f/40mm lens and without AA-filter, it would be the only digital I would need).