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Advice: Portrait For Book


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A woman in my town asked me to take her picture for her new book. I told her I don't do people, but she has a bird shot of mine she likes so she wants me to do it. I think it'd be fun to give it a try, and if she doesn't like the result, she can get someone else to do it.

 

I helped a friend do head shots once. She did it outside in late afternoon light so I figure I'd do the same unless it freezing cold. I have an M8, a 90/2.8, 50/1.4, and 28/2. I guess I'd use the 90 wide open or close to it. I don't have any reflectors or screens, but maybe being next to water would help? She's blond with blue eyes, pale complexion.

 

Any advice? She wants to look "young and beautiful." !:^)

 

Thanks for any help,

 

Mitchell

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Shoot your 90/2.8 wide open keeping a reasonable distance between her and any background. A lightly overcast day would be ideal but on a sunny day, seek some open shade to place her in. Shoot plenty, mainly to to relax her and especially youself. Talk to her a lot while you are working, even if you just voice your instructions to your self about what you are doing. Don't leave her 'sitting' in silence for any length of time. Ask her questions and shoot while she is answering. ONce she (and you) are more relaxed, try more studied and controlled angles. Allow the 'flow' of the shoot to produce something.

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Talking about something one is really passionate about brings out an inner glow or a sparkle in the eyes. If this is for a book, then she must enjoy doing something and so maybe that setting will also be a good place to see if you can bring out more in her personality or how she would like to be remembered. Simple colors are easier to balance and allow focus on the person.

 

Good luck!

Arif

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For "young and beautiful", I have a couple of pieces of advice.

 

The first is the most important but the hardest to do. Look at her and figure out what features of hers you find the most beautiful - lips, eyes, eyebrows, cheekbones, etc...

 

Then find a way to draw attention to them. Ways to draw attention to features include:

 

color: if you like her lips, have her wear red lipstick and a red top.

selective focus: if you like her eyes, focus on them and use very shallow depth of field to put other features out of focus

light: place features you're attracted to in light, and other features in shadow

 

Now for some more technical matters:

 

I find that people often like photos of themselves which are slightly overexposed, as this tends to minimize skin imperfections. Try 1/2 stop or even a full stop over.

 

It's also a good idea to use a long-ish lens (75mm on the M8 or 90mm on film) to ensure that the nose isn't exaggerated.

 

You may also want to make the color temperature slightly warmer than the actual color of the light, to give a healthy look to the skin. If on digital, shoot raw & adjust - if film, try a warming filter.

 

Finally, a good pose is important; avoid shooting straight-on from eye level. For headshots, I like to shoot from a bit above eye level and from the subject's good side. Examples are here, here, and here.

 

Finally, remember to have fun. If your subject is enjoying herself and enjoying your company and the process of being photographed, she will look more relaxed and more beautiful.

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I would add the following on the previous suggestions (all very good and to the point).

 

If the portrait is intended to just show the face, then a 90 lens will be fine, provided the background is further away so you can throw it clearly out of focus. However, if you intend to show more than just the face, a wide open 90 will give you difficulties with keeping the subject in focus and the surroundings out of focus, I would try the 50.

Beware of direct light if you have no reflectors, even afternoon light can give harsh shades and contrast. Shooting against an out focus background of different brightness / color also helps highlighting the subject. You say the person is blonde, then dark green foliage could be a good (and easy) background to use. Avoid flat surfaces such as walls or the sky; the result would be like a passport photograph.

 

Abdal

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There is also a possibility of doing an enviornmental portrait of her where you deliberately include the background, possibly some element in focus or slightly out, which helps the viewer identify her to the particular subject of her craft or book. You can accomplish this with any lens, with the result encompassing some details around her to let the viewer know more about her.

 

As an example, if she is a doctor, maybe have her in a lab, or possibly in her study with a bookshelf showing books about medicine. or if she is a musician, have her in a recording studio, or even as simple as having a guitar in the background. I'm sure you get what i am suggesting :)

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As an amateur who usually has to please nobody but himself, and have screwed up a few requests in the past, here is my two cents: Schedule two sessions. Tell her you want to try two different backgrounds or lighting setups or whatever. Take a hard look at your results from the first setup and then take a second crack at it.

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If this is for the authors picture on the dust jacket... you might do well to look at a variety of similar work in advance... perhaps talk with the subject about the kind of image she wants... environmental or a head shot. I would go into the shoot with an idea of how to begin. Test shots in a similar environment are useful.

 

For the "young and beautiful" part... I think that will mean a good bit of PP... removing blemishes and softening skin. Shooting wide open or near so will go some way but probably not all the way. Oh... will the final product be BW or Color?

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I've done a slew author portraits over the years and have learned a couple of things:

 

1. You can't make a living doing them.

 

2. There are no rules. Anything and everything can work, from head shots to environmental portraits.

 

I suggest just doing this serendipity. Get together at a time when there is nice light and reasonable weather to give yourself the option of going outdoors if necessary. But just spend some time with her, try different kinds of shots at her home where she is most comfortable, then walk around outside and just see what comes up.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I've done a slew author portraits over the years and have learned a couple of things:

 

1. You can't make a living doing them.

 

2. There are no rules. Anything and everything can work, from head shots to environmental portraits.

 

I suggest just doing this serendipity. Get together at a time when there is nice light and reasonable weather to give yourself the option of going outdoors if necessary. But just spend some time with her, try different kinds of shots at her home where she is most comfortable, then walk around outside and just see what comes up.

 

Brent, I think you may have learned more than a 'couple of things' in your time about the subject but the listed two are pretty much on the money (that ain't there! ;) )

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Light is the first thing to look for. Outdoor under a tree top is a sure way to get pleasant soft light.

 

I would focus on her face as it's a book, so no wall or tree or something next to or behind her. Just her face and soft light. Definitely the 90/2.8 (unless you have something sparkling in the background in which case a 50mm can produce interesting bokeh)

 

If it's a non-fiction book and a "author portrait" is required, try to do some of the "usual" in b&w and ask her to relax and look out in infinity.

 

Anyway, I think RELAX is the keyword, and just walk around looking for nice light and do some different stuff. One or more then will be great.

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