Perfect photography skills for characters and portraits

It takes time and effort to take a good picture of a character with lighting. Sometimes, www.customcanvasonline.com.au just because the lighting is not ideal, you can't take beautiful pictures. Keep an eye on the work scene (as demonstrated in this article), and you may inadvertently find that the best light comes from places you never thought possible.

Build contact

Many photographers prefer to photograph objects like landscapes and flowers because they are stationary and easy to grasp. While human expression is fleeting, when shooting portraits of people, canvas prints the photographer's aim is to show the essence of the object incisively and vividly through some expressions of the object.

Lighting is important when photographing people, but it's also important to know how to show your subject's feelings. Learning to work with a portrait takes time and practice. The photographer and the subject must respect each other, but the most important thing is to make sure that the subject remains secure and comfortable in front of the camera.

A friendly conversation between the photographer and the subject, even if it's only for a few minutes, is better than no communication at all. Explain what you're trying to do with your photo. What emotion do you want people to feel when they see pictures? What's the overall feel of the photo?

By talking to your subject about the above, you can build a better connection and coordinate your work better. Figure 1-1 is an example of this. The whole picture is filled with a warm and peaceful feeling of happiness. The light was very soft, and although the girl was smiling, it was not an artificial grin.

Using Nikon’s 80mm to 200mm f/2.8 lens allows the photographer to shoot close to the subject without facing the person's face. The shadow is fully exposed during shooting, where ISO is 250; shutter speed and aperture are 1/60m seconds and f-4 seconds respectively.

Aperture priority

When photographing portraits and characters, the first thing to consider is to set up a large aperture. The larger the aperture (the smaller the aperture value), the shallower the depth of field, making the object sharper and the background more blurred. In this way, the object will appear more different from the background and highlight the characters. See figure 1-2.

The ISO was set to 200 when the photo was taken, and the exposure time and shutter speed were 1/80 seconds and f-4 seconds, respectively. Because of the large aperture and the 175mm long zoom lens, the falling leaves of autumn have completely changed into a fuzzy yellow blanket.

Using a long lens or a compact camera that can zoom in close range can create a background blur. Another advantage of a larger aperture is that you can shoot at a faster shutter speed to better prevent the effects of moving objects. This is crucial when photographing young children.

The use of aperture priority in portrait photography is helpful. For one thing, it controls depth of field. The camera's exposure meter, on the other hand, automatically controls the shutter release, making it faster to shoot, so you can expect to miss any beautiful moments. When there is insufficient light, it is important to monitor the shutter speed and ensure that the shutter speed is fast enough to prevent any blurring.

Search for open shadows

Some people think: when photographing portraits outdoors, the "advantaged" lighting is natural and requires no effort. It's as easy as going for a walk. Not really. Generally speaking, the best lighting effect of the characters is from the warm sunshine, which is not beautiful. The soft light makes it easier to see more of the details of the facial expression, rather than the thick shadows that cover the face.

At noon, the biggest problem with taking pictures of people is that the sunlight directly overhead creates intense contrast and shadows on the face. Direct sunlight casts a shadow over the eye socket, making you look like a funny raccoon. Even in fast when it gets dark, light and shade contrast is very strong also, usually because at this time, half of the portrait is in direct sunlight, and the other half is in shadow, therefore, half or white face, or fall into shadow.

In most cases, softer light is not available but is not desirable. You just have a moment to look around and find it around you. The light environment you're looking for is called an open shadow. Light smog, trees and even the other side of a building can be ideal for creating open shadows.

When shooting in direct sunlight, the characters are often fascinated with their eyes. This is rarely the case when shooting in open shadows. When the subject is under the canopy of a tree, the soft light shines on the face, making it seem as if the subject is bathed in light from all directions, such as figure 1-3.

The normal exposure value of the little girl's face was obtained by using point measurement. The exposure index was: ISO 200, aperture f/2.8, and exposure time was 1/160 seconds.

In open shadow, there are many different ways to measure light. In most cases, the meter is adequate, but overexposure of the aperture from +1/3 to +2/3 will greatly increase the brightness of the scene. Also, for a dark environment, make sure the white balance is set correctly. The white balance is set incorrectly and the image is often too blue. Using the right white balance will not damage the rich skin color. In addition, try to keep the object close to the shadow edge, which will help to add more brightness and texture to the face, as shown in figure 1-4.

The picture was taken in the mottled sunshine all around. The well-lit canopy gives the image a textural feel, with the cameras ISO setting of 200, exposure time and aperture of 1/30 seconds and f/5.6 seconds respectively, and a central focus measurement.

Handle darker shadows

Exposure may be limited when people are photographed in deep shadows (like shadows from buildings or large eaves) under the same lighting conditions. Using a close-range measurement reduces the external background light entering the lens, which is a good way to get the correct exposure value, as shown in figure 1-5.

In this environment, the exposure index: the aperture is f/2.8, ISO is 200, and the exposure time is 1/40 seconds. Exposure compensation is set to +1/3 to increase color brightness, with white balance set to shadow.

Speckled sunlight, such as those produced through the sparse canopy of trees, can be especially difficult to deal with. The contrast of the spots needs to be reduced, but don't make them too bright. In environments like 1-6, the most important thing to note is that you should not expose too much to any small amount of light that is spilled on the character, especially the spot on the face.

Exposure compensation can be used if necessary, but in general the position of the observed light is sufficient. In this scene, the model can move, the wind can make the trees sway, and of course, the sun can move along the sky. Therefore, it is important to keep an eye on the position of light.

Exposure compensation is set to +1/3 to ensure that the shadow and dark background are sufficiently bright. In addition, Photoshop Elements are used to render the photo a tan color, adding a warm color to the black-and-white image.

When the sky is slightly overcast (or cloudy), it may be ideal for shooting characters. At this point, most of the projected light is soft, straight light, and there may be some very beautiful highlights. In this environment, make sure the light is soft enough or adjustable enough to keep the subject's eyes from shading. In figure 1-7 below, the sky is almost pure white and the couple's hair shows a distinct high-light effect. The brightness contrast of the whole picture is very strong. Since the background effect is important in this image, small aperture and wide Angle lens are used to obtain better depth of field.

It is important to use a central focus to measure light so that bright skies are excluded when exposure is measured. The 28-70mm f/2.8 lens is used. The aperture and ISO are f/7.1 and 200 respectively, and the exposure time is 1/100 seconds.

Shoot in direct sunlight

Sometimes, it may not be easy to find usable shadows around the perimeter. This is inevitable when shooting at noon. But you can let the object create its own shadow. Let the object rotate to find a good Angle and let the sun shine directly behind the object's head. In this way, the human face will naturally be in its own shadow, as shown in figure 1-8.

It's not as easy as you might think to get the subject to rotate and find the right Angle to shoot. Using the technology also makes the subject's shoulder and head areas appear too bright. To avoid shadows on the face, make sure the face is well exposed. It is best to use the central key light or point light measurement, in addition to the exposure compensation +2/3 aperture, or both. Also note that the direct sunlight behind the object may cause the lens to shine. So be sure to shade the lens properly to prevent glare.

Turn the child's back to the sun and leave his face in complete shadow so that he can see his eyes and face. ISO is 200, exposure time is 1/640, aperture is f/5, exposure compensation +2/3, and white balance is set to shadow.

If the direction of the light doesn't just come from the straight light on the top of the head, it's helpful to use the light from other directions to highlight the person in the photo. Light is a good option when the sky is low. Low light is projected behind the object, leaving the edge of the object surrounded by a bright color, as shown in figure 1-9. The silhouette made the girl's hair sparkle, but the girl's face was still soft in the shadow.

Contouring light makes hair look very visible, with white balance set to shadow and ISO set to 100. The exposure time is 1/320 seconds, the aperture is f/2.8, and the exposure compensation is +1/3.

This is a good scene for a lens flare, but keep in mind that the specific exposure must be directed at the face, otherwise the exposure should be based on the hair, which may cause the face to be underexposed. Set the camera and increase the aperture by 1/3 to 1/2 overexposures will help. In a scene like figure 1-10, you can also get the right exposure by measuring the face of the person you're photographing (remember not a coat, dress or shiny hair). (The light lens flare on the right of the image makes the groom's coat a little too bright.)

The exposure time of the camera is set to 1/200 seconds manually in the case of f/4 aperture and ISO 200 after the measurement reading of the groom's face is obtained directly by using point measurement light.

Create better lighting

From above, we learned how to better see light to take an infectious photo. Next, we will learn how to create your own lighting. With a few tools and tricks, you can create a better lighting effect, further increasing the spatial effect of light in photography. In fact, in some type of outdoor photography, shadows help to create the object contour and produce some dramatic effect, but in the portrait photography, absolutely can't appear normally the shadow.

How do I use a patch?

Fill light is simply filling light, and you're actually trying to add light to the shadow. If face contrast is too strong, often severely weakened the expressive force of portraits, actually using a simple piece of mirror problem can be solved, can will play back to light the shadows through the viewfinder, thereby increasing the scene brightness, make the characters facial details clearly visible.

Actually, does not limit the reflective equipment, as long as it can reflect sunlight to scenario - a white foam pad, white cardboard or on a frame cover with cloth, wearing a color shirt, or buying a business mirror, can be as reflective equipment. Reflective among them, the most popular equipment is a diskette, it has three kinds of white, silver and gold, the disk can be through the plastic box, need not when can be folded plastic box put a disk in a small bag.

Learning how to use mirrors can take a while, and it's recommended that you find someone with a mirror or a stand and clip. The easiest way to use a reflector is to have the object backlit and then aim the mirror at the face of the image. Keep the mirror in the light and hold it around. In the sunshine of tomorrow, it is obvious that the reflected light will hit the object. In low light conditions, things may not be that simple.

Pay attention to the Angle of the mirror and how to adjust the Angle according to the position of the sun and the character. In some cases, the mirror is almost horizontal (180 degrees into the ground). Sometimes it's almost completely wrong with the person, and sometimes its right with the person. If you can't see the light in the object, first make mirrors facing the sun, and then slowly to rotate the mirror in the direction of the object, broadly in between the two points (sun and object), you can find a reflected the ideal point.

In addition, the amount of light needed to fill the shadow can be determined by comparing the mirror before and after use in the scene. Many times, if you don't get enough effect, you need to bring the mirror closer to the object.

Reflectors are made of different materials and reflect different light. Silver mirrors reflect much worse light than white mirrors, and gold mirrors reflect much warmer light. In figure 1-11, you can see that a white reflector is used in an extreme backlit scene. You don't have to go outside and try it yourself, just think about the reflective effects of gold and silver mirrors. But if you want to test the effect, you can wrap a piece of cardboard in tin foil and spray white or gold paint on one side. You can also go to the hobby store and buy gold or silver substrates. Either way, you'll be able to show off the effects of other reflective materials for less than $10.

A simple piece of white cardboard reflects light into the shadow of a backlit portrait scene. Exposure index: ISO is 200, exposure time 1/250, aperture f/5.6.

In some cases, mirrors simply reflect a small fraction of the light to make it less monotonous. In addition, it helps to keep the exposure level, so that the background is not too exposed. Even when the mirror is placed in a dark area, bringing the white mirror close to the object will light up a few scenes. In figure 1-12, the mirror is just outside the scene, to the left of the image, about 15 inches from the woman.

In this image, a collapsible reflector is used to illuminate one side of the scene. The exposure time and aperture are 1/320 seconds and f/3.5 seconds respectively, and the ISO is set to 200.

How to use flash (supplementary flash)

Turning on the flash at noon in a sunny day may seem like a no-brainer, but for starters, turning it on all the time may be the best way to get a good picture. When a person is in a dark environment (especially in a sunny environment), a flash can be used to darken areas and ensure that the bright areas are not affected. The flash only makes the exposure of the shadow area more similar to the exposure of the light area, which makes the exposure of the entire image more balanced, as shown in figure 1-13.

Sunlight fell on the couple from the left, casting a shadow over their eyes and half of their faces. But with a little flash on the top, the shadows will disappear. Exposure index: ISO 200, shutter speed 1/640 seconds, aperture f/4.

Today's digital cameras, which have advanced software technology, can balance the flash and sunlight completely automatically to get the best exposure. Only a few years ago, however, the photographer/photographer had to use charts and bar charts to make complex calculations based on factors such as object spacing, environmental exposure, and flash output levels. The reality is that the flash is now "set; Never mind.

The flash flashes, and within milliseconds of the release of the shutter, the sensor and the computer can determine exactly how much light is needed for the correct exposure, and thus make the flash glow.

In addition, the use of supplementary flash portraits can be a good way to add a little flavor of life to the characters. Even if the object is in good light quality, it is not necessary to use a supplementary flash on the object outdoors. As shown in figure 1-14, when the flash is turned on, you can illuminate the face of the character, making the eyes sparkle with a vivid light, allowing the hair to show some luster and soft shadows.

In the image, the exposure indexes are: exposure time 1/250 seconds, aperture f/5 and ISO 100, respectively. The meter gives a specific index, and the flash parts are set to TTL, while the flash exposure compensation is set to -1/3 to reduce the flash brightness.

During the day, when the light is weak, you can use a complementary flash to light an object so that it does not appear as a silhouette. The effect of backlighting is especially obvious when shooting at sunset. In figure 1-15, the sunlight behind the object is very bright, so the exposure index should be set according to the background to maintain the color and color richness of the whole picture. Using flash in TTL mode keeps the flash brightness consistent with the background exposure. If the object appears too dark or too bright relative to the background, use flash exposure compensation to increase and decrease the flash intensity.

The exposure index of this image is 1/125 seconds, aperture f/5.6, ISO 200. The camera USES 28-70mm f/2.8 lens and manual setting of the exposure index. Exposure is set according to sunset background. The flash unit is set to TTL automatic light measurement.

Silhouette lighting

As in a sunset scene, the subject is placed in front of a bright background, and the characters almost always appear as silhouettes. Sometimes it is necessary to use a little dot - fill flash, as shown in figure 1-16. It is important to set the index that allows the background to be exposed correctly, and to keep the exposure consistent between the images by manual setting.

In the above scene, the sky in the background is too dim to see any details of the subject of the shooting based on its normal exposure. The luminosity of the dark subject is very important; however, if it is only used to highlight the object by adding light, the effect is not ideal. In this case, you can use flash exposure compensation, setting the flash's intensity to -2/3 and keeping the exposure constant. To further ensure that only a small amount of flash hits the object; manually zoom the reflector into the long focal length. , the lens Angle width remains unchanged. In addition, the head of the flash should be tilted upwards so that the light is only hitting the head of the object.

When you use your camera to take a low Angle view of an object in the background of a cloudy sky, you will inevitably get silhouettes. Use a few darts to show the details of the shadow without sacrificing the dramatic effect of the image.

Flash sync speed

The flash sync speed is the shutter speed when the flash flashes. In most cases, the maximum shutter speed that can be used with the flash is around 1/125 or 1/250 seconds, but the specific speed needs to be determined by consulting the user's manual. If the actual exposure time does not match the flash sync speed, digital cameras with built-in flash bulbs and specialized devices usually do not flash.

After releasing the shutter, the first blade (curtain) opens the shutter. The second leaf closes the shutter. Increase the shutter speed to the maximum flash sync speed, a fraction of a second shutter speed, fast door curtain will be fully open, the shutter speed to press the shutter at the same time the time when the flash. If the shutter speed is greater than the maximum flash sync speed, the closed shutter speed actually begins to close before the leaf is fully opened, preventing the flash from entering the lens. This will result in a black band throughout the image.

Sometimes, however, Flower Canvas Paintings slower shutter speeds are preferable, especially when the brightness is low. In most cases, the camera's default flash sync time is 1/60 of a second as the sky darkens. This synchronization time may be destined to shoot out of a very dark background.

By using manual exposure (but still keeping the flash in automatic mode), the photographer can reduce the shutter speed to the desired speed to get the desired background brightness. Keep in mind, however, that as the shutter speeds down, the camera's jitter increases, causing the image to blur. Some cameras allow you to set the default shutter time to any value in the "maximum flash sync time to 1 second" range.