How to shoot portraits.

That's my daughter, Leanne, who graduated from Columbia Bible College two years ago. I brought my full-frame DSLR with me and took numerous photos of her, the ceremony, and some group photos. I have just recently painted my upstairs hallway and was asked to put family pictures up. We chose this as one of the images to display.

Outdoor portraits are best done in soft light. The harsh, direct light from the sun produces hard shadows that adversely affect the image. Look for shady areas when it is sunny out to get better quality light. The day was overcast and was perfect for photographing people. In addition, I like to use an external flash to add contrast, improve saturation, and prevent the occurence of soft shadows under the eyes, nose, and chin. You can see evidence of the flash from the slight sheen on her forehead. You can use makeup to dampen that effect, something I have never done.

When doing any kind of portrait, albeit individual or group, the first thing to do is look for a place with the right lighting and an attractive background. The clouds meant I didn't have to look for shade; I needed a background that would suit the purpose. There was a nice, tall row of shrubs in bloom that would do the trick. I shot dozens of images of several families and individuals here. Leanne was one of them.

When shooting portraits I typically use a mild telephoto lens, typically around 80 mm (relative). This prevents the distortion so common with wide angles and narrows the background which facilitates control. I also like to use low apertures to make it softer; it helps to draw attention to the subject. I always bring an external flash when taking such photos because it ensures enough light regardless of the circumstances. A built-in flash can work but it often means getting closer to your subject than desired, can underexpose the background, and cause redeye. Redeye is easily fixed, sometimes it is done in-camera. An external flash also means you are less likely to get reflections off glasses.

I tried to make it so her hat was at the level of the bush-tops. If I had shot from a lower position the line (from the hedge top) would have gone through her head. To shoot higher I would have either had to use a stool of some kind or have her crouch. I am happy with the outcome.

The one thing I didn't care for in the image was that her right eye (left side in the photo) was partly closed. So, I did one of my favourite things using Photoshop. I copied the left eye, pasted it onto the photo, flipped it horizontally, and placed it on top of the right one. I use a large eraser with very soft edges (set to 0 usually) to remove parts I don't want. This also helps it to blend in with the skin and glasses in the background layer. Sometimes I have to free-rotate the snip a bit; in this case, it was fine.

When I was finished I had a nice shot to display on the family wall. My wife was happy with the result. I still have one wall that needs pictures but it will remain blank until my first grandchild comes along (due in January). Then I will have to start the process all over again.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen