Project 9
When you think of portrait photography, you might think of a studio with a backdrop and some light. Well, that's what we are going to do with this project. Not only that, we are going to use some of the posing techniques that we explored several projects ago.
Studio lighting might seem scary, but it's all about controlling light. We are only going to begin exploring this world, but I am sure that you will see how with just a little planning, you can create images (even at home) that are really special.
So, the image of Juan above is made using an object called a softbox. A softbox makes large, soft light. The light that comes from it is very similar to a window. Here is what a softbox looks like:
To take these pircures we need to (1) turn off the light and (2) use MANUAL mode. We've not used the manual mode before. This is a bit of diving into the deep end, but don't worry. I will give you the settings that work for our situation and you can just focus on making some nice portraits.
So, the image of Juan above is made using an object called a softbox. A softbox makes large, soft light. The light that comes from it is very similar to a window. Here is what a softbox looks like:
Inside the softbox is a hot light. A hot light is basically an always-on light source. It differs from a flash with creates a lot of light in a really short amount of time. In addition to the softbox, we are going to use another piece of equipment called an umbrella. A umbrella is used to either diffuse light or bounce light wherever we might need it. We are using the umbrella as a hair light. We also have a light pointed at the backdrop. This is going to be a separation light. If you were to look at our studio from above it would look like this:
Set the mode dial to M. Turn the selection dial (near the shutter button) to 5.6 and manually set ISO to 200. The shutter speed should be set to 1/30th of a second. With that you are ready to start working on making your portraits.
From there, you will capture a series of 5 portraits with different poses. Take a look at the posing project (P13) to find poses that would look good with our setup. Also, turn in a contact sheet of every photo in the photo shoot.
From there, you will capture a series of 5 portraits with different poses. Take a look at the posing project (P13) to find poses that would look good with our setup. Also, turn in a contact sheet of every photo in the photo shoot.