When the control of aperture really begins to shine…
Master the light, and you’ve mastered the photo.
I cannot stress enough how important gaining a solid understanding of flash is when it comes to good portraiture both in AND outdoors; without it you are limited to what ambient light can provide. In learning flash you truly begin to learn and manipulate light. How it moves, bends, and bounces. The shadows it casts and the reflections it renders. Learning flash teaches you little nuances about light in a controlled environment that you can than take with you and apply to the outside world. And before long you find yourself looking at subjects in a whole different way. How does the light fall? How will it reflect, diffract, or diffuse in the environment you’re in? Where are the shadows falling? Are they sharp or soft? Are we working with direct hard light, or the lovely soft light that a cloudy day provides. Harsh mid-day sun but that is our only option you say? Ok, time to overpower with some high-speed sync and balance out those harsh shadows to make for a lovely image! Simply put, learning the “Art of the Portrait” causes you to look at the world of light in a whole different way.
Backlighting at golden hour: wide f/4 aperture and let the light flood in. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 f/5.6 @ 1/60'th ISO 400
In good portraiture the value of a long lens cannot be overstated. This image here was taken with my 300mm f/2.8 which allowed me to disappear in the background and allow my subject to have a heartfelt moment with his aging best friend. Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 VRII f/4 @ 1/500'th ISO 200
Composition is always something that needs to be on the mind as well. Look for leading lines and symmetry both vertically and diagonally, and have those leading lines draw the eye to your subject. Always be conscientious of the background: does it add to or distract from the picture. Cut out random heads, hands, cars, billboards, etc. Nikkor Wide angle 14-24mm f/2.8G ED f/2.8 @ 1/750'th ISO 400
FRAME THE SHOT! This really falls under the umbrella of composition, and is truly key when talking about quality portrait photography work. This is also when a lens with buttery smooth bokeh (any of Nikon's f/2.8 lenses really) begins to shine and flex its muscle. During springtime in New England, Cherry Blossoms, Redbuds, and Magnolias (used above) lend themselves as perfect spots to capture some fantastic shots-that if done correctly-will give you a truly remarkable and dreamy result. Any f/2.8 and under primes or the 70-200 f/2.8 zoom will be excellent candidates for this. Nikkor 105mm f/1.4E used here- f/2.8 @ 1/250'th shutter ISO 200 a little fill provided with silver reflector to camera left.
Always have a small reflector on-hand to bounce and create sidelight to catch your subject's eyes and create small catchlights. This little subtle detail makes a world of difference in the final outcome. Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII f/8 @ 1/500'th ISO 400 This aperture chosen to ensure that both pet and momma stay in focus as there is some angularity to the photo. f/2.8 would not have given sufficient DoF to keep all aspects of subjects in sharpness. Lesson: always be aware of DoF (depth of field). The closer you get to your subject/coupled with longer focal lengths-the shallower the depth of field becomes.
Invoke emotion. The best shots of people are ones that engage. The best photographers find a way to make that magic happen. Nikkor 105mm f/1.4 AF-S E/ED f/2.8 @ 1/125'th ISO 200 | 3 flashes with softboxes & pocketwizards.
This corporate headshot was made using just a 2 light setup. 1 key light cameral left with 1 fill camera right. I use the PocketWizard TT-L wireless triggers for most of my studio work, but Nikon's built in Creative Lighting system works fine too. Nikkor 105mm f/1.4 ED E lens f/5.6 @ 1/125'th ISO 200 SB-900 Main SB-800 Fill Pocket Wizard triggered
With headshots it's imperative to get everything in focus-from nose to ear. That said f/5.6 and even f/8 will be the go-to for this. Executive shot take with the venerable Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D "Cream Machine" 🍦 f/8 @ 1/125'th ISO 200 SB-900 Main light SB-800 Fill SB-600 Kicker PocketWizard Flex's triggered
In-the-moment canids=EVERYTHING! When you can leverage 1/250'th of a second to freeze time and capture a genuine human emotion between two best friends, that is when photography is at its best. Nikon 14-70mm f/2.8 VRII f/5.6 @ 1/125'th sec. ISO 200
Simple 1 light portrait here accomplished with a Nikon SB-900 and the Wimberly flash bracket which gets the unit up high reducing red eye. Using a Lumaquest diffuser I shot in TT-L mode with 1 stop of negative compensation.