SET UP TO GET CREATIVE PORTRAITS
Use some basic photo equipment and cheap props to up your portrait game
01 TRIPOD AND STEPLADDER
For our levitation trick, we’ll use a tripod to lock off our framing between shots, to make the edit easier, and a stepladder to give the model some height. This will help create the illusion that the black umbrella is lifting her off into the distance.
02 CAMERA AND PORTRAIT LENS
A 50mm lens on a full-frame body, or 35mm on an APS-C, is ideal here. Canon’s ‘nifty fifty’ EF 50mm f/1.8 STM hardly breaks the bank either, costing just £99, and has a wide max aperture of f/1.8, so you can blur the background easily.
03 UMBRELLAS AND PROPS
Each of our umbrellas cost less than £10 with the cheapest being the lace parasol that cost just £4 from ebay – bargain! We also bought a pair of fake glasses online for £2 and a pack of battery-powered string lights that only cost £4.
SETUP 1 GET BEAUTIFUL BOKEH WITH FAIRY LIGHTS
To create this bokeh-centric portrait, we’ve added extra points of light around the frame. These get turned into large out-of-focus bokeh circles when shot with a wide aperture, such as f/1.8. We’ve used a clear umbrella and taped a pack of battery powered LED lights onto it, which the model held behind them, so it’s out of focus. We also asked our model to wear a pair of fake glasses to reflect some of the fairy lights and inject more lights into the frame. We focused carefully on her right (closest to us) eye.
Kit needed: 50mm f/1.8 and props Exposure: 1/100 sec, f/1.8, ISO800
SETUP 2 GET IN A SPIN
For this technique you’ll need a model, or friend, and a colourful rainbow brolly – we picked up ours for less than £10, which is great value, as you’ll be able to take creative shots like these and stay dry in a downpour! Use Shutter priority (Tv on the Mode dial) and set a slow shutter speed of 1/8 sec, then ask your model to pose with the brolly holding it behind their head and get them to twirl the handle while they keep as still as possible. Use a focal length of around 50mm or 85mm and focus on the closest eye to the camera and take the shot. Using a tripod or monopod will help keep you steady too, so that the model’s face is perfectly pin-sharp.
Kit needed: 50mm f/1.8 and tripod Exposure: 1/8 sec, f/22, ISO100
For this shot we took inspiration from the 1964 classic, Mary Poppins, and have our model seemingly floating off into the air with her umbrella. To get the shot, you need to set up your camera on a tripod and have your model pose on a sturdy ladder with an arm outstretched. Get a friend to hold the ladder for extra stability. When you’ve taken the shot with your model posing, ask them to move out of frame and remove the ladder from the scene too, then take a second shot – this will be your ‘blank’ frame and you’ll seamlessly merge the two pictures together in Photoshop (see panel right).
Kit needed: Kit lens and tripod Exposure: 1/100 sec, f/4, ISO200
SETUP 4 SHADOW PLAY
This vintage lace parasol cost just £4 from ebay and the intricate pattern is great for casting some interesting shadows onto your model, though you could also use any lace or material if you wanted to experiment. On a bright sunny day, when the sun is overhead, ask your model to move the parasol around until the shadows cast an interesting pattern. To take the shot use Aperture Priority mode with an aperture of f/4, increase the ISO until your shutter speed reads 1/100 sec or faster to avoid camera shake. A high-contrast mono treatment works well with these images, making the patterns clearly stand out.
Kit needed: Kit lens and tripod Exposure: 1/100 sec, f/4, ISO200