02 Take late summer portraits
You don’t need lots of gear to craft lovely portraits of loved ones
Pity the loved ones of photographers. Younger children are constantly being roped into portrait sessions, while family holidays are often held up by requests for ‘just one more shot’ in particularly photogenic locations. But they’ll thank you for it one day, so why not make the most of your time with them by taking some lovely outdoor portraits of them that use the enchanting late summer light? Even if you live in the middle of a city, there’s usually a park or some other greenery
“A slight hint of fill flash from any type of camera flash can fill-in skin details to give a softer, more flattering look to an image”
nearby, and obviously you can find some great locations on holiday. Before you head out though, spend some time thinking about technique and lighting, to save any in-situ irritation as you fiddle around with the camera settings. You don’t need to lug around an SLR and awkward lighting gear, either – fashion and portrait photographer, Dave Kai Piper, gets great results with his Fujifilm X-T1 compact system camera using on-camera flash.
“A slight hint of fill flash from any type of camera flash can fill-in skin details to give a softer, more flattering look to an image,” Dave explains. “With these images, I used the flash at a third power to add a little fill light.”
If your models are a bit reluctant to take part, going to interesting locations can really help to settle things down and make them less self-conscious. “Confidence and fun are the most important things when photographing people,” explains Dave.
Get started today…
* Use a prime lens with a wide aperture to reduce the depth of field. For these pictures, Dave used a very fast Fujinon 35mm f/1.4. Other classic focal lengths for portraits are 50mm and 85mm. * For extra drama and flare, use the sun to backlight your subjects. Try letting the flare drift over the frame to give a soft, sun-kissed look to the image. * Use fill flash to brighten up the subject’s shadows if needed. * Be careful of distractions such as trees or poles accidentally sticking out of your subject’s head, or ugly background clutter such as bins, benches or cars.