Travel portraits I will be travelling across Asia and I want to capture it all on camera. Can you give me some advice on shooting portraits of the people I meet?
When you’re trying to get portraits of interesting people, there are two techniques that you need to master. One is the basics of your camera, which I’ll talk more about in a moment, and the other is an ability to quickly establish a rapport with someone who probably doesn’t speak the same language as you.
In my experience, if you want a portrait you have to be bold and just ask. A big smile, pointing at the camera and the ability to at least say ‘please’ in the local language usually works. If you get a nod, work quickly. Be respectful, and only take up a minute or two of their time.
The thing to avoid is spending ages adjusting the exposure or focus, so make sure you’re wellprepared beforehand. I’d suggest shooting in Aperture Priority, so you set the aperture while the camera decides on the shutter speed. Take a shot, quickly review it, dial in exposure compensation if needed and take a couple more. With a portrait the ‘life’ is often in the eyes so this is where your focus needs to be. Use a shallow aperture such as f/2.8 or f/4 to limit sharpness and diffuse any background elements effectively.
If you can, get your subject to stand in the shade, so the light is even on their face but there are still catchlights in the eye. I often look for dark doorways, as the difference in exposure between the face and the background adds a strong contrast.
A focal length of around 85mm works well, because it means you’re not so close to them that it makes them feel uneasy; nor are you too far away for good communication while you’re taking the shot. If you don’t already have one, I’d recommend getting a 70-200mm lens to take with you.