http://gregjordanphotography.com/how-to-take-a-better-portrait 650-380-1747 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:27:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://gregjordanphotography.com/how-to-take-a-better-portrait#comment-9 Greg Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:07:37 +0000 http://gregjordandesign.com/blog/?p=339#comment-9 I agree. Personally, I prefer candid portraits as opposed to posed. But the reality is that many of the portraits we end up taking are posed and then shared with friends and family. And if lighting is a challenge it's sometimes easiest to resort to the flash. But certainly there are other options. The use of off camera flash / strobe can be a good option but there's a learning curve. Then there's the option of working with the available light. And you can try using a light reflector - a collapsable reflector that has a golden side and maybe a silver side. Try it all and see what you like best. I agree. Personally, I prefer candid portraits as opposed to posed. But the reality is that many of the portraits we end up taking are posed and then shared with friends and family. And if lighting is a challenge it’s sometimes easiest to resort to the flash. But certainly there are other options. The use of off camera flash / strobe can be a good option but there’s a learning curve. Then there’s the option of working with the available light. And you can try using a light reflector – a collapsable reflector that has a golden side and maybe a silver side. Try it all and see what you like best.

]]> http://gregjordanphotography.com/how-to-take-a-better-portrait#comment-8 Matthieu Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:41:29 +0000 http://gregjordandesign.com/blog/?p=339#comment-8 I want to comment about the use of the flash. I personally try to use it as seldom as possible. I find that it flattens the subject if the aim of the flash is the same as that of the camera. This is not true of course if you are able to use a deported flash, one that shoots the light from an angle. I do find the flash useful sometimes when the subject is backlit (a portrait in front of a sunset for example- in such a case, without a flash it’s difficult to get the nice colors of the darkening sky and still see the face of the subject. In portraits, I think it's worth experimenting with the lightning (the angle, the number of light sources, etc…) this will make big differences on the softness or the harshness of the portrait. I want to comment about the use of the flash. I personally try to use it as seldom as possible. I find that it flattens the subject if the aim of the flash is the same as that of the camera. This is not true of course if you are able to use a deported flash, one that shoots the light from an angle. I do find the flash useful sometimes when the subject is backlit (a portrait in front of a sunset for example- in such a case, without a flash it’s difficult to get the nice colors of the darkening sky and still see the face of the subject.
In portraits, I think it’s worth experimenting with the lightning (the angle, the number of light sources, etc…) this will make big differences on the softness or the harshness of the portrait.

]]>