Portrait Photography

Types of Film to use

Negatives

• Kodak GoldII 100

• Agfa Portrait

• Fuji Reala

• Konica Impressa

• Kodak GPX

• Kodak VPS

• Kodak VPL

• Fuji NPS

Slides

• Fujichrome Velvia

• Fujichrome RDP 100

• Agfachrome

• Kodak Ektachrome

Fast, graing films

• Agfachrome 1000RS

• Fujicolor SHG 1600

Types of Lens

• 85mm

• 100mm

• 105mm

• 180mm

•     Overexpose slightly in soft lighting to lighten the tones to create a dreamy, high-key effect.
       Harsh sunlight is the worst enemy, it casts deep, black shadows across your subject's face so try to ask your subject to turn away from the sun and bounce light on their faces with a reflector or use a burst of fill-in flash to lower contrast, or move into a shade.
  
  
•     Take portraits in the earlier or later in the day when the sun is low in the sky.
  
  
•     An overcast day can produce very flattening results. Use 81A or 81B warm-up filter to balance the slight blue cast in the light.
       Combining a warm-up filter and a soft focus filter with fast, graing film to produce highly evocative results. This is also applicable to taking pictures of landscapes in a dull weather.

Points to take note when photograhing portraiture

• Full-face portraits

      Focus on the model's eyes. Select a small aperture to obtain sharpness because the depth of field becomes shallower when the camera is close to the subject.
  
  

• 3-quarter view or profile

      Focus on the subject's mouth.
  
  

• Full-length

      Kneel down so the camera is approximately level with the subject's waist. Avoid using a viewpoint closer than 2m.
  
  

• Group photo

      Focus between the subjects' shoulders and waists. Arrange them in a convex manner.
  
  

• Thinning hair, or a bald head

      Use a lower camera angle so as to avoid the top lighting or use a flag to mask the light from the top of the model's head and a background tone which minimize the contrast.
      Light the subject from the side and shoot from below the chin line.
  
  

• Double chin or a plump face

      Choose a higher viewpoint where a 3-quarter face pose is adopted. After which, shoot from slightlyabove the head with the subject leaning forward, forcing him to stretch out the chin by looking up.
  
  

• Large nose

      Use a long focal length lens to compress perspective. Position the subject square to the camera.
  
  

• Uneven teeth

      In this case, try to avoid front-on, wide smiles of the model.
  
  

Types of shots

• Detail Shot

      Extreme close-up which isolates detail.
  
  

• Face Shot

      Very close-up. From mid-forehead to above the chin.
  
  

• Big Close-Up

      Tight close-up; Full head. Full head height nearly fills the screen.
  
  

• Close-Up

      Framing from just above the head, down to upper chest, just below necktie knot.
  
  

• Chest Shot

      Bust shot; Medium close-up. Cuts the body at lower chest (breast pocket, armpit).
  
  

• Waist Shot

      Mid-shot; medium shot; Close-medium shot. Cuts the body just below the waist.
  
  

• Knee Shot

      (3/4 Shot). ³/₄ length shot, cutting just below the knees.
  
  

• Full Length Shot

      Medium long shot. Entire body plus a short distance above/below.
  
  

• Long Shot

      Person occupies 1/4 to 1/2 screen height.
  
  

• Extra Long Shot

      Vista shot. Extreme long shot.

Special Effects

• Candle Light

      Candle light is soft and warm in color. Flickering, directionless light smoothes out facial wrinkles. Take reflected reading off the face as the image flame will give an incorrect reading.
  
  

• When using a soft focus filter + 5R and 81 series filter

      Stop down the lens, approximately f16 to smooth the skin or complexion. It also gives the skin a warm quality.
  
  

• Use a strong midday sun or flash on overtly sexy woman.

  
  
  

• Use a softer light for a more sensitive, femimine girl.

    General Rule: Ask the subject to lean forward into the picture. A positive attitude to the camera produces moree dynamic portraits.