Portraits
Doing portraits and working with people can be challenging but it doesn't have to be. When working with people, always try to stay calm and happy, if you are anxious your client will most likely pick up on that and have a hard time working with you.
When taking portraits of someone I usually like to have them poses naturally instead of telling them what you want them to do just ask them to relax and stand/sit how they usually would. I always like to give my clients a heads up that they can play their own music to make them more comfortable.
When it comes time to direct them to the pose you want don't touch your client just ask them politely to move or show them with your own body. Make sure you are respectful and fun and you should have people coming back.
Monday 7th march
In Studio
Continuing on with the topic of portraits since we have already talked about working with your client why don't we move on to an in-studio setup.
When it comes to doing portraits you always want to be ready beforehand make sure you are all set up with your lights and camera ready and charged as well as having your lenses close by. Also, make sure there is an area for your client to change if they brought different outfits.
When you are posing people in a studio you want to have your subject a few feet from the wall so you can show depth as well as be able to fit in a background light that you can usually see over the subject's shoulder. hair lighting is something I would recommend as it comes in handy when needing a bit more light.
You should have everything you need and should be able to have a good shot.
Wednesday 9th march
On Location
Lastly, in this portrait week, I want to talk about location shots. When shooting in the studio you usually have everything you need within the building but when you are on location you don't.
When it comes to packing my bag for an on-location portrait I usually carry my speed light, extra batteries, camera batteries, two lenses, a tripod, and a reflector. Make sure you have everything you need put in your bag before you leave. When it comes to setting up there's not much to do because you are working with available light.
You can do many different shots when you are outside so you can get very creative, just make sure your client knows that if they want to change there may not be a spot for them to do so. When you are out on location anything could happen so be careful and have fun shooting.
Friday 11th march