Portraits

Cannot point you in that direction but I suggest you look at examples from various portrait photographers, decide which ones you like, and then search on their names plus techniques.

It's a very personal art form and techniques vary from very simple to highly complex.
Keep questing and learning Robert, it keeps us young!

Indeed it does. I seem to be far to busy to find the time to get old.

What I am realy interested in is lighting techniques etc.

Cheers

These should get you up and running:

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BjHh

http://lumitouch.com/benstudiotutorial/index.html

http://www.elinchrom.com/Downloads/Guides/Joe%20Craig/Craig_EN.pdf

Just like video portrait lighting varies depending on who is doing it. Jane Bown at one end with no lights at all and half a gigawatt's worth at the other extreme. Strangely, the results are sometimes very similar. The same principle I suspect as some movies which on the surface look as if they were lit "available light" but actually use a huge rig to achieve a natural effect.

Personally, I really like soft lighting for most subjects, it's so much more flattering, but hard lighting can add drama to a face.

Have fun!

Thanks dave.

Photos will be non pro as I just want to build up a good set of extended family portrait shots.
And it will give me something else to try and find the time to do.

Cheers.

Rob beat me to it. I'd start with Jane Bown and stay there for a while. Her stuff was/is brilliant but simple, she never used lighting or a meter, the results are visually stunning. She shows how to use what's there, rather than create something artificial that (hopefully) looks natural. If you get the chance, have a critical look at her use of light, she places the subject when the available light gives exactly the effect she wants, brilliant, intuitive photography.

Consider investing in some Studio Lighting. If you think it's over the top, consider that for a set of Elinchrom D-Lites you'd pay around £400. Even less for Chinese strobes. The D-Lites would keep their value better though.

They're compact and very portable and take up no more storage space than a vacuum cleaner.

I know you're only doing family portraits, but portraits aren't like photos of landmarks, they're more of a one off and something future generations will cherish, so it's worth doing them really well.

There's a great PDF full of demo poses to inspire you for your shots here: http://www.vci.net/%7Emmorgan/pg2.pdf

Thanks for that Chris. Just entering the experimental stage so don't want to spent money yet
I have some lights and reflector thingies knocking about from my video production days and I will try messing about with them first of all.
Unfortunately, for some reason or another, that web site just freezes up my computer

Nice shots on your site by the way, especially the trampoline one. I did something (non action) similar last year.

Have a look at Jane Bown's stuff before you spend on lights. You'll be impressed.

I have looked at some of Jane Browns shots Alan and I was very impressed indeed. Don't know if it's exactly what I want though but I will certainly have a go at using natural light when the opportunity arises.

Cheers.

I like the way you've done that. The Amber ones weren't done on a trampoline, I had to get her to run and jump and snap her mid air against a white wall. I moved them about and rotated a couple in Photoshop.

I can email you the PDF file if you like, drop me an email to chris(AT)chrislongley.com.

Alan, I've nowt against using available light, trouble is a lot of people want very high key shots against white backgrounds these days (Due to photo studios like Venture). Also if you want large depth of field and a fast shutter to freeze things there's often not enough available light available this being the UK