Posed Portraits

[anna_p.2]

<p>Hello! I am interested in learning what other people on this board do for lighting during the posed portraits session, ie off camera flash(es), reflectors, umbrellas, etc. Also, I am interested to know about the use of tripods, I would suppose that unless you had an assistant it would be a bit more difficult to set an off camera flash technique without a tripod. If you use a tripod for your camera what material is yours made out of? I am thinking the tripod that I will eventually invest in will be aluminum - I don't know if I can justify the expense of carbon fiber. </p>

[bill_clark___minnetonka_mi]

<p>I work at finding controlled light and use reflectors. But when I need to make a series of different groups with time constraints, I will resort to using my small battery powered flashes off camera fired with Pocket Wizards. I use them with various light modifiers. When I make the posed photos I will run them with a Quantum battery for faster re-cycling. I find there are several advantages including no-cords and the ability to move them around. I operate the camera in manual mode as well as the flashes. I'm old & crazy and it's how I learned on my own to operate lighting in the olden days! I find that TTL & ETTL can be fooled every so often. </p>

<p>I do use a Manfretto aluminum tripod with a 3265 head. </p>

<p>Hope this helps you.</p>

[steve_c.5]

<p>I'll second everything (every word) Bill said. Those are my methods too, and I'm not even old or crazy :-).</p>

<p>Start with an inexpensive aluminum tripod (Manfrottos are fine), get a decent ball head that allows 90 degree + rotation of the camera for vertical shots, and you'll be fine. You don't have to spend $200 on a ball head, a $50 one will work well for now, as long as it's big enough for the task. Don't get one of those three-axis heads with three separate handles. They're too fussy and complicated. A pistol grip or ball head will be much easier and faster to use. Carbon fiber is nice and light, but only pays off if you have to cart the thing long distances like with nature photography.</p>

[neilambrose]

<p>Not sure why you want to use a tripod.</p>

<p>If I'm using strobes then I'm always shooting above flash sync so camera shake is a non-issue. This makes the tripod a rather pointless accessory. It may keep my hands free, but that's the only benefit. Mostly it limits my shooting angle and prevents free movement round the subject, so I'd have to spend time trying to move it and adjust it between shots.</p>

<p>Far better is to forget about the tripod and get a couple of lightstands with strobes in hotshoe mounts. The lightstands give a lot more reach (helps when you want to get the lights high) and are more sturdy, so you can use a grid / umbrella / softbox / radio trigger with no fear of it all falling over. (Which is otherwise a common occurence if you're shooting outside in even the slightest breeze).</p>

<p>Plus you get to keep your camera in your hands, have excellent mobility and stay free to interact with the subject, and if you need to alter the light ratio all you have to do is move the lightstands closer or further from the subject. Couldn't be simpler.</p>

<p>By the way - Bill's right about shooting both camera and lights in manual mode, except you don't have to be old and crazy! Anyone with any experience of studio lighting will tell you that's the only way to do it.</p>

 

[picturesque]

<p>Sometimes I use off camera flashes for posed portraits, but sometimes I don't. It depends on the light available. Sometimes I make these portraits using natural light only--particularly outside, but sometimes not.</p>

<p>When I use off camera flashes, I use 2 Sunpak 120Js, with or without umbrellas (no umbrellas outside, though). Sometimes I use my compact stands and 40" umbrellas, sometimes I use a larger umbrella and sturdier stand. I use the flashes for reception lights as well. I don't use reflectors since one normally needs an assistant to make it work without fumbling a lot. You will need a triggering system--I use Cybersyncs and use my off camera flashes in manual flash mode. I often use my on camera as fill and the off camera as key, but sometimes it may be different.</p>

<p>I also don't understand the connection between the tripod and off camera lighting. Might want to explain what you mean. A tripod is necessary if you are using a shutter speed too slow to handhold AND you AREN'T dragging the shutter, although there are some shutter drag situations where you still would want a tripod. The tripod I have is a Bogen tripod and I do something unconventional. You can read about it in the thread linked.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00S2HV">http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00S2HV</a></p>

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>Depends on the time available.</p>

<p>If time allows in a church setting, I go off camera. Actually, I am doing more and more of this outside too these days (RadioPoppers).</p>

<p>If outside during daylight, I use on cam fill if needed and all natural, homegrown, organic for those I don't need a fill on. Again, this depends on time of day and weather, etc.</p>

[savagesax]

<p>I use a tripod, bogan, light weight, the cost was about $150 for the sticks and the same for the head. This gives me more freedom to move around, such as adjusting the train, turning people in the right angles.</p>

<p>I use extra lights off camera often in dark churches and temples. I often put a light behind the bride and groom aiming at the background. This extra light does a wonderful job lighting up the background and also separates dark haired and dark skinned people from blending into the background.</p>

<p>Because of adding this needed light, I'm not too concerned about wicked fast lenses and extreme high ISO settings, even though my cameras can handle high ISO settings.</p>

<p>When I photograph the bride and groom alone I'll sometimes ask an usher, groomsman, or a bridesmaide to hold the off camera flash. Email me if you wish to see an example.</p>

[steve_c.5]

<p>I'll agree with most here that tripods are great, and you have to have one, but I don't use mine much. One reason is my camera has image stabilization in the body, so every lens is stabilized. Really helps with slow shutter speeds. But when doing portraits, you really don't need one if you keep your shutter speed high enough as others suggest.</p>

[er1]

<p>Even with high ISO's and IS lenes standard, I suggest owning a tripod. My partner and I have used one at every wedding we have ever shot. I don't however believe this would justify carbon fiber, as aluminum will work just fine for you.</p>

[george_prescott]

<p>Wouldn't you typically use a tripod to drag the shutter and open up the lighting? It seems the background in churches is always dark, and formals seem to be taken a lot on altars.</p>

<p>George</p>

[savagesax]

<p>George - yes but I still perfer to light up the background with a small kicker light, priced around $30.</p>

[steve_c.5]

<p>George, I do use lower shutter speeds in altar formals to bring out the ambient lighting, but I also increase ISO somewhat to help with that as well. I use off-camera shoe-mount strobes on stands, usually with a couple of shoot-thru umbrellas, and placed on either side of me. Both are set on manual and triggered with RF triggers. One is set for higher output and one lower, to create the key/fill lighting and add dimension to the shot. Even still, with image stabilization in the camera, I don't need a tripod, which really frees you. You Nikon and Canon shooters might do better with a tripod if you don't have stabilized lenses. It depends on how slow you go with your shutter speed.</p>