Starting out with Portraits
My friend Jalitza
I started my journey with photography by doing travel photography. I slowly transitioned into some other similar genres of photography such as landscape photography and photojournalism, but a few years ago I decided to try portraiture as well. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I had to interact with my subject? And I had to tell them what to do? It was a total change from what I was used to and there was a learning curve.
When I started looking into portrait photography, the first thing I evaluated was my equipment. Would I be able to shoot with what I already had? I didn’t want to invest in equipment that I would not be using; photography can get expensive.
For portraits, going into it I knew that my favorite part would be the depth of field—the bokeh! Knowing this, I made sure to utilize a lens with a wide aperture. I already owned a 2.8 70-200MM which was the perfect lens to experiment with.
Next came the hard part: finding a model.
As an inexperienced portrait photographer, ideally, I was looking for an experienced model. At least one of us should know what we were doing, right? Enter my friend Jalitza! Jalizta is an actress and performer who is used to being behind the camera. She was also willing to work with me TFP (time for prints).
In the end, I think my first shoot went well! Looking back at the experience years later, here are some tips for a newbie looking to venture into portrait photography:
Get ready to tell people what to do
Unlike travel photography, landscape photography, and some photojournalism, for portraits, you have to direct your model. Tell them how to pose. Know which poses are the best for different people, not everyone is comfortable with the same poses.
Practice first
Don’t let your first foray into portraiture be a hired shoot. Work with friends and peers first. Many cities have Facebook groups for photographers and models to connect and arrange for TFP shoots.
Don’t get hung up on the equipment
When people say a photographer is only as good as their equipment, they are lying. Especially when you are just getting started or experimenting around, work with what you have. Use lenses you already own before investing. If you do think you need a portrait lens, start small. A 50mm or 85mm with a small F stop will get the job done! I used my Canon 85mm 1.8 (which costs about $380) for several years before upgrading.
Have fun!
Photography is fun! Don’t force yourself to enjoy portraiture if you don’t like it. Not every photographer has to take portraits.