Help with portrait lighting.

[Nigel Robertson]

I am normally a semi professional landscape photographer. As we have now
a new baby, I am interested, naturally enough about portraits.

All previous attempts have been very amateurish.

I have seen some very impressive photos with a model sitting in from of
a candle lit cake. This provided very soft and warm lighting. A great
result.

I am after any ideas for either home made lighting or tips as above (the
cake idea) to really improve my portraits. I am intending to buy a cokin
694 P diffusor filter as an addition to my filter range. Is this a good
choice, or are there better ideas?

Thanks in advance

Nigel Robertson

[Karen Simmons]

Nigel Robertson wrote:

> I am normally a semi professional landscape photographer. As we
> have now a new baby, I am interested, naturally enough about
> portraits.
>
> All previous attempts have been very amateurish.

Nigel,

Two suggestions:

(1) Get the light off of the camera
(2) Make it a "big" light

A large light source off to the side or at an angle from the baby will
give you the best possible results - soft light with a bit of shadow
definition that will accommodate a bit of movement. The thing you
*don't* want to have to worry about with a baby (especially when he
starts moving around) is having to reset your lighting every time he
moves a few inches.

I do b&w portraits of babies and young children and most of my lighting
is window light or outdoors in open shade. If I do use a flash, it's
barely a pop just to get some light into the eyes and I try to keep it
off camera if possible at about a 45 degree angle to the child. It
doesn't always work that way (*grin*) as the child moves, but I try.

If you have a large window in your house, try draping it with some sheer
fabric (or sheer white drape liners) and playing with that light on your
baby's face. If you are going to use a flash, I'd recommend getting an
umbrella (had for reasonably cheap at a camera store, mounting your
flash and the umbrella on a tripod or stand and shooting thru the
umbrella for a softer light.

I think with just those few tips you'll be pleased with the results.

Karen

[zeitgeist]

Nigel Robertson wrote:
>
> I am normally a semi professional landscape photographer. As we have now
> a new baby, I am interested, naturally enough about portraits.
>
> All previous attempts have been very amateurish.
>

> I have seen some very impressive photos with a model sitting in from of
> a candle lit cake. This provided very soft and warm lighting. A great
> result.
>
> I am after any ideas for either home made lighting or tips as above (the
> cake idea) to really improve my portraits. I am intending to buy a cokin
> 694 P diffusor filter as an addition to my filter range. Is this a good
> choice, or are there better ideas?
>

I'm sure you realize that the most pleasant light for
photography outdoors is the twilight times, sunrise, sunset,
and the late afternoon light when the sun drops behind a
hill or row of trees etc. The best indoor lighting tries to
duplicate this, but instead most folks start out from the
opposite approach, using tiny point light sources with a
ever increasing larger modifiers, never connecting that the
nicest natural light is from a large diffuse arc.

I have posted almost obcessively in the
rec.photo.technique.people ng and to the z-prophoto mailing
list at egroups.com join it and read the archives or do a
deja.com search under my name.