It is common to see family members using their phones to take pictures at family events. Often these images are not memorable because of poor composition and poor lighting. Here’s an easy lighting setup that you can use to create professional-quality photos.
Our goal will be to create portraits where our subjects look comfortable and satisfied, but before we can think about how we’re going to position them comfortably for these mini sessions, we I need to adjust some settings on our camera and flash. We’ll start with our camera, where we’ll pay attention to shutter speed, ISO, and aperture. The shutter speed can be set to 1/125 sec. If you have experience with using strobe lights, you may choose to use a faster shutter speed as long as you know what number you should not exceed. When this setting is correct, your camera will synchronize with the strobe light so that the strobe will fire at the same time as the shutter is open. The ISO will be set to the lowest possible setting. This will probably be 64 or 100. When we use the lowest ISO setting, we guarantee that the file will be noise-free and grain-free. Both noise and grain can be added back to the image in post-production if you so desire. Finally, our aperture will be set to f/5.6. This will provide just the right depth of field so that the entire face of the subject is in focus. For this type of portrait, we didn’t want the dramatic, shallow depth of field where the eyes were sharp but the nose and cheeks weren’t.
Once these three adjustments have been made, we can turn our attention to flashing. I love Profoto product, but any flashing light will do the job when paired with Westcott 7 umbrella ‘White and Black. This large umbrella will produce a soft, clean light with almost no shadow. This type of light will please the elderly and will reduce the appearance of wrinkles on their faces. Soft light also allows us to be free in how we pose our subject. If she turns a little left or right, we won’t have dramatic shadows on her face.
Because most strobe lights are completely manual, we’ll have to determine how much power we need the strobe to produce so that our image is neither too bright nor too dark. The easiest way to do this is to start taking test shots with the lights flashing at the lowest power level. Then we took a series of photos, increasing the power gradually until the photo looked good.
I usually use a 35mm lens for family portraits. This allows me to stay close to my audience for a better relationship. I can be a little loose with my layout. If I take my eyes off the viewfinder and point the camera towards my subject, I am sure that the subject will stay in the frame. Additionally, this focal length will produce an image showing some of the subject’s body.
Once the camera and flash have been placed correctly, we can turn our attention to making a connection with our subject. Keep your energy levels high when you ask them questions that will get them to think pleasant thoughts. Try sentences like: “So, you’re a principal? That must be great to be able to have a positive impact on the lives of so many young people. Do students ever return to school years later to thank you?” Don’t let your subject have time to worry. Let’s continue talking. When you flash a big smile, let them know: “Looks great. Just hold on to it.” While I often tell my subjects to smile, it’s best to avoid doing so and instead use conversation and body language to show happy, natural expressions. If you maintain each session for two minutes, you should be able to maintain high energy levels. with your subjects and create at least one powerful image from each small session.
Many photographers bought their first cameras in hopes of capturing interesting scenes or famous people. We had pictures of climbing the frigid slopes of Mount Everest and capturing a view that few others have ever seen with their own eyes. But if that fantasy never comes to fruition, we should appreciate the value we can bring to our family and friends simply by providing them with a natural portrait. , clear and well exposed. It’s sad to think about, but the reality is that none of us know what day will be the last day for ourselves or our loved ones, and the portrait we create today only for two minutes will likely be treasured by others for decades to come.
