Wedding Photography
Wedding is not just an event but it is journey that two people have decided to take. Wedding photography may not be a mainstream or commercial photography but it is still an art. It should not be considered to be anything less than serious photography. In fact it is one of the most demanding disciplines of professional work. If you are an aspiring wedding photographer then there are certain key areas that you need to understand. One of the key areas is strategy. Even before you can think about the camera to use, the film roll, the lighting and the background, you need to work on a strategy.
A sound strategy means that you would be able to create opportunities by the numbers. You will have to create an opportunity in every situation. Most wedding photographers take two versions of the same shot to eliminate blinks and at the same time they are able to introduce variety. The norm of wedding photography is to shoot a full-length photo, which is followed by a head and shoulders or half-length photo. Secondly, you will have to create a list of photographs that should be or can be taken during wedding. The list drawn by most professionals include photographs of Bride at home, preparations/wedding dress, parents, bridesmaids, bridesmaids – group photo, bride and bridesmaids, bride and chief bridesmaid, bride and family, parents and bride, mother and bride, father and bride, brothers, sisters and bride, parents and bridesmaids, extended family and any special request.
These will be followed by photographs in the church or outdoors after the wedding ceremony is over. One of the favorite shots is where the bride walks through the aisle. You can take good photos using a tripod so that the flash can bounce from a reflector at around f/5.6 followed by a shutter speed of 1/8 or 1/15 of a second.
This will allow ambient light to seep in. If you are not using the tripod then you will need to have one stop less than the normal where the flash will reflect on an 80mm lens and the shutter speed will be 1/30 of a second.
There are basically two types of cameras used for wedding photography. One is the 35mm and the other is a medium format. The 35mm cameras create grainier appearance when the photograph is enlarged as compared to a medium format. Another aspect of photography that you need to know about is the camera film. The camera film is available in both B&W and color. The color film is the most popular one but off late B&W photos are coming to the forefront. The good thing about black & white film is that you can create an artistic look. Secondly, the B&W photos last longer than their colored counterpart. The salient point of color films is that they are more versatile. If you shoot with a color film then you will be able to portray the details of the wedding day. If you are using a 35mm camera for the occasion then your best bet will be 100, 200 or 400 speed film. The 100 speed film gives best quality prints in strong sunlight, the 200 speed film can be used in sunlight as well as shade and the 400 speed film is the best for low light.
Portrait Photography
Portrait Photography is one of the most challenging arts if you are considering becoming a professional in this. If you don't have a photo studio, then you can always start by concentrating on environmental portraits through which you can show the subject as well as his surroundings. The best work is the one that can produce an enlarged image of the size 11x14 inches. If the image is any smaller than this then the subject's face will look too small. You will require the help of a low ISO setting, prime lenses, a tripod, and a mid-range digital SLR.
There are two basic elements for portrait photography in a photo studio. The first one is a controlled background. You will have to focus all your attention on the subject and at the same time minimize or remove the distracting elements in the frame. A common mistake made by many portrait photographers is the use of seamless paper or various monochromatic backgrounds. What you need to understand is that you don't require a special room to create a controlled background. There are various types of clever portable backdrops and backdrop supports, which you can build or even buy. Inspite of all this, if you are still unable to control the background, then the next best thing is to use a long fast lens like a 300/2.8. A fast telephoto lens will have very little depth of field and hence the eyes and the nose of your subject will be sharp. The distraction in the frame will become a blurry blob of colors.
The second most important element of a portrait studio is controlled lighting. If you have lights kept on stands or if you can hang them from the ceiling then it will be easier to pick the angle at which light will strike the subject. The use of umbrellas and various diffusion equipments will help you to pick the harshness of the shadows on your subject. Backgrounds have always played an important role bringing out the details in a portrait photograph. So if you can’t find a big open space with diffuse light and a neutral background then you will have to steal on.
Here are some key factors of portrait photography. The first one is:
Lighting
The best lighting condition for portraits is soft and off-camera. If you have a large north-facing window or the soft-box then it will work very well. For shooting outdoors, an overcast day or sky will provide a perfect lighting condition. If there’s sun outside then you can use an electronic flash or a reflector to fill in shadows underneath the eyes.
Lens
The best way to flatter your subject is by de-emphasizing the nose. This means that you will have to stand at least 10 feet away from your subject. The problem that arises in this case is filling your frame with the subject's face since you are standing at 10 feet. To deal with this problem, you will require a high magnification or telephoto lens. Typical portrait lenses vary between 90 and 135 millimeters long for 35mm cameras
Article written by Rita
I am a housewife, and I also worked at one private company. My hobby of photography
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