nxapp guide1 shooting 4

7/25/2019 Nxapp Guide1 Shooting 4

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Guide for portrait photography


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74 Shooting Guide Book

Composition of portrait photography

Portrait photos account for more than 80% of the photos that we take. Portrait shots

are everywhere including daily photos, advertisements, fashion photography and

documentary lms. Most photographers consider portrait shooting to be both the

easiest and the hardest part of their job. You have to be able to bring out the emotions

of the models, which is dierent than photos of landscape or stationary subjects.

This may sound dicult, but a few points are all it takes to be able to take a much bet -

ter photo. Lets take a look at portrait photo shooting tips that beginners easily miss.


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75Guide for portrait photography

Lean closer

Most people shoot portrait photos too far away from their subject.

Unless you are shooting at a travel destination, keep the subject as

close as possible.



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Placing the portrait in the peripheral parts of the screen

Placing the portrait in the center of the screen makes it look stuy.

Let's compose the spaces dierently by placing the portrait to the

slight left or right of the center.



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Placing spaces to the direction that

the portrait is looking towards

If a subject is placed slightly o-center, it is good to leave spaces in

the direction the subject is looking. Sometimes creating a portrait

in an unexpected way can create a refreshing look.



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Help the portrait to relax

and adopt a natural pose and expression

Allow the portrait to relax and pose naturally. Anyone can be awk-

ward and sti when being photographed, so it is important to learn

to talk to the portrait to help them relax and look natural.



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Using light during outdoor shots

Articial lighting may be used in studio or indoor shots, but out-

door shots require dependence on the sun's light. The state of

light is important because it determines the mood of the photo. A

basic important point in using light is to select the direction of the

light based on the subject. Depending on the direction of the light,

the shadows over the face become dierent. Therefore, a com-pletely dierent mood can be shot, even with the same portrait.

Portrait photos and using light

Direction of light

Front light

Plain light

Cross light

Plain light

Cross light

Backlight

Side light Side light


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Direction of light

Often, the most unfavorable conditions for photographers are in

sunlight from 11AM to 3PM. At this time the sun is directly over-

head, creating heavy shadows on the subject and makes land-

scape photos at and expressionless.

When the subject is being exposed to a high sun, this kind of situa-

tion produces a bad photo with strong shadows.

A strong shadow appears under the sub-

ject's eyes due to the sun's position above the

subject's head.

It is better to take a photo in backlit

conditions or in shadow.



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A photo taken in backlit conditions where the exposure is set to the shadows. Unwanted

shadows are prevented and a highlight is formed around the head area.

Using backlight

Backlight is the favorite lighting of photographers. The user looks

towards the sun with the subject placing the sun behind his/her

back. The portrait is in a natural state of shadow, and a highlight

is formed around the head due to the backlight that provides a

sense of dimension to the photo.



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Exposure compensation in backlight shooting

One problem when shooting with backlight is that the subject may

appear darker. Exposure compensation is essential to avoid a dark

appearance when taking this type of shot. To adjust the exposure,

shoot the photo 1-2 steps brighter. Alternatively select a spot for

the exposure measurement, then measure the exposure on the

subject's face only, and then shoot.

F1.8 1/2000s

ISO100

45mm



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Using diused light

The most comfortable light for portrait shots is diused light. Dif-

fused light refers to a state where there are barely any shadows

because the sun is covered by clouds during cloudy or rainy days.

Soft light brings the portrait's expressions to life.

F1.8 1/250s

ISO100

45mm



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Fascinating eects with diused light

Practical use of light from a window

Light coming through a window can have attractive eects and be used to enhance

photographs. When indoor lighting is at a low level, sunlight coming through a window

creates a strong contrast. If the light is less contrasting, sunlight can still create a warmand gentle atmosphere. Windows that face north and rarely receive direct sunlight can

be useful for taking light-balanced photos that result in a 3D look.

F2 1/13s

ISO100

30mm



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Out-focus photos using aperture depth

In magazines, there are many photos where the subject is vivid and the background

blurry. These are called out-focus photos and are dicult to create with compact cam-

eras. Most photographers prefer this type of portrait photo.

It is very simple to take an out-focus photo. Choose a telephoto lens with a long focal

distance and preferably open the aperture to shoot the photo. Also, lean close to the

portrait, if possible, and place the background far away for good results.

A wide angle lens is not suitable for reproducing an out-of-focus eect. If you have a

zoom lens, use it to zoom in on the subject's torso and face. The following lenses are

appropriate for capturing portraits: 30mm f2, 60mm Macro, 85mm f1.4, 18-200mm

and 18-250mm.

F1.4 1/1250s

ISO100

85mm

Selecting and using a lens


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Indoor portrait photos

Shooting portraits indoors is very dicult. In everyday life, more

than half of all photos captured in a dark room fail. This is because

indoor light levels are signicantly lower than outdoor light levels.

Low light levels need a fully open aperture and a slower shutter

speed. But a slow shutter speed results in blurred photos.

Using a bright, large-caliber lens is important indoors. Another al-

ternative is to raise the ISO sensitivity. Check the EV and raise it

until the shutter speed becomes 1/60 of a second. Take into con-

sideration that the quality of the photo decreases due to noise as

the ISO increases.

F1.8 1/125s

ISO100

45mm



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Using a wide-angle lens for portrait photos

Although a wide-angle lens in not typically used for out-focus

photos, using a wide-angle lens for portrait photos can provide an

interesting perspective. You can capture both the full body of the

subject and the beautiful landscape in one photo. 16mm, 20mm,

and 18-200mm lenses are suitable.

F4 1/125s

ISO800

12mmF4 1/200s

ISO100

12mm



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The NX30 has a built in pop-up ash, and this ash can handle near distance portrait

photos of around guide number 11. For other NX cameras, you can use the external

ash. The electronic ash is synchronized with the exposure system of the camera.

You can use it without specialist knowledge if you set both the camera and the ash in

auto mode before you shoot.

The ash is very useful for low light conditions, indoor areas or night shots. You can

also use it as needed while outdoors and the light level is low. Also use the ash when

there is a risk of camera shake, such as in very shaded places, early in the morning or

during late afternoon.

SEF580A is a new external ash. Its high capacity guide number 58 allows you to use

the ash for a distant and wider area. Especially in High-speed sync mode, you can

capture a photo even when the shutter speed is faster than 1/200s. Therefore, when

you use the ash as an assist light outdoors, open the aperture to adjust the depth of

eld. Or, use the high speed shutter to capture fast moving subjects. Moreover, when

you use wireless sync function, several ashes re at the same time while enjoying a

broader range of creativity.

Using a ash

SEF8ASEF580A SEF220A


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Flash A-TTL mode

A-TTL mode provides automatic out-

put of optimum exposure by synchro-

nizing with the ISO, exposure, focal

length of the lens, and range nder

dial. It calculates the ideal amount of

light by ashing a preliminary light, andis quick to recharge because it only

emits the precise amount of lighted

needed for the correct exposure. By

using A-TTL mode, normal amounts of

light can be calculated without sepa-

rate exposure compensation adjust-

ment in the bounce ash.Because A-TTL mode works on SMART

Auto, P, A, and S modes, even begin-

ners to the ash can easily shoot pho-

tos without having to master its func-

Manual mode

Output can be manually adjusted in sixlevels (1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32).

The ash emits light based on its own

settings without regard to the camera

settings, and it calculates the aperture

each time based on the shooting dis-

tance. Because of this, beginners may

need more experience in using manu-al mode.

When using 1/1, all of the charged light

becomes discharged. In other words, it

has the highest amount of light.

Using a ash

Setting the fash light output, aperture value and shutter speed in A-TTL mode.

Camera modeSmart AutoProgram(P)

AperturePriority(A)

ShutterPriority(S)

Manual(M)

Aperture value Auto Manual Auto Manual

Shutter speed Auto Auto Manual Manual

Flash light output Auto Auto Auto Auto

tions. However, there is a limit to the

amount of light that the ash emits.

Therefore, it is important to know the

appropriate distances to use it.


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Using a ash

Flash compensation in backlight

Use of a ash does not have to be limited to indoor or night use. It can also be used

outdoors for backlight shooting to compensate for exposure problems. Another op-

tion using backlight is to attach a ash and shoot in A-TTL mode to compensate when

dark areas appear on the subject's face.


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Using a ash

Using ash in night shooting

When shooting a photo at night in front of a beautiful background, the background

barely shows. The reason behind this is the shutter speed. If you use program mode

among the camera's shooting modes, the shutter speed is at least 1/30 of a second

when the ash emits light. Although enough light is delivered to the subject, the back-

ground is too far from the ash and the shutter speed is too fast. Therefore, the back-

ground barely registers.

In these situations, you can shoot a ash photo after setting the shutter speed to 1/2

seconds to one second in shutter priority or manual mode instead of using program

mode. One thing to watch out for at this time is to use a tripod because the shutter

speed is very slow. The subject must also not move during this time.

A photo where the subject and

background have become merged

because the portrait moved during

the two seconds of exposure.

Even when using flash, the back-

ground appears dark because of the

shutter speed.

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