Tag Archives: Portraits

Not too shallow

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Michael Willems

I hear people say sometimes that “you cannot shoot portraits at wide open apertures”. So then how this available light portrait, shot on a full frame camera with a 50mm lens at f/1.2 (yes, f/1.2!)? Well yes, it is shallow, … Continue reading →

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Look in my eyes

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Michael Willems

..or, do not! What I mean is this: for a character portrait, you do not necessarily need eye contact. In fact, often, there is more of a story – more intrigue, more for viewers to work out for themselves, i.e. … Continue reading →

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QTOTD: Music

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Michael Willems

Or “Quick Tip Of The Day”: I am setting up for a portrait shoot, and his reminds me to mention to you the following quick tip: Always have some music on the in the background when shooting a portrait. Age- … Continue reading →

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Angle

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Michael Willems

A word about a very important aspect of people photography: angle. When I make a portrait, one of my main tasks is to find the right angle. People have flattering angles, and less flattering angles. Angles that make them larger … Continue reading →

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Forbidden word

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Michael Willems

A forbidden word when doing portraits, especially of men: “SMILE!”. I say that for two reasons. First, you do not necessarily need a smile in every portrait. Art portraits, glamour: fashion, personality: there are many categories that do not need … Continue reading →

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Glasses are not a problem

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Michael Willems

In a shot with glasses, avoid reflections – and it is easy. Move the lights (umbrellas, softboxes, whatever you use) 45 degrees to the subject’s side, and 45 degrees up. If you see a reflection, like this: ..then do the … Continue reading →

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The best camera…

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Michael Willems

…it is often said, is the camera you have on you. But you need to use it well. I shall share with you an example of an iPhone picture I took, to illustrate this. To do an iPhone picture is … Continue reading →

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Cannot.

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Michael Willems

You cannot shoot a portrait handheld at 1/15th second. And you cannot shoot a portrait at f/1.4. Right? So that was shot as follows: Canon 1D Mk4 35mm prime lens (equivalent, therefore, to around 45mm) TTL Flash (580EX) bounced 45 … Continue reading →

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Today…

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Michael Willems

… courtesy of Ricoh, I made portraits at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, with Paolo Cescato. Here: As I shall be doing for the next nine days, the entire fair except Monday, every afternoon/evening. Here I am (courtesy of my friend and … Continue reading →

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Portrait tip

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Michael Willems

When you do a studio portrait, you usually want to use your portrait lighting alone – the room light should not interfere. Room light should be invisible. Does this mean the room has to be dark? No. It just means … Continue reading →

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