I'm new to the portrait scene and am curious as to which lighting, and flashes, etc stuff to invest in. Or that is a necessity. Any help or advice welcome!
...and once you get the flash/es, get an off-camera flash cord, or better yet, try those ebay wireless triggers. once you get the hang of using it, you'll open up a world of possibilities.
I agree that an external flash is an absolute must. I would be lost without mine. Once you have the flash I would invest in a simple diffuser. There are many kinds around or you can make a simple one from a 1 litre milk carton (round one). There are instructions on some websites that show how to make these. You can use a car dash heat protector (silver fold out reflector thing) as a cheap reflector until you invest in the other 'must' of reflectors. These are invaluable for stopping shadows and harsh light. There are loads of wireless and corded triggers available on ebay. I have found them great.
There are also some good attachments for external flash that give you a better soft box effect. I have an add on soft box that is about 25cm wide and very good. Once you have more money there are some great external lighting kits around that start at very affordable prices.... and backdrop kits too. You can get as carried away as you want. I used cheap lighting until I made enough money from portraits to invest in some 'real' gear. Absolutely YES to a tripod too.
I would also say 50mm prime lens is a portrait photographer's best friend. I have the entry level 50mm (quite inexpensive) and swear by it.
Most importantly. Have fun with it!!!! I love portrait photography and it can be so rewarding in so many ways. Go get 'em!
I'm pretty new to portraits too. While an external flash is on my wish list, the only lighting I've ever used is our glorious sunshine! If you decide to use sun only, just keep in mind it's best to shoot an hour or so before sunset. The middle of the day is too bright and the photos will turn out contrasty.
And if you decide to make money off of your portraits, I'd highly recommend a good editing program. I use photoshop, but if you don't know photoshop, it has a pretty large learning curve. But totally worth it!!! I mean it, photoshop is amazing!
Btw, I learned a lot of photoshop tricks from a book by Scott kelby.
@sweett Yup! Its called golden hour : p I have the knowledge to do this stuff just not the equipment. The flash is next on my wishlist. the 430ex II is what I'm eyeballing. Thanks for the feedback!
if you're going for studio shots.... a softbox will do... i use the external flash as a filler.. hihhihi ^___^ but a one light set up will just do... here's a link of all the basic lighting set up u could do with a soft box http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH84-pA7p-c
hope that helps.
when going for an outdoor shoot... ermmm it's best to shoot when the sun is not at the top.. so morning and late afternoon are good time to shoot outdoor.. AND A REFLECTOR!!!!!!!!! =) a 50mm is good for outdoor shots, but i use my 35mm for that...
with studio, i use my kit lens... =)
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...and once you get the flash/es, get an off-camera flash cord, or better yet, try those ebay wireless triggers. once you get the hang of using it, you'll open up a world of possibilities.
There are also some good attachments for external flash that give you a better soft box effect. I have an add on soft box that is about 25cm wide and very good. Once you have more money there are some great external lighting kits around that start at very affordable prices.... and backdrop kits too. You can get as carried away as you want. I used cheap lighting until I made enough money from portraits to invest in some 'real' gear. Absolutely YES to a tripod too.
I would also say 50mm prime lens is a portrait photographer's best friend. I have the entry level 50mm (quite inexpensive) and swear by it.
Most importantly. Have fun with it!!!! I love portrait photography and it can be so rewarding in so many ways. Go get 'em!
And if you decide to make money off of your portraits, I'd highly recommend a good editing program. I use photoshop, but if you don't know photoshop, it has a pretty large learning curve. But totally worth it!!! I mean it, photoshop is amazing!
Btw, I learned a lot of photoshop tricks from a book by Scott kelby.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH84-pA7p-c
hope that helps.
when going for an outdoor shoot... ermmm it's best to shoot when the sun is not at the top.. so morning and late afternoon are good time to shoot outdoor.. AND A REFLECTOR!!!!!!!!! =) a 50mm is good for outdoor shots, but i use my 35mm for that...
with studio, i use my kit lens... =)