STACK #210 Apr 2022

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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THE

Lens Guide In photography there are two main types of lenses: Zoom and Prime. It’s important to understand what these two types of lenses do, to help you choose which is best for your next portrait. Zoom lenses have a variable focal length, giving you much needed versatility. Prime lenses are at a fixed focal length, limiting your range but generally giving you a larger aperture and investing portraits with more depth, detail and focus. There are many different sized lenses to choose from, and these vary from brand to brand. As a general rule, the following four lenses will have you covered for all your portraiture needs. 35mm: This size lens is believed to be the truest representation of what the human eye sees. A perfect lens for everyday use, candid portraits, travel snaps, and everything in between. 50mm: Your favourite photographer’s favourite lens. A lens at this focal length with low aperture (f/1.2 – 1.8) strikes the perfect balance for creating depth of field and subject detail. 85mm: The underrated lens. A little longer than the two we have spoken about, so distance to subject will need to be considered. This lens will allow you to shoot at a faster shutter speed without increasing the ISO (the camera's sensitivity to light), giving your images less noise, sharper detail and a rich depth of field. 70-200mm: Like the 85mm, a long lens like this can have stunning effects on your portraits. The biggest advantage of a telephoto lens is the subject compression, which is especially handy when taking candid portraits at events or get togethers. You can take close-up images without being in the subject’s face, and be a real fly on the wall.

PORTRAITS W hen you take a portrait, you’re not just taking a photo of someone, you’re telling a story, one that captures

your subject, their personality and emotions. When done right – with the help of these tips – a meaningful portrait will highlight a trust and connection between the photographer and their subject, an artform in human interaction and experience with beautiful results. Composition There are a few basic rules that are important to understand when putting together the composition of a portrait. Rule of Thirds: The main composition rule, which urges the photographer to frame their subject a third of the way into frame, to create a sense of space and story. Rule of Space: Encourages the photographer to have the subject facing towards empty space in the frame, to increase the feeling of size. Triangular Composition: A composition suggestion that any elements positioned in a triangle shape will create a hero area of focus in your images; an arm up over a model's head for example, creating an area of focus for the viewer. But hey, rules are made to be broken. Experiment with your composition techniques and create your own style. That’s where your work will shine. Lighting We could fill pages and pages going through the nuances of portrait lighting, but let’s stick to the basics for now. It’s always important to use soft lighting during a photo shoot; if in a studio setting you can achieve this with soft boxes; if outside, golden hour is your best bet for optimal lighting. What is Golden Hour? The term golden hour refers to the hour immediately following sunrise or the hour before sunset. Optimal lighting occurs here when the sun is at its lowest point. Try to avoid lighting situations where the sun/ light is directly face-on with the subject – it can be confronting for the subject, and typically will blow out the exposure of the image, compromising the detail and editing potential. Props There is a fine line here, let that be said first and foremost. A well-placed prop can really make a photo, while an ill-advised or forced prop... well,

that’s a whole other story. Choose wisely and choose a variety if going down this path – props are a great solution to a portraiture subject that is a little uncomfortable in front of the camera. Interacting with something could loosen them up just enough to snap the winning shot. It’s all in the eyes The eyes are the window to the soul. A picture is worth a thousand words. You’ve heard all the clichés before. In portrait photography, the eyes are everything, whether they are looking off frame or directly down the barrel of the camera. Burst mode A super handy tip for capturing the best portraits is to shoot with your camera in burst mode. The advantage is that instead of taking one image when you press the shutter, your camera will take multiple ones, meaning you will never miss a moment or have your picture ruined by a pesky blinking eye or unflattering facial expression again. Shoot candidly Taking candid portraits is especially useful when photographing subjects that are a little uncomfortable in front of a camera. This is especially handy when shooting multiple subjects – photos of them interacting with each other can create compelling visual stories.

Aperture is the opening on your lens which light passes through on its way to the shutter. It’s like the pupil of your eye; as you enter a dark room, your pupil opens to allow more light to enter, and the same applied to the aperture of your camera’s lens. Aperture sizes can be tricky to remember, so the smaller the f/number, the larger the aperture. What is aperture again?

48 APRIL 2022

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