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TECH FEATURE

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SHOOT LIKE A PRO

SINGLE AND FAMILY PORTRAITS Gavin Schmidt: “Have your camera set to either portrait mode or an aperture setting of f2.8. Focus on the eyes or face and don’t clutter up the background. Use lots of nice natural light and a fast shutter speed.” Bec Rowlands: “Turn on eye tracking! Having a camera that locks on to the eye of your subject and holds it is an absolute game changer for a photographer. There is nothing worse than seeing a potential hero image that is out of focus. Engage/chat with your subject to help them feel relaxed.

What are the best ways to capture fantastic photographs across a variety of subjects, locations and lighting conditions?We asked three professional photographers for their top tips.

Photo by ©The Urban Sparrow

THE EXPERTS GAVIN SCHMIDT is an award-winning press and sports photographer with over 25 years experience.

“When photographing people, use a shallow depth of field (large aperture). I generally shoot f2.8, which means your focus point (the person) is in focus and the background is blurred. For group shots, you’ll need a narrow (small) aperture to keep each individual in focus.” Scott McNaughton: “As with all portraits, it's important to make your subject feel relaxed. Remember that a portrait is, in a way, a self-portrait because you are photographing someone's response to you. To relax them, give them direction about where to look and how to position themselves. “Once you have framed your shot, try to keep the background behind your subjects clear. A tree or power-pole sticking out of someone's head can be very distracting.” CREATIVE TIP “For single portrait shots, photograph your subject with a large aperture and long focal length. Place fairy lights or shiny objects behind the subject, increase the distance between the subject and the background, and move close to your subject. This will make the background have a bokeh effect – a soft, out of focus, dreamy looking background.” BR

SCOTT McNAUGHTON is a freelance photographer and former staff photographer for the Fairfax News Group, including Domain magazine, who

BEC ROWLANDS fromThe Urban Sparrow Photography & Design is a family, wedding and business-branding photographer based in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges.

now shoots for The Age newspaper as a contributor.

32 APRIL 2023

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