5 Easy Concepts for Great Portraits in Any Park

Summary

In this video, the host demonstrates five basic portrait photography concepts using two Tamron lenses: 28-75mm and 70-180mm, paired with a Sony a7r4 camera. They explore techniques like backlit shots with foliage, using a reflector for additional light, open shade for soft lighting, shooting through grass for a compressed effect, and positioning subjects against bright background openings. Each technique is explained with practical examples, showcasing how to enhance portraits in any park setting.

Takeaways

• 📸 Use backlit scenes with foliage to create depth and separation in portraits.
• 🌞 Position subjects to capture backlighting and hair light for a more dynamic look.
• 🔧 Adjust camera settings like shutter speed and ISO to achieve the desired exposure in different lighting conditions.
• 🖼️ Frame the subject against bright spots in the background to make them stand out.
• 🤳 Utilize different focal lengths to control the level of background compression and subject framing.
• 💡 Employ a reflector to add fill light and improve the quality of light on the subject's face.
• 🌳 Take advantage of open shade provided by trees to achieve soft, even lighting on the subject.
• 🌿 Shoot through foreground elements like grass to add depth and lead the viewer's eye to the subject.
• 👯‍♀️ Incorporate the subject's interests or talents, such as dance, to create unique and engaging portraits.
• 📹 Experiment with different angles and perspectives to add variety and interest to the final shots.

Q & A

What are the five basic portrait concepts demonstrated in the video?

The video demonstrates five portrait concepts: back lighting with foliage, using a reflector to add light, shooting in open shade, shooting through grass to compress the scene, and shooting into a brighter part of the background.

Which two Tamron lenses were used in the video for portrait photography?

The two Tamron lenses used in the video are the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 zoom lens and the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 telephoto lens.

What is the significance of using a backlit scene with foliage in portrait photography?

Using a backlit scene with foliage helps create depth and separation in the portrait, enhancing the subject by isolating them against the background with a beautiful backlight effect.

How does the reflector technique, or 'reflector bump', improve the lighting in a portrait?

The 'reflector bump' technique improves lighting by bouncing direct sunlight into the subject's face, which adds catch light, cleans up the color of light, and reduces harsh shadows caused by bottom-up fill light.

What is 'open shade' in photography and how does it affect portrait shots?

Open shade refers to a location that is shaded from direct sunlight but still receives soft light from the open sky. This provides even, soft lighting on the subject's face, which is ideal for portraits.

Why is shooting through grass suggested for portrait photography?

Shooting through grass helps compress the scene and adds a foreground element that leads the viewer's eye to the subject, creating depth and visual interest in the portrait.

How does the position of the subject relative to the light source affect the outcome of the portrait?

The position of the subject relative to the light source can create different effects such as backlighting, which can add a rim light around the subject, or open shade, which provides soft and even lighting on the face.

What is the purpose of using a scrim in the 'reflector bump' technique?

A scrim is used to diffuse and soften the direct sunlight when using the 'reflector bump' technique, which helps to create more natural and even lighting on the subject's face.

What are some tips for shooting portraits in a park as suggested in the video?

Tips for shooting portraits in a park include finding backlit areas with foliage, using a reflector or scrim to add light, utilizing open shade, shooting through grass for compression, and positioning the subject against a bright part of the background.

How does the choice of lens focal length affect the portrait photography as demonstrated in the video?

The choice of lens focal length affects the portrait by controlling the compression and background blur. A longer focal length, like the 70-180mm, is used for tighter shots and more background compression, while a wider focal length like 28-75mm is suitable for wider shots with less compression.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Photography Techniques in Parks

The video introduces five basic portrait photography concepts that can be executed in any park setting. The host, Pai, demonstrates these techniques using two Tamron lenses, the 28-75mm and the 70-180mm, both with an aperture of f/2.8, paired with a Sony A7R4 camera. The first concept discussed is back lighting with foliage, which creates depth and a beautiful look. Pai advises on camera settings, such as a fast shutter speed and low ISO, to achieve the desired effect. The video also features Sabrina, a dancer and friend of Pai, who models for the demonstration. The host emphasizes the importance of positioning the subject to achieve the best lighting and separation from the background.

05:01

🌞 Utilizing Reflectors for Enhanced Lighting

The second technique showcased is the 'reflector bump,' which involves using a reflector to add additional light to the subject. Pai explains how to use the white side of a reflector to bounce sunlight onto the subject's face, thereby reducing shadows and enhancing the overall lighting. The video illustrates the significant difference this simple tool can make to the final portrait. Pai also discusses the importance of positioning and camera settings, such as focal length and shutter speed, to achieve a balanced and natural look.

10:02

🌿 Capturing Portraits in Open Shade

The third concept discussed is shooting in 'open shade,' which refers to areas under trees that are partially shaded but still receive some direct sunlight. Pai demonstrates how to use the natural environment to create soft, even lighting on the subject's face. The video also includes a creative element where Sabrina holds a leaf to add visual interest to the shot. Pai switches to the 70-180mm lens for a closer, more compressed perspective and provides tips on camera angles and subject positioning to optimize the use of open shade for portrait photography.

15:03

🌾 Shooting Through Grass for Depth

The fourth technique involves shooting through grass to create a sense of depth and compression in the image. Pai recommends using a longer lens, such as the 70-180mm, to compress the scene and bring the foreground and background closer to the subject. The video includes a dance element, with Sabrina performing in her pointe shoes, adding a dynamic aspect to the portraits. Pai provides insights on camera settings, angles, and composition to ensure the subject stands out against the backlit grass and other elements in the scene.

🚂 Framing Subjects Against Bright Backgrounds

The final technique demonstrated is shooting with the subject framed against a bright part of the background, such as sunlight filtering through tree openings. Pai explains how this draws the viewer's eye to the subject and creates a natural vignetting effect. The video shows how to position the subject and adjust the camera angle to achieve this effect. Pai also emphasizes the importance of using the environment to enhance the portrait, such as sitting on a train track to add context and interest to the image.

Keywords

💡Portrait Concepts

Portrait concepts refer to the various techniques and ideas used to create compelling and aesthetically pleasing images of people. In the video, the host demonstrates five basic portrait concepts that can be implemented in any park setting. These concepts are crucial for photographers looking to enhance their portrait photography skills and create images with depth and interest.

💡Backlighting

Backlighting is a photography technique where the light source is positioned behind the subject, creating a rim of light that separates the subject from the background. In the video, the host uses backlighting with foliage to create a beautiful and dramatic effect, showcasing how to properly position the subject to achieve this effect without harsh lighting.

💡F-stop (f/2.8)

The f-stop, or aperture, is a setting on a camera lens that controls the amount of light that enters the camera. An f-stop of f/2.8 is a wide aperture that allows for a shallow depth of field, which is used in the video to create a blurred background and keep the subject in focus. This is a common technique in portrait photography to highlight the subject and create a professional look.

💡Shutter Speed

Shutter speed refers to the length of time the camera's shutter remains open while taking a photo. In the video, the host adjusts the shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second to freeze motion and ensure a sharp image, especially when dealing with outdoor lighting conditions and moving subjects.

💡ISO

ISO is a setting on a camera that determines its sensitivity to light. A lower ISO, like 100 used in the video, results in less noise and better image quality in well-lit conditions. The host adjusts the ISO to balance the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) for optimal portrait shots.

💡Reflector

A reflector is a tool used in photography to bounce light onto the subject, helping to fill in shadows and create a more balanced lighting scenario. In the video, the host uses a reflector to add additional light to the scene, demonstrating how it can be used to enhance the natural light and improve the overall look of the portrait.

💡Open Shade

Open shade refers to an area that is shielded from direct sunlight but still receives diffused light from the sky. The host in the video uses open shade to create soft, even lighting on the subject's face, which is ideal for portrait photography as it reduces harsh shadows and provides a flattering light.

💡Composing

Composing in photography involves arranging the elements within the frame to create a visually appealing image. The video script mentions the host's process of composing shots, such as considering the background, the position of the subject, and the use of foreground elements like grass to lead the viewer's eye to the subject.

💡Telephoto Lens

A telephoto lens is a type of camera lens that allows the photographer to capture images from a distance, magnifying the subject. The video mentions the use of a 70-180mm lens, which is a telephoto lens, for portraits. This type of lens is beneficial for compressing the scene, isolating the subject, and creating a professional portrait look.

💡Vignetting

Vignetting is an effect in photography where the edges of the image are darker than the center. In the video, the host discusses using vignetting to draw attention to the subject by placing them against a bright spot in the background, which naturally creates a vignette effect and enhances the portrait.

💡Focal Length

Focal length is the distance between the camera lens and the sensor when the subject is in focus. The video discusses using different focal lengths, such as 50mm or 75mm, to achieve certain visual effects. A longer focal length, like that of the 70-180mm lens, can compress the scene and isolate the subject from the background, which is particularly useful in portrait photography.

Highlights

Introduction to five basic portrait concepts that can be achieved in any park.

Use of Tamron 28-75mm and 70-180mm lenses for portrait photography.

Technique 1: Backlighting with foliage for depth and separation.

Avoiding harsh direct sunlight and flat background for better portrait lighting.

Camera settings for backlighting: 1/1000s, f/2.8, ISO 100.

Technique 2: Using a reflector to add fill light and catch lights to the subject's face.

Benefits of the white side of a reflector for versatility in lighting.

Technique 3: Shooting in open shade for soft, even lighting.

Using natural elements like leaves for creative posing and composition.

Technique 4: Shooting through grass to compress the scene and create depth.

Incorporating the subject's dance skills into the portrait for dynamic shots.

Technique 5: Positioning the subject against a bright background to draw attention.

Camera settings for shooting into bright backgrounds: 1/1500s, f/2.8, ISO 200.

Practical tips for shooting in parks, including using train tracks for unique perspectives.

Conclusion and call to action for feedback on the video and potential for a part two.

Praise for the quality and value of Tamron lenses used in the video.

Transcripts

in this video i'm going to show you five

basic portrait concepts you can pull off

in any park

[Applause]

[Music]

what's up friends my name is pai welcome

to slr lounge let's get right into this

tamron has sent me two awesome lenses

that we're gonna use and i'm just going

to walk you guys through some basic

portrait concepts you can pull off in

essentially any park on my left side i

have the tamron 28 to 75 i believe this

is an f28 zoom lens and it's paired with

the sony a7r4 on my right i have the 70

to 180 so we have a little telephoto

that's at f28 both these are fantastic

lenses they come in at a good price

point but let's get to shooting so first

i'm going to put this away introduce you

to sabrina coming out my friend

this is sabrina

she's my friend you guys can follow her

on instagram at sabrinamico and sabrina

is also a dancer so we might incorporate

some of that into our shots

let's start with kind of the first

concept we're in a spot that is really

beautifully backlit and that's kind of

the first idea that i want to give you

guys is whenever you're in a park and

you see something that's kind of backlit

with foliage you'll get a really great

look and great depth

first i'll show you what not to do so

sabrina come stand over here

i'm going to put her in direct sunlight

and you'll also notice that we're

shooting in a direction where we don't

have a lot of good um background depth

meaning like the background is pretty

far away and and it's just not going to

look great plus she's lit very harshly

what i'm gonna do though is uh take a

before shot because

i gotta make my befores look as bad as

possible even though sabrina looks great

but the before is not gonna be good but

that's on me sabrina not on you

all right we're to bring this to uh

1 1000 no 1 2 000 of a second f 2.8

and iso 100 and let's go ahead and just

take this quick before shot and i'm

actually going to get a little bit

closer so we can also kind of shoot with

a similar frame

to compare the before versus the after

okay we've got our crappy before photo

the first technique that i want to walk

you through is actually back lighting

and shooting into foliage and the great

thing about this sabrina why don't you

come on over here the great thing about

this is that you don't need to be doing

this during golden hour or anything like

that this is like four or five hours

before the sun actually sets as long as

you have a bit of direction to the light

you're good to go especially because you

have a park that has a lot of good trees

and foliage

what i'm going to do is place sabrina

right in a spot where ideally i have

some backlighting that's kind of landing

on her i'm going to make some tweaks in

just a second but i would say the recipe

to this is as you're dialing in your

settings what i want to do is i have the

28 to 75 i want to first zoom in to

around 75 and if you have the 7180 great

use that but for now let's go ahead and

use this lens i'm going to shoot it wide

open which again for this is at f28 and

i'm going to go ahead and just find a

shutter speed that's going to work okay

so

from where we were i'm going to bring my

shutter speed down to about 1

500 of a second and i might even bring

my iso up a little bit so that way i can

just kind of keep my shutter speed a bit

quicker

and take a look at my overall settings

and right about there it's good

from here i'll take a basic shot of

sabrina kind of in the same sort of crop

and composition we did before

and immediately if you compare that to

the before shot

thousand times better but we're still

going to improve on that now go ahead

and give me like a little bit of pose

where i can kind of kick the hip a

little bit

and what i want to do is i'm going to

bring you forward a tiny bit where

you're out of the light i want to

demonstrate one small thing that i like

to tweak here

i love that the arms look great right

there

okay

what i'm going to do as a final

adjustment here is move her feet just a

little bit so we get some hair light so

all you're going to do sabrina is kind

of step back a little bit and my trick

to this is just having them look at the

shadow and making sure that their head i

don't know what kind of garbage that is

but making sure their head is basically

backlit by the sun so they can see their

head you know creating a shadow on the

ground and we see that right here so as

soon as she does that we get a really

beautiful backlight right on the hair

that's really cute

sabrina go ahead and move it a little

bit

i love that

here's the before versus the final this

one's a super simple technique i know

but what i love about it is that you can

do this anywhere and it does a great job

of separating the background really all

you got to do on either these lenses is

open up to f28 place them against

something backlit and you get this

really nice separation and background

effect that really isolates the subject

let's go and find something else we're

at our second spot

which is literally five feet from our

first spot

so this is a technique number two we're

gonna call it the reflector bump maybe

this is cheating a bit but i like to go

out with one of these this is just the

inside scrim of like a standard five in

one

reflector right i don't think it's

cheating because this is like a 20

accessory that each of you probably

should have anyway and i love to have

handy i'm going to show you in this case

how we're basically going to use the

reflector to add an additional light to

the scene i can do it all myself enough

talking let's just show it so sabrina

what i'm gonna have you do is actually

step in we're gonna use this tree as a

posing element so she's gonna pose kind

of against it

and i'm gonna go

maybe to around 50 millimeters on my

focal length and what i'm going to look

to do is kind of get a nice exposure

for sabrina and for my background okay

so i'm kind of looking at it right here

i'm at 1 500 f 2 8 and iso 200

and this is already like a pretty nice

shot i would say what's happening here

and what i want to show you guys is we

have this direct sunlight that's coming

through here it's hitting the ground and

we're getting some fill light coming

back up into sabrina's face

the only problem with this is that not

only is she a bit dark but that fill

light is coming bottom up and it's

pretty powerful so we get a little bit

of up lighting on the face which isn't

that natural so what you're going to do

is grab your little scrim and here's

what i would say is i love using the

white side of a scrim because it's super

versatile and what we're going to do

here is bounce this direct light right

into sabrina's face in fact if i

actually add it you can see how much of

a difference it's going to make so from

here

holding it up into that direct light and

bringing it down

makes a huge difference in terms of the

light on our face and adds a lot of

catch light it cleans up the the color

of light on the face all of it so with

the exact same camera settings and now

kind of shooting from this angle where

basically this tree kind of frames

sabrina we have some nice depth in the

background from here i'm going to go

ahead and actually bring this up and you

might be wondering

papy

i don't have an assistant

neither do i check this out my head is

my assistant i learned this from jiu

jitsu i use my head a lot in jiu-jitsu

okay so i'm just gonna bring it over

here so it's lighting the face

and from right there sabrina go chin

down and eyes right into my camera

beautiful just like that

perfect give me a couple looks with it

take a look at the before versus the

after remember exact same camera

settings what i love about this

reflector bump technique is it looks

like we're basically adding flash but we

don't have to carry around a flash with

us it's as simple as just a foldable 501

reflector or the scrim inside of it we

get a massive difference in our shot now

a quick rundown again what you're

looking for with this kind of a

technique is some spot where i can get

sort of even light on my subject where

she's kind of standing in the shadows

you could also put her in a spot where

she's being backlit but we want to have

direct light that's bouncing off the

white and then we're getting fairly

close shooting around 50 millimeters or

so so that 28 to 75 is going to be the

ideal focal length just make sure that

you're not framing your subject too far

towards the edges because there will be

a bit of distortion let's go on and find

something else

okay i dig this spot we're gonna go to

technique number three which we're gonna

call open shade okay let me walk you

through what i love about this this is

just

a tree that you would find everywhere

but it's thick enough that it's kind of

blocking all the sunlight so we're

getting really good shade right here i

also love the fact the leaves are kind

of nice and they're evenly shaped and

whatnot and they also have different

tones of green so what i'm thinking is

sabrina why don't you come over and sit

right here to give me an example because

i call this open shade because one side

is basically shaded and the other side

is completely open so on this side we're

open to the sky and this is where our

light comes in so as soon as sabrina is

sitting right here you notice that we

have this really beautiful

soft light on the face because the sky

this open sky is kind of lighting into

the shade right open shade to add a

little bit of interest to this i am

gonna break off a little leaf

if this part triggers you

look away

hello mr tree i will just take this one

piece

okay just a nice little leaf to sort of

add a little bit of shape to the shot

i'm going to have her hold it we're

going to use it to kind of lead into the

face just kind of play around with a

little bit and kind of bring some of the

background more into the foreground a

bit and add a bit of interest on this

one i'm going to switch out to the 70 to

180 just because i have it it's a little

bit better for these kind of close-up

portraits it'll pull the background a

little more forward

might as well use it uh what i might do

is just bring the shutter speed down

she's not moving quickly or anything

i also like that she's bringing the

elbows in and what that does is it

creates a taper on the shoulders which

is really nice so as i kind of crop

right at that shoulder line it sort of

tapers in like that

that's really nice

i'm going to get a little closer

and what i'm going to do is also angle a

little bit to this side so if i shoot

from this angle i can get a little more

of the leaves behind you so

rotate actually stay right there stay

right there and yes bring it right there

give me a soft smile sabrina there you

go

and now start to kind of cover the eyes

or like kind of almost point to the eye

straight in the face towards me

and like even turn a little bit towards

me right there right there

perfect bring it back a little bit so

it's not quite touching that there it is

right there

brush the bangs

yep

you can control the shape of that light

by just simply controlling your

direction so when i shoot straight on

like this it's going to be a really nice

and beautiful flat light but as soon as

i start taking an angle the light takes

some shape as well we start getting a

little more dimension in the light so we

get a really fun and interesting look

and honestly we could do anything in

this spot open shade is a fantastic spot

just to get any type of portrait and

know that you have that sort of flat

light coming right on from the front and

then as you move to the side you get

more directional light and you can shoot

from any of these directions so open

shade great tool use it let's find

something else okay we have a great

scene here for technique number four

we're going to shoot through the grass

and kind of compress the scene now

what's going to be awesome about this

we'll have this foreground of grass that

kind of leads up to our subject that's

backlit let's walk through sort of

things to consider right starting with

the gear well lens wise i would

recommend something longer so of course

in this case we're going to use the 70

to 180 because it'll allow us to

compress it allow us to kind of zoom in

a bit stand further back and really

bring the foreground and background sort

of closer to the subject

we're not going to get into the details

and then just use that focal length it

looks cool all right now another thing

to consider is the scene itself i have

sabrina here sabrina is actually a

dancer like i mentioned earlier and she

has her point shoes so i actually have

her put her point shoes on i'm gonna

have her step out to here we'll do the

shot just like a basic portrait and i

think it'd be fun to kind of incorporate

her incredible dance skills and get an

action shot as well

the first thing you might be thinking so

we're going to stay right there for a

sec is when you get to a scene like this

you know you get overly enthused you're

like man this is going to be red we got

backlit grass it's gonna look so cool so

you just kind of like pull up to the

scene and uh all you start doing is kind

of thinking composition thinking like

you know all right let me get my

settings dialed in i'm gonna go to one

let's go to one

1000 of a second and we'll bring this

down like iso

100 and let's make sure from our

histogram we are good

there we go

okay and so you shoot a shot like this

one

and again it's not bad sabrina is

already making it great in and of itself

it's not a bad shot per se either but we

really haven't put a lot of thought into

this so i want you guys to slow down and

kind of piece some things together first

thing i want to show you is the hair

light look if i'm down low and i shoot

this image right here

with her head against a brighter

background we don't notice the hair

light as much as if i kind of move my

angle a little bit and shoot her over

something that's darker now she pops so

that's the first thing i want you guys

to think about is where you want to

shoot against to get your subject to pop

the next thing is i'm going to find an

angle where i can get a little bit lower

and shoot through all the backlit

objects which is basically about right

here so what we're going to do now is

sabrina you're going to walk into the

scene

i'm going to find a spot for where she's

still backlit

because the sun's up higher

right there so sabrina right there turn

around

that's it so she's still backlit we have

this beautiful scene i even have some

foreground stuff kind of leading in if

we're able to capture it in there and

now i'm going to lower my perspective to

shoot across the frame

so from here sabrina you don't have to

do anything dance related yet let me

just kind of zoom in and get this shot

as just a basic portrait so maybe just

bring the hands kind of together a

little bit

there you go right there this will be

our basic portrait

i'm going to get a little higher so that

that leaves in the background don't kind

of compete with her

beautiful

and already that's a really nice shot

now we're gonna go ahead and add the

action piece to it so this is where i'm

gonna have her go on point and

well do her thing

got it she's in a spot where not only do

we have a hair light we have kind of

that light landing on the feet landing

on the arms it does a beautiful job of

like really lifting her out of the

background we're done with this

technique but whatever she wants to do

dance wise i'm going to shoot a few more

of them

fifth and final technique is shooting

into a brighter part of the background

and in a park that's very easy to do see

our eyes are naturally drawn to the

brightest part of a frame so what i love

to do is place my subject in a spot

where i can kind of shoot against a nice

bright opening in a park that's

basically like openings in the trees

like you see in the background where the

sun's coming through and what this does

is it draws us right into our subject to

do this i'm gonna have sabrina actually

step into this little spot so we're

gonna shoot on a train track but

don't worry relax it's a kitty train

track this is the only train track that

is okay to shoot on it's a baby one

plus it's closed down uh go ahead and

have a seat

and what i'm gonna do is you could kind

of shoot from up here i'm gonna

demonstrate this for just a second like

notice that i'm gonna shoot this at one

let's go to one five hundredth of a

second iso 200

and uh f28 right and shooting from up

here we don't really have much going for

us and i know that you guys don't have

train tracks probably in your park

that's not the point of this the point

is the background i want to show you

what happens as i start to come down

lower and i can actually frame sabrina

right against that highlight in the

background notice by the way i've also

had her sit in that bright spot where

the sun is landing so we're gonna frame

her right here

against that background

beautiful

cute lean into the

legs a little bit kind of pull into it

now what this does is compared to that

shot where i'm standing notice how the

shot where i'm standing it's not that

interesting number one but the second

thing is that we look at the subject and

we look right at that bright spot right

but as soon as i get down low my subject

is placed against the bright spot so it

has this natural vignetting effect and

again when you're in a park all you need

is just an opening the trees where the

sunlight's coming through and that's it

so she's in the shade we have the

opening and we're good to go i'm gonna

get a couple more shots but that's it

[Applause]

i hope you all enjoyed the video if you

did comment below let me know what you

think if you dig it maybe we'll do a

part two on more techniques of shooting

in a park i also got to say that i love

these lenses i think for the price point

they really offer a fantastic value for

what they can do and the quality they

can achieve

also we'll be linking up sabrina so you

guys can give her a follow you can also

see everything that we used in the

description of the video and i'll see

you guys back here next time peace