Things You'll Need:
- Medium format single-lens reflex or twin-lens reflex camera
- Portrait-quality film
- Portrait lens (100 mm to 150 mm)
- Adobe Photoshop or another photo manipulation program
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Step 1
A Hasselblad 500C with a 150 mm portrait lens attached.Select a portrait lens that will suit your subject. A portrait lens is a short telephoto lens. In medium format, a normal lens is 75 mm to 80 mm. This will produce a normal view, about the same as you see. A portrait lens usually is 100 mm to 150 mm and gives a sharp, clear image of your subject while capturing a soft out-of-focus backgrounds.
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Step 2
Michael Rock poses for a portrait.Select a location for your model. Not everybody has a studio, but the world itself offers good studio conditions. A forest glade is good, or a beach or even a backyard will work. Look for a good background that won’t be distracting in the photos.
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Step 3
Carole A. Tomlinson takes a look skyward from under the leaves in this black and white portrait.Take your model to the background you’ve selected. If it’s an outdoor scene, try for an overcast day or shade. Never position the model with the sun in his face or directly behind him. Sun in the face will make the person squint and tend to wash out the shadows. Sun from behind can cause a bad exposure and can leave the face entirely in a shadow. Both of these situations can be used for special effects, but for more traditional photos, avoid these settings.
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Step 4
Taking lots of photos will help you choose the best portraits later.Take lots and lots of photos. Don’t worry about “wasting” film because this is rare. Sometimes photos you might consider bad or to be “throwaways” actually might be better than those you planned. The more photos you shoot, the more likely it is you will get great photos.
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Step 5
Michael Rock poses for a portrait near a tree.Use unusual angels. Get lower than your model’s face. Get higher and focus downward. Go to either side. Ask your model to have fun with it and try different things. Some of the best portraits are captured when the model is paying no attention to the photographer.
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Step 6
Shooting a subject straight on can give insights into the person.Shoot straight on for traditional photos, but try profiles and half-turns, too. Have the model look up slightly or down slightly. Looking up will give the person’s face a positive look while looking down will make the person look more thoughtful and pensive.
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Step 7
Carole A. Tomlinson looks directly into the lens for a portrait.Get really close for some shots, and farther away for others. This may seem obvious, but try a face-filling portrait. Try a shot of the person mixed in with leaves or trees, for example.
