Choosing A Camera For...

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Features

What inspires you?

By Ibarionex R. Perello, Christopher Robinson, Peter Read Miller, Rob Sheppard, Zachary Singer,

Page 3 of 10

Flash
One of the best tools for improving your portraits is flash. Whether a built-in or an auxiliary unit, flash brings out details and color in your subject, while reducing shadows. Not just for interior images, today’s TTL flash systems produce great results under outdoor sunny conditions. Simply turn on your flash and take a picture. If you prefer a subtle look, reduce the flash output by using the flash compensation feature or fit a diffuser over the flash head.

Lens
Focal lengths between 80mm and 200mm are ideal
for portraits because of their ability to throw the background out of focus. This is a result of the lens’ compressed or narrow depth of field when combined with a moderate to wide aperture, for example, ƒ/4 or ƒ/2.8. Soft, out-of-focus backgrounds help draw attention to the subject by contrast. With such limited depth of field, it’s imperative to focus on the subject’s eyes so they’re sharp.

Portraits: Must-Haves

Lens: Zoom with telephoto capability between 80mm and 200mm

White Balance: Presets such as “open shade” will warm skin tones

LCD Zoom: Allows you to check captured images for sharp focus

Exposure Modes: Portrait mode can make the important settings for you

Flash Hot-Shoe: Essential for off-camera flash work

Weight: Think about it! Cameras are heavy

Accessories: Utilize off-camera flash and reflectors to control shadows

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