The Fox Entertainment

A photograph that shows a person or small group’s facial expression while they are in a still position is known as a portrait, or portraiture. The person or group’s personalities, moods and likeness shine through. Portrait photography doesn’t always have to be just a face within a photo–the whole body and the background can be included as well. When shooting a portrait picture the person or group is usually looking straight at the camera.

Unlike other styles of photography, portrait photography doesn’t usually include professional models. Some examples of portrait photography are graduations, special events, and weddings & are usually displayed in private homes. Some are done on studio with several backgrounds to choose from.

A Bit of History

People have been using portrait photography ever since the camera was invented. Having your portrait painted was expensive and not as available. Natural light was used from an open window & people would sit against the background. Portrait photography can now be more creative with the way technology has evolve since they can adjust light and move around more.

Styles

A professional photographer has complete control over the lighting when taking portrait pictures in a studio. They can change the intensity and the direction. Background lights, kicker lights, fill lights & the main lights are just some of the several lighting terms.

The most important light source is obviously known as the main light. The main light is generally positioned above or below the subject and at a 45 degree angle.The fill light is used to help eliminate shadows that are created by the main light. The light that brightens up the hair of the subject is the kicker light. This will help to add depth and to show the separation from the subject and the background. To add effects to the backdrops the background light is used to brighten up the background.

Images of food are everywhere. We cannot walk down any major shopping street without being bombarded by them from the windows of all the food shops. We open a magazine and there they are again thrusting their mouth watering delights at us.

When you first take a peek into the world of food photography you may feel that you can never take photos like the pros but you could surprise yourself.

Light is the King when it comes to photography. When you get it right you get the results and when you mess it up we have all seen the results. Like any other form of still photography taking the time to get the lighting right will pay huge dividends in the results.

Using natural light from a window can be perfect for food picture taking because it gives food that natural look. Support this with bounced flashlight and you can get a simple yet perfect result.

If you have to take a lot of food pics then invest in buying or making a light box or tent. This is simply an enclosed area that is lit externally through diffused walls in the tent/box.

Slow shutter speed is king for food picture taking to capture the depth of the image. Make sure your camera is well mounted on a strong tripod and of course you should be using a shutter release cable to stop any camera shaking resulting in blurring.

Choose your props very carefully to suit the end results that you are looking for. The props will make or break your photos. It’s usually the props that set an amateur pic aside from a pro shot.

Do not skimp on your equipment if you want to do good food photography. Having a top quality SLR camera with a good lens will make all the difference. You must have full control over all the settings – shutter speed – aperture setting – zoom – to be able to create top shots. Using good quality lighting will also pay massive dividends.