I recently shot a friend's wedding as a "backup" photographer and had lots of fun doing it! I'm not thinking of wedding photography, but might be interested in doing some portrait work in the evenings and weekends to support my expensive nature photography habit! Do any of you do portrait work? I would love some tips on how to get started, the bare essentials (lights, backdrops, etc.) that I would need, and any other advice. Thanks!
We've had a studio for 16 years and have found it quite lucrative for supporting our other interests, so I think your impulse is a good one. As a business it has paid for the commercial building we're in while making significant contributions to our retirement outlook.
My wife is the principle portrait photographer, but I'm an avid contirbutor. It's a whole "nuther" world compared to nature photography for the most part, and a large portion of the folks I've met at conferences only do nature shooting as a hobby, if at all, even though they have more invested in gear than most people spend on a new car.
Here are a couple of useful resources:
Many of them hang out here. Lots of discussing and cussing gear and techniques, just as on nature sites. The archives and site features will be invaluable to you.
The prominent professional organizations are PPA (Professional Photographers of America) and WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International). PPA has a vast offering of classes and workshops year round and around the nation, up to and including degree programs. It's more expensive to join, but it's insurance coverage is better in our experience (both gear and liability). Lots of effective marketing and promotion resources and campains for your business, too. WPPI is a smaller outfit, but we really enjoy their annual conference in Las Vegas. The classes and sessions offered daily are topnotch, and we've save thousands on gear at the associated trade show. Lots and lots of really great folks in each org.
As for starting out, I'd kind of let your interests direct your choices. There are so many styles of portrait photography and the lighting gear and other tools may or may not be useful for the style that interests you. One particular genera of portrait photography might be particularly good for you and your experience so far: Outdoor portraits. There is huge demand, and most of the gear and experience you have already accumulated for nature photography will be directly applicable with little or no additional investment. It's a matter of finding great locations and using them appropriately, along with honing your people skills and especially your posing skills. Back to PPA for help there! This site will be immensely valuable for helping you use the small strobe you probably already own.
If you are really interested in the studio side of things, the details of your indoor space are going to determine a whole lot about which studio gear is right for you. A small space simply doesn't need big expensive gear, but a large space will be wasted if you don't have the right gear to take advantage of it. An 8'x10' room will give you plenty of room for posing single subjects or couples, plus it's easier to illuminate small spaces with start-up lighting gear. I would recommend that you pay special attention to the ceiling height. Anything lower than 8' is going to cause major headaches as you manage lights and backdrops, and 10' would be better. If we ever build another studio it's going to have 12' ceilings!!!!!
At the minimum you'll need at least one light capable of giving you around f/11 illumination from 8 or 10 feet along with a large reflector. That probably means an 800 watt-second light as a minimum rather than a 400. A 1600 will be overkill in a one light setup, though as a second light to go with an 800 you originally purchased, it would be a great way to increase your area of coverage along with your versatility as you upgraded from a 1-light to a 2-light setup. If I wsa buying a 2-light setup to start out, I might get two 800's if I needed to save money, but I'd be happier with an 800 and a 1600.
Two lights are handier than one, and a three-light setup will give you even more options. We generally work with 4 lights in the studio (2 for the subject, one for the background, and one for the subject's hair), but when starting out you can overwhelm yourself with too many lights. I'd start with one and add a reflector or with a 2-light kit, then add more lights as you define your style and recognize how you will use them.
Backdrops are yet another world. You can invest lots and lots and lots of bucks in them and the hardware to hang them. At last count we had something over 40 canvas and muslin backdrops, along with about that many alternative backdrops.
I'd not spend any money on backdrops till you get more experience. They're simply too confusing. Instead I'd start out with cheap velour blankets. They're available in a wide range of colors and sizes. They're also cheap but effective. If you don't like one after you have tried it, you can use it for other things. We have so many that we should open a blanket shop! We accumulate them because they're our fallback for backdrops when we travel. Cheaper to buy on site than to ship our "real" backdrops.
You can spend lots on backdrop hardware too, but when learning it is probably better to buy three or four "clothespin" type clamps from th hearest hardware store and use them to hang the backdrops. You can spend a whole bunch of money on backdrop hardware, only to find that it isn't versatile enough for your needs. After you have shot a while and become really well acquainted with your studio space, you can make some informed purchases of backdrop supports.
I've written more than I intended, but still only given you a peek at the subject. Follow the site links I provided and you'll find enough info to let you make some logical decisions in line with your specific interests.
Thanks so much Hank...lots of good information!! Right now, I really don't have any space in the house. I may be able to eek out a corner in the dining room. When my son goes off to college (probably within a year), I'll have a room then. It has vaulted ceilings, so ceiling height won't be an issue. So in the mean time, if I get started before then, I can do outdoor portraits, and maybe cramped indoor portraits of family and friends in the dining room!
Thanks again, and I'd love to hear from anyone else who has input or ideas!
I do portraiture and weddings, but only outdoors. It requires no other gear than that which I already have, and weddings, portraits and guided photo excursions represent the bulk of my photography income. I agree with Hank that the outdoor style is in demand and easier on the photographer's pocketbook. It's also the way I want to work because, well, it's the way I want to work. I have done studio work, but I don't thrive in that environment.
I'll add a point on "home" studios that might help you, Alice. We started out using our heated garage. It was long/wide/tall enough for lots of flexibility. The open ceiling joists and rafters were perfect for hanging backdrops and lighting equipment, plus there was space to store gear out of the way when not in use. We simply rolled out a carpet and it was ready to go.
Glad to hear about your plans to use family and friends for subjects. They'll be a lot more understanding than clients as you experiment and willing to sit again when first results don't suit you. That takes a huge load off your back and makes the whole experience a lot more enjoyable.
Posted by Leann Greene on June 10, 2007 at 8:43 PM
Great question and answers.
Alice,
I am also entertaining the chance to do people photos as well. I have a possibilty of adding to the services a wedding videographer-showing some of my work to him later this week.
I almost had the bid to do the local recreation dept's youth sports portraits since I take so many photos at the game and poses of the team anyhow.Many parents wanted me to do them "officialy" but apparently there are some politics to these kind of things
Posted by Dan Borzynski on June 11, 2007 at 11:52 AM
Here is a link to some previous discussions on studio lights
I stalled on my Alien Bee purchase for the time being, but if I was going to buy it would be an AB-800 and an AB-1600. You can get those, and a couple of stands for around $800. I have used a set of AB-800s for a while and I really enjoyed them.
Hey Alice, I'm late to this discussion but thought I'd share this. Do you remember Tom Gallione? He used to post images here quite a bit. He has a great portrait business going these days with some excellent and very profitable work going on. Check out his website:
Discussion
8 repliesMy wife is the principle portrait photographer, but I'm an avid contirbutor. It's a whole "nuther" world compared to nature photography for the most part, and a large portion of the folks I've met at conferences only do nature shooting as a hobby, if at all, even though they have more invested in gear than most people spend on a new car.
Here are a couple of useful resources:
Many of them hang out here. Lots of discussing and cussing gear and techniques, just as on nature sites. The archives and site features will be invaluable to you.
The prominent professional organizations are PPA (Professional Photographers of America) and WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International). PPA has a vast offering of classes and workshops year round and around the nation, up to and including degree programs. It's more expensive to join, but it's insurance coverage is better in our experience (both gear and liability). Lots of effective marketing and promotion resources and campains for your business, too. WPPI is a smaller outfit, but we really enjoy their annual conference in Las Vegas. The classes and sessions offered daily are topnotch, and we've save thousands on gear at the associated trade show. Lots and lots of really great folks in each org.
As for starting out, I'd kind of let your interests direct your choices. There are so many styles of portrait photography and the lighting gear and other tools may or may not be useful for the style that interests you. One particular genera of portrait photography might be particularly good for you and your experience so far: Outdoor portraits. There is huge demand, and most of the gear and experience you have already accumulated for nature photography will be directly applicable with little or no additional investment. It's a matter of finding great locations and using them appropriately, along with honing your people skills and especially your posing skills. Back to PPA for help there! This site will be immensely valuable for helping you use the small strobe you probably already own.
If you are really interested in the studio side of things, the details of your indoor space are going to determine a whole lot about which studio gear is right for you. A small space simply doesn't need big expensive gear, but a large space will be wasted if you don't have the right gear to take advantage of it. An 8'x10' room will give you plenty of room for posing single subjects or couples, plus it's easier to illuminate small spaces with start-up lighting gear. I would recommend that you pay special attention to the ceiling height. Anything lower than 8' is going to cause major headaches as you manage lights and backdrops, and 10' would be better. If we ever build another studio it's going to have 12' ceilings!!!!!
At the minimum you'll need at least one light capable of giving you around f/11 illumination from 8 or 10 feet along with a large reflector. That probably means an 800 watt-second light as a minimum rather than a 400. A 1600 will be overkill in a one light setup, though as a second light to go with an 800 you originally purchased, it would be a great way to increase your area of coverage along with your versatility as you upgraded from a 1-light to a 2-light setup. If I wsa buying a 2-light setup to start out, I might get two 800's if I needed to save money, but I'd be happier with an 800 and a 1600.
Two lights are handier than one, and a three-light setup will give you even more options. We generally work with 4 lights in the studio (2 for the subject, one for the background, and one for the subject's hair), but when starting out you can overwhelm yourself with too many lights. I'd start with one and add a reflector or with a 2-light kit, then add more lights as you define your style and recognize how you will use them.
Backdrops are yet another world. You can invest lots and lots and lots of bucks in them and the hardware to hang them. At last count we had something over 40 canvas and muslin backdrops, along with about that many alternative backdrops.
I'd not spend any money on backdrops till you get more experience. They're simply too confusing. Instead I'd start out with cheap velour blankets. They're available in a wide range of colors and sizes. They're also cheap but effective. If you don't like one after you have tried it, you can use it for other things. We have so many that we should open a blanket shop! We accumulate them because they're our fallback for backdrops when we travel. Cheaper to buy on site than to ship our "real" backdrops.
You can spend lots on backdrop hardware too, but when learning it is probably better to buy three or four "clothespin" type clamps from th hearest hardware store and use them to hang the backdrops. You can spend a whole bunch of money on backdrop hardware, only to find that it isn't versatile enough for your needs. After you have shot a while and become really well acquainted with your studio space, you can make some informed purchases of backdrop supports.
I've written more than I intended, but still only given you a peek at the subject. Follow the site links I provided and you'll find enough info to let you make some logical decisions in line with your specific interests.
Hope this helps!
Thanks again, and I'd love to hear from anyone else who has input or ideas!
Glad to hear about your plans to use family and friends for subjects. They'll be a lot more understanding than clients as you experiment and willing to sit again when first results don't suit you. That takes a huge load off your back and makes the whole experience a lot more enjoyable.
Alice,
I am also entertaining the chance to do people photos as well. I have a possibilty of adding to the services a wedding videographer-showing some of my work to him later this week.
I almost had the bid to do the local recreation dept's youth sports portraits since I take so many photos at the game and poses of the team anyhow.Many parents wanted me to do them "officialy" but apparently there are some politics to these kind of things
http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=14640&b=se&st=0&la=19&ph=13&sid=22486&u=22486
I have since bought the Alien Bees 1600 (a pair of them) and have been very happy with the lights.
For actual portrait work, a spouse, friends or family make good starting point for learning to pose people.
Nathan
Lifestyle Portaiture