Capture stunning portraits in natural light
Digital Photographer|Issue 259
Great portraits needn’t mean expensive studio kit. Jeremy Flint explains how to achieve impressive results with just natural light and a prime lens
Jeremy Flint
Capture stunning portraits in natural light

With the cost of living rising all the time, photography can become an expensive pastime for the enthusiast. For professionals, whose margins are being squeezed by rising costs, any savings could prove vital to running a successful business. The good news is that there are cost savings to be made in some aspects of our work. For example, there is no need to break the bank by purchasing lots of lenses for portraiture when one prime lens can do the trick.

Capturing engaging portraits with a prime lens is a creative technique that not only allows you to work with less equipment but also challenges you to be creative in your approach. Rather than using a zoom or telephoto lens, a fixed focal length prime lens can be used to create great portraits where you can move around your subject rather than staying in one place and zooming in with a variable zoom lens.

Besides eliminating the need to adjust the focal length, shooting with a single prime lens makes capturing portraits both easier and more rewarding as it eliminates the need to pack a large camera bag full of lenses. Whilst great portraits can be achieved using a flash, natural light or a combination of the two, shooting with natural illumination challenges you to work with the available light to create even more dynamic results.

What you’ll need

+DSLR or mirrorless camera

+Prime lens – whichever is your favourite for portraits

+Tripod for stability

+Adobe Lightroom or similar editing software

Shooting steps

1 Choose your location

この記事は Digital Photographer の Issue 259 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Digital Photographer の Issue 259 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERのその他の記事すべて表示
Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 Art
Digital Photographer

Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 Art

This is anot-so-standard zoom lens, as Matthew Richards discovers on a test drive

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 285
AstrHori 120mm f/2.8 Macro 2x
Digital Photographer

AstrHori 120mm f/2.8 Macro 2x

Matthew Richards finds out if double the magnification means couble the value

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 285
DxO PhotoLab 8 Elite
Digital Photographer

DxO PhotoLab 8 Elite

DXO's flagship editor gets an upgrade but, asks Rod Lawton, are the results worth it?

time-read
3 分  |
Issue 285
Panasonic Lumix GH7
Digital Photographer

Panasonic Lumix GH7

Gareth Bevan thinks a new sensor and AF make this the hybrid camera to beat

time-read
3 分  |
Issue 285
STORM CHASE
Digital Photographer

STORM CHASE

Paige Vincent on the adrenaline rush, the risks and her passion for shooting in the face of storms

time-read
5 分  |
Issue 285
PROTECT YOUR IMAGES FROM AI
Digital Photographer

PROTECT YOUR IMAGES FROM AI

Pandora's box is open and, for better or worse, Alis here to stay. Here’s how you can protect your images from being used to train Al models without your permission

time-read
4 分  |
Issue 285
CREATE AI COMPOSITES
Digital Photographer

CREATE AI COMPOSITES

Serge Ramelli explains how to make AI work for you, by creating otherwise impossible portrait backgrounds

time-read
3 分  |
Issue 285
Paul Wilkinson's top 25... PORTRAIT TIPS & TRICKS
Digital Photographer

Paul Wilkinson's top 25... PORTRAIT TIPS & TRICKS

Even with so much information out there, taking perfect portraits can be hard work. Pro photographer Paul Wilkinson guides us through this huge genre with his pearls of wisdom

time-read
10+ 分  |
Issue 285
MASTER MINIMALISM
Digital Photographer

MASTER MINIMALISM

Less is more in the world of minimalism. Rebecca Greig explores what makes minimalist captures work

time-read
6 分  |
Issue 285
LITTLE WONDERS
Digital Photographer

LITTLE WONDERS

Kim Bunermann meets Louise B to discuss the joys and challenges of working with newborns and freshly baked parents

time-read
8 分  |
Issue 285