24 13 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113KIT LIST
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ALL PICTURES ON THIS PAGE © CL AIRE GILLO
Clothing
Clothing, hair and make-up
are all big considerations
to take into account when
planning a portrait shoot.
Carry a number of outfi ts
so you can experiment
and match your subject’s
outfi t to the setting. In this
instance the ruffl ed skirt
mimics the grey rocks.
Touches like this give your
images that extra depth.Technique PORTRAIT TIPS
Claire Gillo
Claire Gillo is AP’s acting technique editor,
a freelance writer, and a photographer based
in Devon. During the past decade she has
worked across a number of photography
magazines. Find out more about her work
at http://www.clairegillo.com.Action portraits
Claire Gillo shows you how to freeze
a ballerina in action using minimal kitThe
Photographer’s
Ephemeris app
This is my first port of call for
any location photoshoot. The
Photographer’s Ephemeris app
enables me to plan for the
light direction and sunrise
and sunset times.Go wide
Portraiture and wideangle don’t often get
mentioned in the same sentence, but I have
a very old 15-35mm Sigma lens,
which I love and perfect for
this approach. Technically the
lens is flawed (the corners
vignette), but I find the effect
a good characteristic.Food and drink
When out on location, it’s vital
to take supplies. If it’s a hot
day pack plenty of water; if
it’s cold, a flask of tea and
some biscuits will prove to
be popular with your model.
You’ll need to keep energy
levels up so they perform well.Dance with the setting
One of the key elements to shooting portraits on location
is getting the right location. Be prepared to do some
research, recces and forward planning so when the
conditions are right you can just jump (excuse the pun)
right into it. For this shoot we headed down to an isolated
beach in Devon, and had it to ourselves. It would have
been a real pain to clone people out of the background.Using the light
I got asked if this image had been taken using fl ash
and the answer is ‘no’! Using the natural sunlight
as it begins to soften and drop in the sky creates
amazing opportunities for striking portraits. The
shadows cast over one side of the dancer’s body
create a more sculptural look.
Timed to perfection
With action portraiture it’s tricky to capture the
optimum moment, so I set my camera up to make
the job easier. First I put my focus setting to the
tracking feature, then the camera into the burst
mode (for the jumps, this is vital) and always count
the model in to the jumps. Take a test shot before
they start any movement to check light direction,
exposure and overall effect. Don’t be afraid to keep
your model waiting while you perfect these aspects,
because if you have something like the exposure or
light direction wrong you won’t have a usable image.▲