Jeff Smith's Guide to Head and Shoulders Portrait Photography

main-light was placed at a distance that was the full length of the string from
the client. Then, I also marked with a red dot the spot on the main-light string
that would give me a 4:1 lighting ratio for when I diffused my images. This was
an effective way to get a consistent exposure without having to meter each light
with each background change.
One last suggestion: if you use this string technique, do your measurements
when you are waiting for the client to finish changing so you aren’t holding
strings up to a client’s face—measuring to the middle of the posing stool will
be just fine!
Occasions for Shooting RAW Files.I do shoot RAW files during outdoor
sessions in areas where I have not shot before. This gives me additional latitude
while I am getting familiar with the settings and existing light conditions of a
new location. I also shoot RAW files when I am photographing families or
groups with smaller facial sizes, or when I am printing out larger wall portraits
and need maximum clarity.
Many photographers like RAW files for all studio shoots. It gives them the
latitude we used to have with print film, which would produce a usable image
even when it was way overexposed or slightly underexposed. Shooting JPEGs
on a digital camera is more like shooting slide film; it offers very little room for
error. But then, back in the days of slide film we didn’t have custom white bal-
ance, a histogram of the image, and a digital display that showed you each image
while highlighting any overexposed areas for you. With these tools, if you can’t
be consistent enough to shoot JPEGs in the studio, you are either lazy or you
need to work on your basic shooting skills.

Lens Selection.

The most important consideration for portraits with larger facial size, such as
head and shoulders portraits, isn’t the camera you use but the lens. While some
photographers use a variety of lenses to achieve unique effects, the majority of
head and shoulders poses are taken with a portrait lens. A portrait lens is con-
sidered a 100mm–135mm lens for 35mm-based cameras and 120mm–185mm
lens for medium format–based cameras.
These numbers haven’t changed with digital—unlessthe chip in your cam-
era is smaller than a full frame of 35mm film. Should you use a camera with a
smaller than full-frame chip, there are two important considerations. First of
all, the smaller the chip is, the more it changes the magnification of the lens
(check the focal-length factor for your camera to determine how your lenses
will function). Second, chips that are smaller than a full 35mm film frame tend
to produce images with a greater depth of field.
This is a problem for portrait photographers, since we often rely on reduced
depth of field to help separate our subjects from the background. If you use a
camera with a smaller chip, you will need to work with the lens opened up more

18 JEFF SMITH’S GUIDE TO HEAD AND SHOULDERS PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

The most important

consideration isn’t

the camera you use

but the lens.