Jan
4
Can anyone give me advice on taking my photo with a digital camera?
January 4th, 2009 posted by
admin
I was awarded a scholarship and am unable to attend the awards ceremony that is out of town. The school would like me to email them a photograph of myself so they can publish it in their newsletter. I want to take a decent photo. I can’t afford to go to a photographer. Any tips including what to use as a backdrop, what to wear in the photo, etc…
doc says:
January 5th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
check out some clothes against a soft gray or off white background hang then on a hanger and shoot some shots of them with different lighting or use what you have and adjust the cameras for that specific lighting. The put the clothes on and get some shots taken change out accordingly until you get the clothes that look best with the lights and your ****** tones on that specific day. If you can run the picture thru photoshop and increase the contrast just a bit until your color in the mirror looks the same then send it off. good luck and congrats o the scholarship make the very best use of it…….
bo_fra says:
January 7th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
wear what you would wear if you did go, as for a back drop, something non-reflective, maybe curtains, or a clear neutral coloured wall, and about the same head shot you would get for yearbook,
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fhotoace says:
January 10th, 2009 at 3:37 am
Doc has a good answer.
I use the $1 a yard black or white bolt ends (4 yards is usually enough) I find at many Wal-Mart stores. You can tack them up on a wall and have the model stand about three or four feet from it and then after setting up a light or two, shoot away. The digital camera loves so called “hot” lights and since you can view the image right after you shoot it, experimentation with lighting and composition makes it all much easier than the old film days.
Have your friend who will be taking the shots, look at a lot of other portraits so they can get a feel for the best composition and then shoot away. The most important thing is to have fun with the shoot.
Quiet Storm says:
January 11th, 2009 at 2:32 am
backdrop? you can use a plain white wall. free.
don’t wear white, red is nice, depending on your complexion. netural colors will do too. can wear a nice blouse or shirt. i would say go with the head and shoulders shot though.
Nature Freaky says:
January 11th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Try as many things as you can afford as far as backdrops. You didn’t say what the awards ceremony was for, but try using some real backdrops that would coincide with what the award is for. Say it’s something to do with nature, try a woods settind, or a stream, or a lake etc. Try different times of day so you get a different light. If it’s in sports, try a local park, and don’t be afraid to sit in the bleachers. A strange technique that you should also try, is turning your camera upside down. This will show off your ****** features, that are often lost in taking a pic with an upright digital camera. Just for fun, try it at home both ways and compare them. Don’t wear something that makes you look fake, be casual, yet dressy. Look fun and not like a princess wanna-be (unless you are being awarded for being a princess). Most of all, remember that it is a pic of YOU. If you use a natural setting, stay a good ways away from the backset, but you keep close to the camera. Good Luck
Alan M says:
January 11th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Start here.
I followed their suggestions and produced excellent passport photos for my son this year.
You obviously do NOT have to follow all the rules about dimensions and proportions, but they have a very simple explanation about lighting for basic portraits. A newsletter publication will not demand a high-quality studio shot and this set-up will be just fine.
Wear whatever you would have worn to the ceremony and it will be appropriate.
Koko says:
January 14th, 2009 at 11:13 am
The best thing to have is contrast. If the background is green dont wear green. Try and have a plain backround as much as possible. I do not think in this case “eye candy” like trees and stuff in the backround will take away from the point of the picture. White backround and black dress or top will be nice. Try to keep the backround as simple as possible because the subject is “you”
Laura says:
January 15th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
It’s amazing the “backdrops ” you can make from simple things you have around a house. A sheet or a bedspread is good. You can just drape it over a door and sit in front of it, or if you prefer to stand take a bit of time and some tacks and/or two sided tape and stick it to a wall. With a digital camera it’s so good because you can take a dozen or so pictures until you have one where everything is right….
Good luck……….
bingo says:
January 17th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
stretch your arms, aim camera, click……….