Tips for planning and shooting a magazine-style environmental portrait centerfold
Asked 12/11/2014
65 views
2 answers
0
I usually shoot events, sports, and travel, but I’ve been asked to shoot my first glossy magazine spread. The concept is an environmental portrait: a subject in the foreground, rail lines in the midground, and a historic train station in the background, with enough negative space for text.
My plan is to scout the location in advance, test several compositions, leave extra room for cropping and layout, shoot versions with and without the subject, and provide quick composition proofs for the client and art director before the full shoot.
I’m also considering shooting some frames for compositing, using flash or reflectors to keep the subject more prominent than the background, and making sure the final image fits the publication’s visual style.
What additional advice would you give for executing a magazine-quality environmental portrait like this, especially regarding planning, lighting, and possible compositing?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
6
I made this a public wiki so we can keep a master list
Work from a printed checklist. Especially with gathering all the raw-material images, make sure you get everything.
Shoot the model with a mild telephoto lens even if you want wide-angle overall, and composite. Shoot to plan on compositing: shallow DoF makes it easy to use select in focus in Photoshop. Have someone hold a white diffuser behind the model's head and shoulders, so you have a ready-to-cut isolated figure!
Have plenty of reflectors, diffusers, spots of improvised shade, etc., and people to hold them. Stands never work outside as even a breeze too mild to notice will turn your reflector into a kite.
Use them on the model: control lighting on the face. Fill-flash if reflectors are not working. (Off camera flash: angle the light with the face not the viewpoint.)
Sometimes it rains. Be prepared in case you need to urgently protect your expensive gear.
Don't leave anything behind.
Have bottled water, snack bars, napkins, first-aid.
Look for trash before shooting the landscape.
Don't fall in a ditch when looking through the viewfinder (ow!).
Always shoot bursts when people are in the shot.
Originally by user33948. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user33948
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Your plan is solid. The main extra advice is to treat this as a carefully planned composite-capable environmental portrait rather than a fast-moving event shot.
Use a printed checklist so you don’t miss any of the “raw material” frames you may need later.
For the subject, consider shooting with a mild telephoto even if the final scene needs a wider overall view, then composite if needed. If you intend to composite, shoot with that in mind from the start. A shallower depth of field on the subject can also make selection easier in post.
To help isolate the subject, one suggestion is to place a white diffuser behind the head and shoulders during capture, creating a cleaner edge for masking.
Bring plenty of light-control tools: reflectors, diffusers, and means of creating shade, plus assistants to hold them. Outdoors, stands can be unreliable even in light wind.
Prioritize control of the subject’s face lighting. Use reflectors first, and if they aren’t enough, use fill flash—ideally off-camera—to keep the subject separated and slightly more emphasized than the background.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI11y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How can I keep environmental context from overpowering my subject in a photo?
Will a 24mm lens on APS-C distort faces for seated environmental portraits and interviews?
How can I create high-contrast portraits on black or white backgrounds at home?
How should I process a high-contrast landscape from one RAW file, and what should I do in the field next time?
How do you light and process a high-key portrait with a pure white background?