Setting myself a brief for practicing lighting ?

Until now I have generally done available light portraiture (outside stuff) and events such as festivals, night clubs, parties etc. No real experience with "formal" portraiture apart from what I have seen and read on forums like this.

Having recently bought myself a shiny 1DsIII I also decided to put my toe in the water for some basic studio portraiture and I also purchased a small choice of "pop up" Lastolite backgrounds, a pair of Interfit EDX200 strobes and a pair of Interfit "Super Cool 5" continuous light - all with stands and accompanying softboxes etc. I jumped in this way because I also want to have a wide enough tool box to do more video work in the future (hence the continuous lights).

Having done a couple of general sessions with willing sitters - both actors I know who need head shots for an upcoming deadline to get into the current UK "Spotlight" directory. These two sessions were both done "on the fly" with just a requirement to get a few decent headshots for the subjects and then anything else that comes along until we both got tired or bored or both. One lasted 2 hours and the other 4.

I feel that in order to better improve my knowledge and gain experience I need to better plan future sessions but I am not quite sure how. I can imagine that in a more professional setting a portrait photographer will have a pre-planned set of standard poses and use their acquired lighting techniques, but I am very far away from that now and while I would very much like to devlop my own style in the future I want to walk before I run.

Can anyone point me at any resources online or books that would act as tutorials and also help plan future sessions with the primary aim of getting to grips with:

1. Equipment; particularly lighting, backgrounds and other accessories. The camera I am OK with I have the book "Light - Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting" which I am working through slowly, but more is always needed.

2. Directing the subject/sitter in such a way as to maximise accuracy of meaning but minimise any "talking down" or avoiding unintentional derogatory comments (like "that makes your 15 chins stick out too much...") - this sounds common sense but it's hard especially with someone who is hyper sensitive over their appearance. I have never been a diplomat, sadly.

3. Planning a sequence of poses and lighting that allow some spontenatity but gets the job done. Part of the problem here is knowing what "the job" is.

Thanks for any help and advice.

Video

I find that practice is the best teacher for me. There are some great classes here in the USA that I have been able to take. My guess is that there are a number of workshops in London because there is a portrait and wedding board that we have a number of pros from across the pond.

The other thing I look at for posing is websites of portrait photographers and fashion magazines - well really, most magazines. I don't see where they have the lights, but, you can almost see them if you look at catchlights and shadow and patterns of light on the image.

There are also a number of videos and dvd's that might be helpful. Bobbi Lane has one that is available through Calumet which I am sure you can get in London. Monte Zucker, the grandfather of portraits, I am sure put out a ton of books or videos.

hth

Hi Peter,

Maybe this would be of interest - it ought to be, if you own a camera. ;-)

http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1044&highlight=frank

Maybe by now, others are available, but buy 'em all.

Best wishes,

Ray

Thanks Kathy and Ray - I will be looking at the DVDs ...