Aperture settings and headshots

Guillaume de Lafontaine - DWAMPIX said

There's no right or wrong when it comes to DOF and aperture settings. There's what you like and what you don't.

Remember 2 main factors will impact your DOF : aperture AND distance to the subject. Combining both (wide aperture at short distance) will drastically reduce your DOF to a point that only iris can be in focus and sharp (just a few millimeters).

Most Youtube videos are just noise... Experiment, that's the only thing that matters... And when you think you're finished, start over again !

Edited by Guillaume de Lafontaine - DWAMPIX

I have and do experiment. But you end up with ‘go to’ techniques. I have always used these with results I am more than happy with. e.g. I already incorporate aperture and distance with my 70 - 200. But only when using a model leaning on a wall of various texture.

I think varying distance and aperture on a plain background or non distracting background on location is something I dabble with unconsciously, but never find the time to play around and experiment consciously. Your comment has prompted me to look at this and is exactly the sort of comment I was looking for. Thank you

Richard Adams Studio 9 Arthur Fellig... Weegee ... shot with a Speed Graphic 5x4 and flash. Pretty sure he used f/16.

It was a Magnum photo journalist. Not sure which.

Edited by Huw

Starglider Photography said

When I take a close up portrait, I usually shoot at f/2.8, using my 35mm prime lens. At the end of the day, I just fiddle with settings until I get a picture I like. I don't think about it too much, just shoot until I get a pic I like.

Where did you focus on for this shot? Was it the bridge of the nose, nose tip or an eye. It is just the sort of close in tight headshot I am looking to do. 

Do you think a 35mm prime distorts less than 35mm on a 24-70 zoom? 

I find if I stand too close to a model with my 24-70 the head distorts. But when I step back, I am too far away to get this look. 

Huw said

This was f/2.0 with a 135mm lens.

About 1 stop smaller for the same effect as the 85mm

I have noticed that the backlighting creates separation between the model and the blurred out background. I never thought of doing this before so will definitely look for light and a location setting to try it out. 

Glamourportraits said

Starglider Photography said

When I take a close up portrait, I usually shoot at f/2.8, using my 35mm prime lens. At the end of the day, I just fiddle with settings until I get a picture I like. I don't think about it too much, just shoot until I get a pic I like.

Where did you focus on for this shot? Was it the bridge of the nose, nose tip or an eye. It is just the sort of close in tight headshot I am looking to do. 

Do you think a 35mm prime distorts less than 35mm on a 24-70 zoom? 

I find if I stand too close to a model with my 24-70 the head distorts. But when I step back, I am too far away to get this look. 

I always focus on the eye.

And you're getting far too technical for me!

And that's the thing.

I am not a technical person. I use a cheap-ass camera, with cheap lenses because I'm poor, and I am self-taught. I purely, through years of practice, worked out settings that worked for me. I don't personally care about anything other than "how does the picture look once I've taken it?". I can tell you that I was no more than a few feet away from the model, as at the time I was shooting from my spare room home studio and therefore couldn't get that far away from the model. I have plenty of images that didn't work, I just shoot until I get an image I like.

This is using f1.4 on a crop sensor Fuji 56 f1.2 lens. Full frame equivalent would be f2 at 85mm

As has been said, there's no magic bullet here - it's entirely down to what look you want.  If it doubt, just bracket the aperture settings and decide later.  :-)

Here's the obligatory EF 85mm f1.2L wide open shot:

Shot on my 5D4, so full frame.

Edited by Gothic Image

Tarmoo When I was a Fuji user I had the 56 f1.2 apo lens and I never got anything this good with my lens.

According to manufactures the "true" portrait lens focal length that provides correct perspective of a face is the 105mm on a full frame sensor, why they have prime 105mm lens.

DOF is, as stated above, dependant on aperture, distance to subject and Focal length of lens 

I mainly use my 85mm lens and shoot at F1.4 for very shallow depth of field it is a sharp lens or my 70-200mm zoom at 105mm focal length and F2.8 on full frame sensor, its largest aperture. 

Focus on the eye and adjust amount od DOF required by changing distance from subject and/or aperture or lens focal length 

Also the distance to any object behind the subject will also make a difference to how blurred it can be behind the subject.

DOF is of a ratio of 1/3rd infront and 2/3rd behind where lens is focused.

Tarmoo said

This is using f1.4 on a crop sensor Fuji 56 f1.2 lens. Full frame equivalent would be f2 at 85mm

 

This is really useful and a lovely photo. I assume that’s natural light through the window?

Gothic Image said

As has been said, there's no magic bullet here - it's entirely down to what look you want.  If it doubt, just bracket the aperture settings and decide later.  :-)

Here's the obligatory EF 85mm f1.2L wide open shot:

Shot on my 5D4, so full frame.

Edited by Gothic Image

Thank you. For years I have followed the same philosophy - there's no magic bullet - it's entirely down to what look you want.  
 
And I learnt what I wanted and more-so what brides, nightclub owners, pageant organisers and fashion show organisers wanted, as they were paying me.

But now I am retired and can afford to take a step back and question why I do what I do and ask if there are other ways. And this post has really help me do that, not just by being shown plenty of images as examples, but also a few words explaining how they were produced and often with what equipment or what philosophy. For me this thread has been better than any YouTube video as it is really relevant to the images I see on here (if that makes sense) 

Glamourportraits said

But now I am retired and can afford to take a step back and question why I do what I do and ask if there are other ways. And this post has really help me do that, not just by being shown plenty of images as examples, but also a few words explaining how they were produced and often with what equipment or what philosophy. For me this thread has been better than any YouTube video as it is really relevant to the images I see on here (if that makes sense) 

Indeed.  My philosophy is basically to always shoot wide open with a fast prime, usually the trusty "magic pixie dust" EF 85mm f1.2L.  Quite frankly, I could probably dispose of the aperture control on both that and my recently acquired RF 50mm f1.2L!  :-)

Here's the EF 85mm f1.2L again, shot at very close range wide open with my R5:

Gothic Image said

Glamourportraits said

But now I am retired and can afford to take a step back and question why I do what I do and ask if there are other ways. And this post has really help me do that, not just by being shown plenty of images as examples, but also a few words explaining how they were produced and often with what equipment or what philosophy. For me this thread has been better than any YouTube video as it is really relevant to the images I see on here (if that makes sense) 

Indeed.  My philosophy is basically to always shoot wide open with a fast prime, usually the trusty "magic pixie dust" EF 85mm f1.2L.  Quite frankly, I could probably dispose of the aperture control on both that and my recently acquired RF 50mm f1.2L!  :-)

Here's the EF 85mm f1.2L again, shot at very close range wide open with my R5:

Lovely image and perfect for showing the fall off of focus.

From this image, and few others I have seen, I realise it’s good to sometimes shoot a bit looser than just a headshot 👍

Glamourportraits said

Lovely image and perfect for showing the fall off of focus.

From this image, and few others I have seen, I realise it’s good to sometimes shoot a bit looser than just a headshot 👍

Agreed - unless it's a straight mugshot(!) I like to put the model in context.  It helps the image "breathe" a little, if that makes any sense?

Just for fun/example I've shoot this just now.

This is fully open f/0.95, 35mm (crop sensor) at about 50-70cm distance.