Welcome

Community

Photography Basics

Digital Skills

Digital Darkroom

Portraiture

Top Tips

Camera Reviews

Photo Projects

Resources

Photography Portrait Lighting

Learn how to shoot indoor portraits in our Photography Portrait Lighting section. An angle-poise lamp is all you need for atmospheric shots.

How to Shoot Indoor Portraits

If you want to keep it simple, you can shoot striking atmospheric portraits without expensive studio lighting. In fact, you can take professional-looking images with just a single light. A regular household angle-poise or desk lamp is perfect for creative portraits at home.

Photo Credit: Mia Rose

Tools:

* A sheet of light-absorbing black velvet to use as a backdrop.

* A regular household angle-poise or desk lamp with a 40W halogen bulb.

* A telephoto zoom - for example, the Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8.

* A sturdy tripod to help eliminate camera shake.

* A willing model.

Place your model in front of a piece of light-absorbing black velvet to create a rich, dark background. You don’t need a support stand – you can just suspend it from a bookcase or other piece of furniture.

Make sure your subject is sitting comfortably, and place the lamp slightly above and to the right of their head. Experiment with different positions to create different lighting effects, but this set-up will give you a flattering, classic result. To soften the harshness of a single light, try using a reflector on the opposite side to ‘bounce’ light back onto your subject.

Keep your shutter speed relatively fast, for example 1/160 sec at f/2.8, ISO 500. It’s always advisable to use a tripod to eliminate camera shake and get the sharpest shot you can.

Take a few test shots and once you’re happy with the general set-up, start shooting. It’s always advisable to build rapport with your model before experimenting with different poses and expressions.

Indoor Portrait Tips

• Take care when choosing a lens. An 80-200mm f/2.8 lens is appropriate for flattering portraits.

• Switch your White Balance to Manual to ensure you get a clean skin tone. The halogen bulb can confuse your Auto White Balance setting.

• Be careful not to position your lamp too closely to the subject – it’ll be harsh and directional. This can be a good creative device, but it’s rarely flattering.

If you found inspiration on our indoor portraits photography page, feel free to browse the following pages too:

* Portrait Innovations

* Portrait Photography Tips

* Portrait Poses

Hope you enjoy our photographing indoor portraits page!

(From Portrait Photography Lighting back to Digital Photography for Beginners) (From Portrait Photography Lighting back to Basic Photography Tips Home Page)

Read, reflect and be inspired. If you find something of value on our photography portrait lighting page, enjoy its gifts and please pass it on to your friends.

SBI!