Essential Tools For Portrait Photography

Imagine you are going to take a portrait of a friend, family member or client. Looking at your current kit, you might already be able to take a good photo, but how do you make your shots stand out from the competition? To put it in plain simple English, you will need to increase your accessories game. Levelling up your lens and lighting choice can help produce some stunning results. This article will explain what an ultimate setup for portrait photography looks like and how you can add specific items that will enhance what you do.

For The Best Results, Use a Class Leading Camera Like Sony's a7R IV.

First of all, if you're looking for a professional camera body to deliver outstanding portrait photos, look no further than the Sony a7R IV digital mirrorless camera. A favourite choice amongst professional and commercial photographers, the Sony's 61MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor pairs with its BIONZ X Image Processor. You'll achieve exceptional quality without missing a beat thanks to 567-point Phase-Detection Autofocus and the ability to capture up to 10 frames per second in a continuous burst. All that 61MP data is captured via dual UHS-II SD card slots allowing you to make instant back-ups of every file. If shooting in low light conditions, the weather-sealed Sony a7R Mark IV has an extensive ISO range of 50-102400 along with Sony's 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization. In terms of control and optics, the a7R IV features a staggering 5.76m dot Tru-Finder OLED Electronic Viewfinder and a 3.0" 1.44m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD. Fortunately, Sony utilises a single mount to fit both full-frame and APS-C lenses from Sony and a range of third party manufacturers. As a result, you have an extensive range of lenses available for portrait photography, including fast primes and zooms.

Bundle Your Camera with the Best Portrait Lens: Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM.

Once you have your camera sorted, you should be looking at a specific portrait lens. A focal length of around 50mm to 85mm is ideal for this type of work. Our recommendation is the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM lens which is compatible with E-mount mirrorless cameras. Once you mount this lens, open the aperture to f/1.4, and you are going to see some incredible background separation with your subject. The bokeh on this lens is stunning. This spectacular look is all thanks to the rounded 11-blade diaphragm in the lens. Most lenses only offer a 9-blade diaphragm, so the extra curvature of the aperture lends itself to some more creamy bokeh, aka better circles. The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM lens also features some extra-low dispersion elements and one XA (extreme aspherical) element, which reduces any chromatic aberrations for better sharpness. So if you find yourself photographing someone against a high contrast background without this coating, the outline of each strand of hair may appear blurry. Whereas with the extra-low dispersion elements, this won't be a problem.

Next, You'll Need Some Light To Capture Stunning Portraits.

To take your portrait photography to the next level, you need at least a single off-camera flash. By far, the best brand choice for portrait work is Profoto. Our pick for a Profoto flash to pair with the Sony a7R IV is the Profoto A10 (another option is the A1X). It is a compact unit with a 90-degree tilting and 360-degree rotating flash head. Plus, it features a laser AF-assist and an LED modelling light. The A10 features Bluetooth enabled AiRX technology for smartphone control. The A10 is a brilliant on and off-camera flash that pairs seamlessly with the Profoto Air Remote TTL-S for Sony cameras. It features eight channels in 3 groups so that you can control multiple Profoto A10 flash units individually or in sequences. The Air TTL-S allows for shooting sync speeds as short as 1/8000 of a second. Plus, it provides a triggering range of up to 300 meters - not that you'll ever stand that far from your model. Finally, it provides +/-2 to +/-9 stops of control in TTL and Manual settings.

Finally, Add Some Profoto Accessories To Enhance Your Portrait Lighting

For ultimate control over the placement and position of your Profoto A10 flash, you'll need a light stand that's compact yet stable. We prefer the Profoto 7.75' Compact Stand over the Compact Mini as it provides greater stability and holds up to 5kg of gear while only weighing just over 1kg. The best bit is that it folds down to just over 86cm after extending up to 236cm. Before you can drop a light modifier on the Profoto A10, you need to add the all-new Profoto A Series Flash OCF Adaptor. The adapter is made from durable material to support the Profoto A10, any of the Profoto softboxes and securely connect to your light stand. What's more, the Profoto A Service Adaptor can be used as handheld support for a smaller softbox and flash set up. The final piece of the lighting puzzle is the Profoto OCF Softbox. This compact square softbox is 40 x 40cm and is ideal for use on a light stand or handheld with the Profoto OCF Adapter. Of course, if you are after a larger softbox or any other Profoto light modifier, we have the full range that is supported by the A-series adapter. Did you get through the list? If you got this far, well done! You are now equipped with the knowledge which will help you understand how to take better portrait photos. If there is something that stood out for you in this short guide, let us know. Visit us in-store to get some helpful advice, or if you know what you need, feel free to place an order, and we will process it immediately. We look forward to seeing your portrait results, so ensure you share them with us across social media!