How to take a portrait in a cafe
We have all seen photographic portraits of girls in cafes.
Such frames invariably attract the attention of viewers with their romantic atmosphere of comfort, tranquility, and relaxation. At the same time, making such a frame yourself is quite simple. For this we need: a pretty girl, a cafe, a camera and inspiration.
First of all, you should choose a suitable place for shooting. Pictures taken through glass look especially interesting. After all, through them you can see not only our model, but also reflections. This creates an interesting, rich composition. The status of the cafe does not matter: you can take a good picture both in an inexpensive dining room and in a chic restaurant. Beauty is the main thing in photography. The shooting location must be chosen according to this criterion. Gloomy and cramped places look worse than spacious, well-lit ones.
Therefore, it makes sense to look for a cafe with a beautiful window, a showcase and take a table so that it is convenient to shoot: think over the composition in advance. In addition, the window performs another important function. Through it, soft, pleasant lighting will fall on the model.
It is important that the cafe you choose is loyal to photography.
In Russia, institutions are different. In some, for some reason known only to their owners, it is impossible to take pictures. If you are not sure whether you can or cannot take pictures in the selected cafe, it is better to ask the employees about this in advance so that there are no misunderstandings.
Before shooting, it is important to remember that in a cafe they don’t sit in jackets and hats, besides, outerwear hides the girl’s figure. Make sure that there are no unnecessary details on the table, for example, a half-eaten dinner. But a cup of tea or a glass of wine will look quite harmonious in the photo.
When shooting a portrait through glass, it is important to remember that the model will not hear your instructions. Therefore, it is better to agree on everything in advance.
When shooting a portrait through glass, it is most convenient to use classic portrait lenses. For cameras with an APS-C format matrix, these are primarily fifty dollars: Nikon AF-S 50mm f / 1.4G Nikkor, Nikon AF-S 50mm f / 1.8G Nikkor. For full-frame cameras, lenses with a focal length of 85mm: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G, Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G Nikkor, Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor.
If you decide to shoot not through the glass, but in the very interior of the cafe, you can use a shorter focal length optics. But it is important to remember that the shorter the focal length, the greater the perspective distortion. They can affect the proportions of the model’s face and body. I do not recommend using a focal length shorter than 35mm for portraits. In any case, portrait shooting with a shorter focal length lens will be specific and will require special skills from the photographer.
Portrait on a lens with a focal length of 35 mm. Look: the girl’s face looks completely different than when shooting with an 85mm lens. Broadly speaking, we can say that it makes sense to shoot people with small facial features with a shorter focal length optics, and people with large facial features with a longer focal length. However, there can be many exceptions to this rule. Ultimately, it all depends on the proportions of a particular person and your preferences, artistic taste.
Portrait on a lens with a focal length of 35 mm. Look: the girl’s face looks completely different than when shooting with an 85mm lens. Broadly speaking, we can say that it makes sense to shoot people with small facial features with a shorter focal length optics, and people with large facial features with a longer focal length. However, there can be many exceptions to this rule. Ultimately, it all depends on the proportions of a particular person and your preferences, artistic taste.
The shooting technique itself and the choice of exposure parameters differ little from any other portrait shooting. As a rule, portraits are shot in mode A or M, with the aperture wide open. Focus in portrait shooting on the eyes of the model.
When composing the frame, try not to place the heroine’s face strictly in the center of the frame. Remember the rule of thirds: it will make it easy to get a concise layout.
Black and white photographs look very good. They seem more romantic, with a touch of retro. Today, a black and white frame can be made without any computer processing. All modern Nikon cameras can immediately take black and white shots.