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CANONSCHOOL<br />
MAKE CASH with<br />
YOUR canon<br />
In this latest instalment of the series, we reveal all you need<br />
to know to get started as a pro portrait photographer<br />
Peter travers<br />
Canon expert<br />
Peter’s been a passionate<br />
photographer for well over<br />
20 years. He’s worked on<br />
<strong>PhotoPlus</strong> since the very<br />
first issue, back in 2007,<br />
and has been the magazine’s<br />
editor for the past six years.<br />
Shoot portraits part-time<br />
Portraits are a great way to earn money from your photography – we help you get started<br />
If you enjoy shooting<br />
subjects that talk<br />
back, maybe it’s time<br />
you started making<br />
cash from your portraits.<br />
You don’t need much<br />
equipment if you start by<br />
taking outdoor portraits in<br />
natural light.<br />
Any Canon DSLR will be up<br />
to the job, although the higher<br />
resolution of the latest models<br />
will give you the option of<br />
producing larger prints than<br />
some of the older models.<br />
You also need to think<br />
about your lenses. While a<br />
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens<br />
that typically comes with<br />
crop-sensor Canons can<br />
produce great results, a<br />
wider-aperture standard<br />
zoom, such as the 17-55mm<br />
f/2.8, will allow you to<br />
achieve shallower depth of<br />
field than the f/5.6 maximum<br />
aperture at the longest<br />
end of most standard zooms.<br />
Another lens worth investing<br />
in is a 50mm f/1.8, as this will<br />
give you even shallower depth<br />
of field and allow you to shoot<br />
in low light without having to<br />
increase the ISO.<br />
Stepping up to full-frame,<br />
again any Canon is capable<br />
of professional results with the<br />
right lens. The high-resolution<br />
models will give the option<br />
of huge prints, but even shots<br />
from an older camera, such as<br />
the original 5D, will print up<br />
Take promoting yourself online – if people can see how good your photos<br />
are, they’ll know that a session with you will be worth the asking price<br />
to A3. When it comes to lenses<br />
the 50mm is a good starting<br />
point, but the focal length is<br />
a little too short for head-andshoulders<br />
shots. An 85mm<br />
f/1.8 gives more flattering<br />
results, or if you can live<br />
with the smaller maximum<br />
aperture, a 24-70mm f/2.8<br />
or 70-200mm f/2.8 are<br />
versatile (if pricey) options.<br />
People skills<br />
Along with your photographic<br />
skills, taking successful<br />
portraits relies on your ability<br />
to get the best from the people<br />
you are shooting. There are<br />
many ways to do this, from<br />
cracking jokes to simply<br />
chatting with the subject to<br />
find out what their interests<br />
are. But the key skill is being<br />
able to put subjects at ease<br />
at the same time as you are<br />
shooting amazing images.<br />
This means that you need to<br />
be completely confident in<br />
your photographic technique,<br />
so you can concentrate on the<br />
person and not have to think<br />
about your composition or<br />
camera settings.<br />
This ability comes naturally<br />
to some, but if your people<br />
skills don’t quite match your<br />
photographic ones then you’ll<br />
need to spend plenty of time<br />
practising this on any willing<br />
subjects (try friends or family)<br />
You don’t need masses of kit if<br />
you’re shooting outside with<br />
available light<br />
if you’re going to make it as a<br />
portrait photographer.<br />
Getting the best out of your<br />
subject is only part of your job,<br />
though. If you’re going it alone<br />
as a portrait photographer<br />
you’ll also need to be able to<br />
sell yourself and your services<br />
before you can get the work<br />
and, depending on your<br />
business model, you may also<br />
need to sell the prints to the<br />
customer after the shoot in<br />
order to make money.<br />
Find a style<br />
From using available light and<br />
wide apertures to give a soft,<br />
80 www.digitalcameraworld.com