10 Christmas Ideas for the budding portrait photographer

Copyright Carla Coulson - Paris Tango

It's here, it's around the corner, the decorations are up and the flight plans are booked. I am off to Italy for Christmas. I am not sure whether it is the world wide crisis and the threat of Europe sinking into the sea but I am more interested in giving this Christmas than receiving. 

Portrait photography makes my heart sing. I think it has to do with my endless fascination with people no matter what age, creed or race. The human race and it's faces offer endless fascination and make for wonderful photos. If you have a budding portrait photographer in the family here are 10 of my suggestions that could score a yipppeeee yiyeeahhhh when they find them under the tree.

1. GIVE THEM RICHARD

Copyright Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon's portraits ooze class. The man is at home with country folk, actors, fashion models and politicians. Richard Avedon remains my hero, he manages to tell a story in the simplest of   ways. Give them the best this Christmas, give them Richard!

2. GIVE THEM DIANE

Copyright Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus through her incredible imagery shows the world that different is good. Arbus chose to focus on the not so perfect and the quirky. Diane Arbus show us the beauty in the unusual and paves the way for all of us to see beauty in everyone.. Carla loves Diane

3. GIVE THEM ANNIE

Annie Leibovitz has gone where no other female portrait photographer has. To the top! Annie Leibovitz is considered one of the world's greatest portrait photographers and that is a quite a feat in such a male dominated world.. Sorry guys!! This behind the lens look at Annie Leibovitz's life and how she got started is a wonderful read for any portrait photographer.

 4. GIVE THEM A PORTRAIT LENS

Every portrait photographer needs in their kit a good portrait lens (normally a fixed lens not a zoom with a focal length of approx 85mm). The above one will blow the budget but is considered the best in the Canon range (i think it is too heavy). Canon also offers  an 85mm in their EF range which is about a quarter of the price of the above one.. Another option is to keep your eyes peeled for a good  second hand one. As I have always loved using manual focus you can pick up an old one and get amazing results if you are not into auto focus..

5. GIVE THEM LENS BABY

 I spent the first years of my career trying to get my photos in focus and now I am looking for as much blur as possible! I just have two words of advice for you.. LENS BABY!! The Lens Baby range offers lots of different lens that put tonnes of blur into your pics!! And you get to choose where the blur goes.

6. GIVE THEM A FLASH

I am a natural light girl and I will push and play with the light to its limits. But there are some days when the natural light isn't doing what Carla wants it to do. On those days I use a speedlight flash. These are flashheads that go on the top of your camera but Carla is begging you to please never use them this way. Instead get it off camera and get great light!!

7. GIVE THEM GREAT LIGHT (OR AT LEAST HELP THEM MAKE IT)

These little babies are worth every cent of their $70!! One sits on your camera and the other attaches to your flash and voila you are free. Your on-camera flash now just went off road. You can choose to have a human light stand and someone simply holds it or you can screw it into a stand and you have  light! You can also use them with different brands of cameras and flashes like I do. You just need to buy the right brand for your make of camera..

8. GIVE THEM SOFT

Well if you have the flash off camera (see 6) and you have a pocket wizard (like in 7)  one of the easiest things to drag around in your kit is the Lastolite EZY BOX. Made for speedlite flashes it folds down to a small triangle. I used it a couple of times last week in Italy and loved it. Gives diffused soft light, perfect for a portraits on the run.

9. GIVE THEM YOUR OLD CAMERA

Go on live dangerously!! Most of the people starting out now in photography have never had the chance to play with an old camera and a roll of film. If you have a camera lying around in your cupboard give it to someone you love who loves photography!!

10. GIVE YOURSELF AS A PORTRAIT SUBJECT

Wayne Chick Copyright Carla Coulson

Photography is about sharing, trying, experimenting, watching, feeling and trying some more. One of the greatest gifts one can give a budding portrait photographer is your time. Be part of the process, ask your budding portrait photographer where and how they would like to photograph you and then set aside a couple of hours and devote yourself to him or her. It is one of the most wonderful gifts you can give..

Good light forever!!

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