Camera and lens to use for professional headshots??

Help!

I bought a Nikon Coolpix p80 recently and I love it. So much that I now want a more professional camera to take mainly portraits ranging from infants to young adults, both indoors and outdoors. Since I am very new to this photography thing (other than the easy p/s matter) this jungle of bodies and lenses have me somewhat unsure what to get. Any suggestion on a good body and portrait lens? I can see myself wanting to expand with other lenses in the future but for right now, I will start slow with one. Also, I am not looking to spend thousands and thousands. Just a good beginners package would make me happy. And last thing....I would like to stay with Nikon or Canon but I will take other brands into consideration. What are the suggestions from the professionals?

Thanks so much for any input!!

They won't be professional headshots unless a professional takes them ;-).

The camera body is probably the least important when doing studio head shots. The lens is much more important.

My advice is to settle on a budget first. How much do you want to spend? I hate to tell you, but if you want to start taking professional headshots, then 'thousands and thousands' is exactly what you will end up spending in the long run.

Grab a D90 and 85mm f1.8, and a 50mm f1.8, and go to town ;-).

LouiseKJ said:

Help!

I bought a Nikon Coolpix p80 recently and I love it. So much that I now want a more professional camera to take mainly portraits ranging from infants to young adults, both indoors and outdoors. Since I am very new to this photography thing (other than the easy p/s matter) this jungle of bodies and lenses have me somewhat unsure what to get. Any suggestion on a good body and portrait lens? I can see myself wanting to expand with other lenses in the future but for right now, I will start slow with one. Also, I am not looking to spend thousands and thousands. Just a good beginners package would make me happy. And last thing....I would like to stay with Nikon or Canon but I will take other brands into consideration. What are the suggestions from the professionals?

Thanks so much for any input!!

Click to expand...

--
'87.6% of all statistics are made up on the spot'

ShutterBugin
http://www.exposureproductions.smugmug.com

Shutterbugin said:

The camera body is probably the least important when doing studio head shots. The lens is much more important.

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... and the lightning setup is the most important of all, by a large margin. You can get lot more professional looking shots with a proper studio light set and a P&S camera (if you know how to use them) than with a top of the line DSLR+lens with direct on-camera flash.

Good advice from Shutterbugin.

Using Canon as an alternative, I just gave someone else advice on getting started for $600 in the thread linked below (1000D with kit and 50 mm f/1.8). Even if you have $1,000 to $1,500 you might be better off spending your money on a good portrait lens and an entry level body, whether it be Canon, Nikon, Oly, Pentax or whatever your choice...

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1002&message=32417939

Shutterbugin said:

They won't be professional headshots unless a professional takes them ;-).

The camera body is probably the least important when doing studio head shots. The lens is much more important.

My advice is to settle on a budget first. How much do you want to spend? I hate to tell you, but if you want to start taking professional headshots, then 'thousands and thousands' is exactly what you will end up spending in the long run.

Grab a D90 and 85mm f1.8, and a 50mm f1.8, and go to town ;-).

Click to expand...

Shutterbugin said:

They won't be professional headshots unless a professional takes them ;-).

The camera body is probably the least important when doing studio head shots. The lens is much more important.

My advice is to settle on a budget first. How much do you want to spend? I hate to tell you, but if you want to start taking professional headshots, then 'thousands and thousands' is exactly what you will end up spending in the long run.

Grab a D90 and 85mm f1.8, and a 50mm f1.8, and go to town ;-).

Click to expand...

I agree!

Shutterbugin said:

LouiseKJ said:

Help!

I bought a Nikon Coolpix p80 recently and I love it. So much that I now want a more professional camera to take mainly portraits ranging from infants to young adults, both indoors and outdoors. Since I am very new to this photography thing (other than the easy p/s matter) this jungle of bodies and lenses have me somewhat unsure what to get. Any suggestion on a good body and portrait lens? I can see myself wanting to expand with other lenses in the future but for right now, I will start slow with one. Also, I am not looking to spend thousands and thousands. Just a good beginners package would make me happy. And last thing....I would like to stay with Nikon or Canon but I will take other brands into consideration. What are the suggestions from the professionals?

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Join the PPA. Attend their schools (there is a great one in TX each year). They will teach you how to take a professional portrait.

If you want to take a good portrait that looks as if a "professional" took it, then that D90 + 85mm f/1.8 is a classic choice. But the D700 + 85mm would be better (I personally like to use a longer FL with head shots taken with a 1.5X crop camera...something like 135mm)...so consider the D90 + 135mm f/2.0 (it has a defocus control and is Nikon's premiere portrait lens). These setups will, unfortunately, break your financial back.

Perhaps you should lower your expectations? How about settling for a portrait that looks like a serious amateur took it? ;-)

--
Charlie Davis
Nikon 5700, Sony R1, Nikon D300
HomePage: http://www.1derful.info
'I'm from Texas. We have meat in our vegetables.'
Trenton Doyle Hancock

ProtoPhoto said:

Good advice from Shutterbugin.

Using Canon as an alternative, I just gave someone else advice on getting started for $600 in the thread linked below (1000D with kit and 50 mm f/1.8). Even if you have $1,000 to $1,500 you might be better off spending your money on a good portrait lens and an entry level body, whether it be Canon, Nikon, Oly, Pentax or whatever your choice...

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1002&message=32417939

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Thanks for the suggestion! This is what I was looking for...

ProtoPhoto said:

Shutterbugin said:

They won't be professional headshots unless a professional takes them ;-).

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Ah, 'this is true, but a professional has a different definition from person to person.

ProtoPhoto said:

ProtoPhoto said:

My advice is to settle on a budget first. How much do you want to spend? I hate to tell you, but if you want to start taking professional headshots, then 'thousands and thousands' is exactly what you will end up spending in the long run.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Well, since this isn't my career choice just yet, just a mere hobby, I rather start low and slow and expand from there rather than drop a few K's right off the bat.

ProtoPhoto said:

ProtoPhoto said:

Grab a D90 and 85mm f1.8, and a 50mm f1.8, and go to town ;-).

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Thanks. My co-worker has the D90 and she raves about it.

chuxter said:

Perhaps you should lower your expectations? How about settling for a portrait that looks like a serious amateur took it? ;-)

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I think my choice of the word "professional" has clouded this quest for input on a good body and lens for portrait photos. Let's try this WITHOUT the word professional...

How about someone let me know a good body and lens that won't cost thousands and thousands so that I can use it to take hobby-portrait photos that look really, really great. Thanks so much!

Head shots and portraits are not about the camera and lens, it's about the lighting.

Any DSLR and kit lens will take great portraits if the lighting is done right.

LouiseKJ said:

LouiseKJ said:

Perhaps you should lower your expectations? How about settling for a portrait that looks like a serious amateur took it? ;-)

Click to expand...

I think my choice of the word "professional" has clouded this quest for input on a good body and lens for portrait photos. Let's try this WITHOUT the word professional...

How about someone let me know a good body and lens that won't cost thousands and thousands so that I can use it to take hobby-portrait photos that look really, really great. Thanks so much!

Click to expand...

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Even if you can't donate, please help spread the word.

LouiseKJ said:

LouiseKJ said:

Perhaps you should lower your expectations? How about settling for a portrait that looks like a serious amateur took it? ;-)

Click to expand...

I think my choice of the word "professional" has clouded this quest for input on a good body and lens for portrait photos. Let's try this WITHOUT the word professional...

How about someone let me know a good body and lens that won't cost thousands and thousands so that I can use it to take hobby-portrait photos that look really, really great. Thanks so much!

Click to expand...

First, go here and read it. You prolly know some of this...

http://www.1derful.info/Help/EssentialSkills.htm

It says that any camera will work, but one with a larger sensor will work better.

As others have said, lighting is important. There are many kinds of portraits...many kinds of lighting.

There are many rules...you can break them if you know how. For example, we tell everyone to use a semi-long FL lens, but here is a portrait with a very short FL lens:



It's not superb and his nose is big anyway...it was a semi-candid grab shot. He reacted to my being about 3" from his nose...that was what I wanted.>

--
Charlie Davis
Nikon 5700, Sony R1, Nikon D300
HomePage: http://www.1derful.info
'I'm from Texas. We have meat in our vegetables.'
Trenton Doyle Hancock

You might also consider joining Strobist. Take a look.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html

My personal portrait setup is a Nikon D300, but a D90 would work, and a Nikon 85 f/1.4 as well as a Nikon 35 f/2. This takes care of 95% of my portrait work. Add to that several light stands and various shoot-throughs and umbrellas with 5 various Nikon Strobes.

Now, let me suggest why a Nikon D90 or D300. These two cameras have Commander Mode buil in which is part of Nikon's Creative Lighting system which is probably the best wireless lighting system built into a camera. From the back of your camera, you can control almost unlimitted strobes in two groups without touching those wireless strobes except to turn them on. The system work almost flawlessly and automatically. You have to use Nikon SB200, SB600, SB800 or SB900 flashes as wireless or on the camera.

A lot of cameras have wireless triggering, but Nikon's CLS does so very much more, easily and automatically.

Example, one strobe on a lightstand with a shoot through umbrella high and slightly to the side at full power. Another strobe to the other side a little lower at 1/2 power and a third behind to light the background a 3/4 power. Nikon's CLS does this all from the camera and does it automatically if you choose. Don't like the result and want to increase the left side strobe, you do it from the camera. You tell it to go at full power, let's say. CLS recalculates and takes the image wirelessly triggering the flashes.

IMO, this system is worth whatever the D90 costs over whatever else doesn't do this. Just my opinion.
--
Cheers, Craig

Gotta love a wide portrait sometimes. Here's my little brother in my backyard. He was scaring the grandkids.



--
Cheers, Craig

Guidenet said:

You might also consider joining Strobist. Take a look.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html

My personal portrait setup is a Nikon D300, but a D90 would work, and a Nikon 85 f/1.4 as well as a Nikon 35 f/2. This takes care of 95% of my portrait work. Add to that several light stands and various shoot-throughs and umbrellas with 5 various Nikon Strobes.

Now, let me suggest why a Nikon D90 or D300. These two cameras have Commander Mode buil in which is part of Nikon's Creative Lighting system which is probably the best wireless lighting system built into a camera. From the back of your camera, you can control almost unlimitted strobes in two groups without touching those wireless strobes except to turn them on. The system work almost flawlessly and automatically. You have to use Nikon SB200, SB600, SB800 or SB900 flashes as wireless or on the camera.

A lot of cameras have wireless triggering, but Nikon's CLS does so very much more, easily and automatically.

Example, one strobe on a lightstand with a shoot through umbrella high and slightly to the side at full power. Another strobe to the other side a little lower at 1/2 power and a third behind to light the background a 3/4 power. Nikon's CLS does this all from the camera and does it automatically if you choose. Don't like the result and want to increase the left side strobe, you do it from the camera. You tell it to go at full power, let's say. CLS recalculates and takes the image wirelessly triggering the flashes.

IMO, this system is worth whatever the D90 costs over whatever else doesn't do this. Just my opinion.
--
Cheers, Craig

Click to expand...

This is probably the best advice I've seen so far. You can do the same thing with Canon, with pocket wizards or radio poppers, but Nikon has the best built in system. For a beginner, they might be better off with the 85mm F1.8 to keep from breaking the bank and having an excellent lens.

Lighting makes and breaks a good portrait. One thing Craig didn't mention was getting a nice/large reflector.

KALEL33 said:

For a beginner, they might be better off with the 85mm F1.8 to keep from breaking the bank and having an excellent lens.

Lighting makes and breaks a good portrait. One thing Craig didn't mention was getting a nice/large reflector.

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Kalel, you are spot on on all of that. I totally agree on both the lesser lens and the reflector. I keep a reflector always in my kit. Great advice.

--
Cheers, Craig

Not only them, that image has seared my retinae....

;D

--



Ananda
http://anandasim.blogspot.com/
http://onepicperpost.blogspot.com/

--
Charlie Davis
Nikon 5700, Sony R1, Nikon D300
HomePage: http://www.1derful.info
'I'm from Texas. We have meat in our vegetables.'
Trenton Doyle Hancock

LouiseKJ said:

How about someone let me know a good body and lens that won't cost thousands

and thousands so that I can use it to take hobby-portrait photos that look really,
really great. Thanks so much!

Click to expand...

It's been said twice, and you've completely ignored it- ignore the gear heads, portraiture is about three major things: Lighting, posing, and background. Ultra-sharp lenses show skin flaws. A point-and-shoot is just fine if you can light properly and fire off the strobes with it- as is any DSLR made in the last 5 years. You're controlling the light, so ISO and noise shouldn't be an issue.

Three lights, a shoot-through umbrella or softbox for the key, a light silver umbrella for the fill and a grid for hair if you're not shooting high-key, a black and a white muslin, background clamps and stands are what you need.

You'll want strobes for the lack of heat and pupils that aren't pinpricks, not hot lights though hot lights will be cheaper. You can get away with one light if you use reflectors, but three is about optimal (sometimes 4 if you need a background light.) In a small space, something like AB400s will work just fine, or you can find old pack-and-head systems on eBay fairly cheaply, just don't overbuy- the old systems aren't all that adjustable and something with 1000WS of light isn't going to turn down enough to work in a home studio. AB800's in someone's living room generally don't get used above 50% of their power rating. Also, purchase a copy of "Light: Science and Magic" and read it- it's got good information that's well-worth reading, and you could probably do with a portrait lighting and/or posing book as well.

If your P&S has a flash on it and you can turn it down or put an old exposed film leader over it so it doesn't put out enough light to affect the image, you can trigger most strobes with optical triggers without anything else.

You can clamp a muslin on a curtain rod if you can't afford a background stand. Just stretch it well, weight it down at the bottom with books and wet it down lightly an hour before you shoot with a spray bottle to catch the wrinkles.

$10,000 of camera and lenses aren't going to help you with filling in shadows under eyes, around noses or positioning a catchlight perfectly in the subject's eyes.

Paul
--
http://PaulDRobertson.imagekind.com

Guidenet said:

KALEL33 said:

For a beginner, they might be better off with the 85mm F1.8 to keep from breaking the bank and having an excellent lens.

Lighting makes and breaks a good portrait. One thing Craig didn't mention was getting a nice/large reflector.

Click to expand...

Kalel, you are spot on on all of that. I totally agree on both the lesser lens and the reflector. I keep a reflector always in my kit. Great advice.

--
Cheers, Craig

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Thank you all for the suggestions!! Much better responses the second time around and I haven't ignored anything that has been written. I now know what to look for and I have an idea of what I want to do. Great website suggestions too. Thanks again all, you've been really helpful! / Louise

(And thanks for posting photos. LOVE the older man photos...great shot!!!)