Diving deep into B&W portraits: advice needed!

So somehow, miraculously and very unexpectedly, some 13 or 14 people have agreed to be my subjects for a new B&W portraiture project I'm starting. I've taken portraits of people before, but never on such a scale - I plan to shoot upwards of 200 frames total.

So I really would like some advice on this as my experience is limited. The subjects will be choosing the locations and time of day, so I will have a range of films available - for 35mm, some Pan F 50, T-Max 100, Fomapan 100 & 400, and Delta 3200, and in 120, only Fomapan 100. I can handle the developing with my Patterson tank and D-76.

Here are the cameras I will have available:
35mm:
-Kodak Retina IIa
-Voigtlander Vitessa L
-Zeiss Contaflex Beta
-(possibly, currently occupied with some Velvia) Regula Cita
-Pentax P30T with 28-80mm lens

120:
-Voigtlander Bessa I
-Kodak Duaflex II with focusing lens (do I really want to use this one? maybe for some situations, I might decide simpler is better?)

My plan is to scan all of the frames using my DSLR and a light table, and then choose the best ones of the bunch and print them very large on multigrade paper. I have a friend who is experienced in printing and has kindly offered the use of his darkroom the next time he does a batch of prints. If I find an enlarger for a good price in the area, I might also do some on my own.



My main worry is the actual shooting - am I up to the task? Like I said, I've taken portraits before, I've been shooting film since I was a kid, I have a good grasp of how to operate these cameras and the basic concepts of photography, but I worry about composition and timing.

Here are some shots I took around New Years time of my sister, with the Contaflex and Fomapan 400 (crappy lab scans, but you get the idea, these are fairly representative of how I take pictures):

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I didn't really feel like I knew what I was doing, but some of them look pretty good, I guess.

I would deeply appreciate any advice those of you who know more than I do can give me. I want to put everything I've got into this project. I hope I'm not in over my head.

Thanks everyone!

Keep an eye out for how a background helps the portrait. Watch for things coming out of peoples heads.

My completely non-professional advice:
-use a fill flash (even if on low power) if outdoors, bounce flash if indoors.
-watch the background - should give good contrast (separation) from the subject. Keep the backround simple if you can, if not, consider throwing it out of focus.
-stick to one or maybe two films and camera to maintain some consistency between shots (if that is important to your project.)

Have fun! Best of luck, I'm sure you'll do great. Let us know what you learn.

cowanw said:

Keep an eye out for how a background helps the portrait. Watch for things coming out of peoples heads.

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When I got my first camera, a box camera, I took a photograph of my brother going to scout camp with his backpack. When the film was developed and printed, he had a "Walk" sign hanging out one ear and a "Dont (sic) Walk" sign hanging out the other ear.

My first piece of advice would be to change where you post images - can you say "click-bait deluge"?!!!
A lot of your shots are either back-lit or otherwise presented with a very bright and somewhat distracting background. If you are looking for silhouettes that is fine, but usually one is more interested in the people being photographed, not the background
For people, my favourite light is high, diffused light. Overcast skies are your friend. People are well illuminated, but they don't need to squint.
Before you do this, find a volunteer and take them out into the world. View them in a variety of different types of light and from a variety of different viewpoints. Watch how the light falls on them, how the planes of their face are illuminated and how shadows are formed where the illumination is less direct. That interplay between light and shadow is how shapes are revealed - people are three dimensional, but your photography yields a two dimensional result.
Casual and environmental can be great, but some angles are awkward and far from flattering. As an example, it is a rare person indeed who looks great when shot from below - particularly when lit from below as well (think of old horror movies). Of course, there is always an exception to every rule - see below.
Are you looking for some consistency in the results? Would any theme make sense - for example do you know these people through a club or as a result of some common pastime? These sorts of things can aid in the project.
Can you get someone to assist with things like reflectors? They can make a real difference to how well people's faces are modeled, but they aren't easy for a single individual to use without a chunk of equipment.
And as has been mentioned before - pay close attention to backgrounds!
I would suggest using the Pentax - accurate framing may be important.
And that exception I mentioned - how about my photo of Mike

I love black and white portraits. But I am not that good at it, I need more practice. But I am inspired by others-- I have a library of many of my favorite portrait photographers and I study them and decide on a style I am interested in before I do a shoot. You might find that helpful-- study the light, the backgrounds, framing, use of depth of field in portraits you admire. Imogen Cunningham and George Hurrell are a couple of my favorites.
I also think it's very important to not get bogged down with equipment and film stock choices. Pick one camera that you feel comfortable using and one film stock you like and stick to it. I collect all sorts of camera gear but my best portraits have been made using my old Rolleicord. I'm comfortable using and it so my subjects relax too.
Enjoy the project!

keenmaster486 said:

My main worry is the actual shooting - am I up to the task? Like I said, I've taken portraits before, I've been shooting film since I was a kid, I have a good grasp of how to operate these cameras and the basic concepts of photography, but I worry about composition and timing.

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My advice is to remember that you've been shooting for awhile and it took some time to be where you are now. Don't expect to be perfect right off the bat. Plan ahead as much as you can, but experience will teach you more.

After reading OP I have only this to mention:
Before you process any further, buy and read "Faces: The Creative Process Behind Great Portraits" by Jane Bown.

Ko.Fe. said:

After reading OP I have only this to mention:
Before you process any further, buy and read "Faces: The Creative Process Behind Great Portraits" by Jane Bown.

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Great advice!
Jane Bown is one of my all time favourites.
A famous example - Samuel Beckett:

Note the light, the modelling of the face, the subtle background and the incredible connection with the subject, who apparently was upset at being confronted at the back door of the theatre by this nice, apparently unassuming looking lady photographer who had earlier been promised a few moments for a newspaper photo, before Beckett changed his mind. There is a good chance Bown was using an Olympus OM 1 with an 85mm f/2 lens - her favourite combination.

keenmaster486 said:

... The subjects will be choosing the locations and time of day...

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This will be your real challenge. Instead of taking your own photographs, you will be trying to take collaborative photographs.

Your subjects will likely pick locations which have personal meaning to them. As a result, you will need to incorporate the locations into your portraits. This will add a significant artistic challenge to what is already a strong technical challenge.

Good luck.

look at portrait paintings from the medieval period to the 1800s, and books and websites that show
portraits by NADAR and KARSH and people doing wet plate work and calotype...
take your cues from them.
use the simplest camera you have, the one ou feel most comfortable with.
if it was me, i'd use the pentax .. and get a fill flash and a big sheet of foam core ..
have a friend assist you using the foam core as a reflector... and practice a little
before doing any of it cold.

keenmaster486 said:

So I really would like some advice on this as my experience is limited. The subjects will be choosing the locations and time of day..

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Hi, I think this is your biggest mistake, letting them choose. Here's why I say this: first, the backgrounds that people choose are often either local landmarks or pretty scenes; frequently these do not work well for portraits. But they're gonna have an expectation that it will, and you'll be stuck shooting at least a handful of frames that are sort of like tourist photos ("Here I am standing in front of the [whatever it is]."). Second, the light may be unfavorable, and then what do you do?

If you were an experienced shooter with some lighting gear and even perhaps an assistant, this would be a different story. You could light your way out of problems. I think your best bet is, after they select a place and time, is for you to go there first and scout the location. (Since you said you also have a DSLR, perhaps use that as a feasibility test.)

I concur with other posters to simplify things (limit the camera and film to only a couple of alternatives). And especially Matt's suggestion of a reflector.

I don't know what your exact purpose is, but my background is mainly in making portraits that the customer will buy (as opposed to "editorial portraits," the sort of thing that publishers want, but perhaps are not "kind" to the subject). The way I would approach this is to find some locations with some nice directional light on the subject's face, and a darker, unobtrusive background (you can make it unobtrusive by letting it go out of focus). Of course, if you want an "environmental portrait," then you want the surroundings to play into the shot. Note that the background doesn't have to have a dark color to be darker, having it shaded may be enough, or even boosting light on the subject via a reflector or light-colored wall behind you.

Personally I would want to use a tripod to allow interaction with the subject. (This means that you stick them in one place - no roaming around - then focus.) Then you are free to talk and direct, etc., and click the shutter (use some sort of remote release - even if just a cable release) when you have nice expressions. Normal people don't know what to do, and often put on fixed "smiles" for the camera; it's the photographer's job to deal with this. You have to put them at ease, make sure they don't look goofy, etc. This may be the most difficult part of the job for you, especially if you're not a good talker. If this is awkward for you, have a story or two that you're ready to talk about - perhaps what your project is about, how you asked for advice on a forum, and your reservations about some of the advice, etc. You want to be doing most of the talking while you're shooting, otherwise when you see a good expression you don't want to have to say, "shut up and close your mouth for a second while I shoot."

After you get some "controlled" shots it doesn't hurt to get a few candids with a hand held camera.

Ps, John's suggestion for a foamcore reflector is good. A couple of strips can be taped at the back so they fold to a smaller size. If you don't have an assistant, perhaps you could shoot two people at the same time - the one not being shot could be assisting.

Pps, a handheld mirror and perhaps some spare combs, some paper towels, etc., can be useful (and appreciated by the models). If these are outdoors, some towels or blankets to sit on can be useful, perhaps even used in the shot. I would also bring along a small cooler with some drinks (including water) and perhaps snacks. Those clear plastic wine glasses from the grocery store add some class to the operation, and perhaps even a bottle of wine. Your models will remember this and are more likely to be available next time you need them. Best of luck.

Pps, if you're ever gonna want to do anything with the photos, get a model release. Otherwise, what do you do if someone gets mad at you for some reason, and says, "That does it! Take my picture down from that exhibit right now!"

Sirius Glass said:

When I got my first camera, a box camera, I took a photograph of my brother going to scout camp with his backpack. When the film was developed and printed, he had a "Walk" sign hanging out one ear and a "Dont (sic) Walk" sign hanging out the other ear.

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And it is that amusing scene of "the way we were" that will stick in relatives' memories and bring a lump to the throat. Family portraits are not about the scene. They are about what memories and emotions they conjure.

pentaxuser

It's always easier to be a critic, It looks like you rattled through that roll of film without pausing and thinking about what you wanted in your image, a landscape or a portrait neither of which comes across.
Slow down and frame the image and yes check what is going on in the background.
Pursue your portrait venture & good luck in the hunt.

I agree with Ced, above, and I think you should start thinking more about editing, at every step of the process.

For instance, in your first post, I would have liked to have seen one photo--the best one--only. At the beginning, you will only be able to edit at the end, controlling what others see, but the editing should eventually move farther and farther back towards the startf the whole process
-for now, show only your one best shot
-eventually, print only your best neg
-finally, with more experience, push the button only when the picture is right
-as a final goal, don't even consider setups and situations that aren't working--recognize when something isn't going to work, and move forward immediately to something better..

Forcing yourself to think about what the final photo is going to look like is essential to getting good pictures, and the earlier in the process it happens, the better your results will be. I shoot 8x10 film for portraits, and everyone gets two pieces of film, mainly as a challenge to myself to keep the budget down, but it's also a good exercise in paying attention to what is happening. I'm not saying that this is necessary or desirable, but it's a good way to force myself to think about what I'm doing and make the photo happen, rather than just rely on burning through a lot of film hoping there's a picture in there somewhere. When I'm not doing potraits for my own fun but for a customer, digitally where it's virtually cost-free, I still only shoot 10 to 20 frames The studio I worked for in high school, shooting 4x5 film, allowed six shots per client, one each of six different setups.

The advice that several people have given above already is great: pick a photographer you like, study that person's work, then steal that look for a while in your own pictures. Then find someone else. Eventually, all of that stealing will blend together into something that's personally yours. For instance, I've been doing the 8x10 studio thing for only a couple of years, and I'm stealing from Karsh, mostly. My next plan is that I have a lighter camera on the way, and I'm going to be stealing Arnold Newman for a while, which will being like stealing from my own 35mm work. Which was built on W. Eugene Smith and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

For the nuts and bolts of it, pay a lot of attention to what Mr Bill wrote, above.

What you show in you OP are, for the most part, not portraits, but snapshots. I may sound harsh, but consider that you won't have a second chance of a dozen people sitting for you. So better raise your level before you use their (and your) time.
I find it unsettling how many different cameras and films you are considering. My 2¢: use the Pentax P30 with the zoom at 80mm (the only "portrait' focal length in your long list) in aperture priority at max aperture (f:3.5). Indoors, near a large window, no direct sunlight. Use a tripod: not only it eliminates camera shake at the slowish shutter speeds you'll be using by indoors window light, but also it allows you to leave the viewfinder and keep eye contact with the sitter. Tmax-400 (TMY) film: the speed is welcome with minimal grain penalty. I know, it's not on your list, but what is your priority: suceed in portraits of 12+ people or clean your fridge from rolls nearing expiry?

I give too detailed advice? The OP did ask for advice, right?
There are other portrait styles? Yes, but learn to repeat the classic before you can claim to dismiss it.

Do your cropping, editing and composing before you take the photograph. If the photograph is lackluster or dull, move in and eliminate anything that does not add to the composition.

Use one camera, lens and film.
The photographer chooses the location and lighting, not the subject.
Familiarize yourself with portrait painters and portrait photographers (as mentioned by John and Matt).
Get the light right.
Have fun.
Post your results.

WilmarcoImaging said:

Use one camera, lens and film.
The photographer chooses the location and lighting, not the subject.
Familiarize yourself with portrait painters and portrait photographers (as mentioned by John and Matt).
Get the light right.
Have fun.
Post your results.

Click to expand...

Ditto what he said. Pick one camera, one lens, one film. All that gear bouncing will do you no good. Pick one thing and stick with it. As you're just getting started in this, I'd recommend giving yourself a bit of a formula for your portraits so that you can more easily compare what did and did not succeed from frame to frame. Do at least one baseline photo that follows your formula (for example, a 1/2 length vertical image with the subject in focus and the background out of focus, diffused light overhead and/or camera left. Something like that). I'd also recommend looking at some posing guides to learn how to position people. You don't need to do cheesy studio portraiture kinds of posing, but you need to understand how the body moves and how to angle it to look better in photos to bring your portraits out of the realm of casual snapshots.

Another recommendation - don't "scan" with your digital camera. I'm not saying it isn't a viable way to get your images digitized - I'm saying you should make contact sheets so you can look at all the images you shoot together as a group. It's an invaluable learning tool to see the progression of photos and to see what you were thinking (or not) from frame to frame. Making contact sheets will help you learn editing and sequencing. For this reason, I would recommend choosing from your medium format options for the camera to use - there's not much else like a contact sheet of medium format negatives (except of course large format contact sheets).

IMO job #1 has to do with establishing relationship with your subject..very intentionally. Tell each and every one of your subjects that you'd like to make their portrait. Very awkward to say "portrait", yes, but that forces you to deal with inescapable realities. Don't assume that your subjects know what "portrait" means to you...assuming these will be YOUR portraits, not theirs. Unless you want smiles, catch them not smiling.

Portraiture is a huge topic, welcome to the start of a life's work

Study the work of portrait photographers in books, at exhibitions and online. UK National Portrait Gallery https://www.npg.org.uk/ US National Portrait Gallery http://npg.si.edu/

I agree whole-heartedly with Wilmarco's post above, in particular the issue of who is in control. By all means make some pictures of friends at their chosen locations and time of day, however these are very unfavorable conditions under which to work when one is starting out, so keep expectations modest.

I suggest you negotiate with the subjects with whom you feel more friendly. In exchange for bringing yourself and your camera to their place and time of choice to make pictures, also request they in return agree to attend with you on a separate occasion at a location and time of your choosing where you will be in control and you concentrate on portraits.

Technique:

Having the face in focus is important, very important, I suggest using an SLR for the focusing advantage. When working with head filling the frame and the head turned at an angle it may be a good idea to focus on the nearer eye.

Backgrounds matter, they can make or break a portrait. Learn to notice in the viewfinder distracting shapes tones and textures that pull the eye from the subject, and before making the exposure rearrange the background and/or sitter location. Leaving backgrounds to chance risks ruining good pictures (this is part of the reason Photoshop was invented). Backgrounds don't need to be completely blank however some deliberate effort to notice what is there and to control how it appears in the frame can make a tremendous difference.

Outdoors you may be able to use slow fine grain film handheld. Indoors with available light you may need a tripod, which can make a positive contribution by slowing things down for both the sitter and the photographer.

Many sitters become uncomfortable after a while, 20 minutes or so perhaps, take breaks. Get familiar with the gear so you can work fast.

Good Luck!

WilmarcoImaging said:

Use one camera, lens and film.
The photographer chooses the location and lighting, not the subject.
Familiarize yourself with portrait painters and portrait photographers (as mentioned by John and Matt).
Get the light right.
Have fun.
Post your results.

Click to expand...

TheFlyingCamera said:

Ditto what he said. Pick one camera, one lens, one film. All that gear bouncing will do you no good. Pick one thing and stick with it. As you're just getting started in this, I'd recommend giving yourself a bit of a formula for your portraits so that you can more easily compare what did and did not succeed from frame to frame. Do at least one baseline photo that follows your formula (for example, a 1/2 length vertical image with the subject in focus and the background out of focus, diffused light overhead and/or camera left. Something like that). I'd also recommend looking at some posing guides to learn how to position people. You don't need to do cheesy studio portraiture kinds of posing, but you need to understand how the body moves and how to angle it to look better in photos to bring your portraits out of the realm of casual snapshots.

Another recommendation - don't "scan" with your digital camera. I'm not saying it isn't a viable way to get your images digitized - I'm saying you should make contact sheets so you can look at all the images you shoot together as a group. It's an invaluable learning tool to see the progression of photos and to see what you were thinking (or not) from frame to frame. Making contact sheets will help you learn editing and sequencing. For this reason, I would recommend choosing from your medium format options for the camera to use - there's not much else like a contact sheet of medium format negatives (except of course large format contact sheets).

Click to expand...

When I sold cameras, unless the customer was an experience photographer, I would recommend that they buy one camera and only one lens now and come back to me after they had shot a number of films before they think about buy additional lenses. Those that listened to me were great repeat customers, the others bought the equipment and were rarely again at Baker's Photo even for buying and developing film.

jtk said:

IMO job #1 has to do with establishing relationship with your subject..very intentionally. Tell each and every one of your subjects that you'd like to make their portrait. Very awkward to say "portrait", yes, but that forces you to deal with inescapable realities. Don't assume that your subjects know what "portrait" means to you...assuming these will be YOUR portraits, not theirs. Unless you want smiles, catch them not smiling.

Click to expand...

couldn't agree more jtk
i think avedon said it was like a dance
it seems the OP knows these people he is going to photograph so it is a matter of coaxing, prodding
and getting them to be comfortable. i always have had an easier time photographing people i DIDN'T know
and as i set up for the assignment and got the camera on the tripod or whatever .. i'd strike up a small conversation
to get their " holy cow he is going to take my portrait" guard down. some people it is easier than others ...
the best is when the you are fumbling with cameras and lenses and seemingly clueless and your spring loaded reflector
uncoils and smacks you in the face to break the ice ... clutz moments work great

Richard Avedon on Portrait Photography

A portrait photographer depends upon another person to complete his picture. The subject imagined, which in a sense is me, must be discovered in someone else willing to take part in a fiction he cannot possibly know about. My concerns are not his. We have separate ambitions for the image. His need to plead his case probably goes as deep as my need to plead mine, but the control is with me.

A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact but an opinion. There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.

The first part of the sitting is a learning process for the subject and for me. I have to decide upon the correct placement of the camera, its precise distance from the subject, the distribution of the space around the figure, and the height of the lens. At the same time, I am observing how he moves, reacts, expressions that cross his face so that, in making the portrait, I can heighten through instruction what he does naturally, how he is.

The subject must become familiar with the fact that, during the sitting, he cannot shift his weight, can hardly move at all, without going out of focus or changing his position in the space. He has to learn to relate to me and the lens as if we were one and the same and to accept the degree of discipline and concentration involved. As the sitting goes on, he begins to understand what I am responding to in him and finds his own way of dealing with that knowledge. The process has a rhythm that is punctuated by the click of the shutter and my assistants changing the plates of film after each exposure. There are times when I speak and times when I do not, times when I react too strongly and destroy the tension that is the photograph.

These disciplines, these strategies, this silent theater, attempt to achieve an illusion: that everything embodied in the photograph simply happened, that the person in the portrait was always there, was never told to stand there, was never encouraged to hide his hands, and in the end was not even in the presence of a photographer.

Richard Avedon – In The American West (1985)



A photographic portrait is a picture of someone who knows he’s being photographed, and what he does with this knowledge is as much a part of the photograph as what he’s wearing or how he looks. He’s implicated in what’s happening, and he has a certain real power over the result.

Richard Avedon – Camera Magazine (November, 1974)

Thanks everyone, this was a nice thread to read.