portraits using a canon digital eos rebel xti?

Question

I just recieved a canon eos digital rebel xti for christmas from my husband. I haven't used it much since, but would like to take some portraits of myself and him. Also pictures of our children as well. Will the lens that came with the camera be sufficient enough for the task? I will be using the timer. Or should I invest in a better lense? Note: I am definetly an amature

Answer 1

I use the "competitor's" brand but I can tell you that (a) that is a nice camera; and, (b) yes, the kit lens IS indeed adequate for what you want (and it will do much more once you discover the many uses and features). What you might want to invest in is a nice tripod for when you set the camera on "timer" to include yourself, or for when you're doing a group of family so that you can rest it as you direct or group the subjects and you won't have to compose and recompose your image continuously (through the viewfinder, the little area you look through or the LCD on the back of the camera).

B & H has a nice and sturdy tripod that costs about $29.95; it's the Sunpak 7001DX model (also brings a free carry bag and 2 quick release plates). You may opt for the sturdier and slightly more expensive 3002DX ($44.95). There's no need to buy a $250-$300 carbon fiber tripod for just taking family photos and self portraits, really.

PLEASE read the instructions manual and have the camera next to you so you can refer to it while reading. In time, you may want to get a more powerful strobe that attaches to the hotshoe on top of the camera; that built-in strobe is not really THAT powerful for large groups or for beyond 5-6 feet.

Good luck and very best wishes!

Answer 2

This camera is a great buy. You have all the benefits of a point and shoot camera in full auto mode, with all the benefits of the manual settings. I learned so much about photography with the camera, that it has actually become a great passion of mine. Its also has the ef lens mount which means you can try out any of Canon's dozen's of lenses with the camera. If you really want some great shots, get the ef-s 10-22. You can fit so much in one picture it will amaze you. The image sensor is also of a much higher quality than you will find on a point and shoot. If you want to save a few bucks, look at the XT (last years version). It can be had for just a hair over $500 with lens and is a fantastic camera. If you really get into photography the cost of lenses will far eclipse the camera and really give you some great results. This camera is great for fast action shots or portraits and landscapes. I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Answer 3

You probably can't expect lenses that come with a camera kit to have great edge-to-edge sharpness (like a prime or L lens); however, in portrait work, softness may work to your advantage...esp. if anyone is suffering from acne... :) If you really enjoy portrait work, you will probably eventually want to invest in a 50mm 1.4 or 85mm 1.8 prime lens...they're not too expensive relative to the L series lenses, and you will use them a lot. But overall, I think you will get decent results with your stock lens, your greater challenge will be in lighting.

If shooting outdoors, look for warm diffused light (early or late in the day, or a nice cloud cover)...avoid the high contrast situations where harsh shadows exist and people are squinting their eyes.

If shooting indoors, you can achieve a good amount of control. Light from a window is very soft, but it is sometimes hard to manage. Find large whiteboards or purchase a reflector to fill in shadows.

For the lens setting, you will probably want to use the lens 'sweet spot' at f//8-f/11 and favor the telephoto lengths to minimize optical distortions. Avoid using the wider angles while having the camera too close to your subjects. Backing up and using telephoto will be more flattering.

If your lens came with a hood, use it (even indoors)...stray light is unpredictable and can compromise your contrast or color.

Shoot in RAW, check your histograms and favor the curve to the right side of the histogram just before it clips (err on the side of overexposure...even a little overexposure can be corrected if you shot in RAW.) You will probably discover that there is not enough light indoors to shoot at f/8 to reach the optimal exposure. In which case, you might want to rent out some studio lights (Alien Bees), or a pair of speedlights set up on each side of the subject...and maybe a third to light the background...oh, but there's a lot that can be said about studio lighting setups. But avoid light directly from the camera...it will look like a mug shot. Bounce the light off the ceiling if you have to. I use a thing called the flip-it with my speedlight for improvised portrait situations (when I'm travelling or don't have time to set up studio lights.) This tool uses the principle that the ceiling is your best softbox; however, bounced light usually creates unwanted neck shadows. The flip-it steals some of your speedlight light and uses it as fill, removing your neckshadows...but your primary light is still the ceiling.

Hope this helps