Fitness / Physique Photography

**Mark Sands** · 10/07/2012, 18:23

Ah ok, that's good for portraits then?

**Z o e** · 10/07/2012, 22:04

Yes it is.

**Steve Riley** · 11/07/2012, 10:23

I'm trying to follow the logic and not hijack the thread but if a 16-35 lens (on the 7D) was set at 31mm, then it would equate to 50mm. Would that make a good portrait lens? ..and how fast is too fast for a lens in portrait work, I would think that 1.2 or 1.4 would get blur on the nose whilst the eyes are in focus?

**Z o e** · 11/07/2012, 10:45

You have to be careful with a 16-35 as these are general landscape lenses, and so no, not as good working at 31 to turn it into a 50mm, sadly. In terms of how fast is too fast, well, I know people who use a f1.2 for portraits. Personally I would never shoot at 1.2 for a portrait. In fact, I tend not to go below f3.5, and prefer to work at about 4.5 or 5.6 for portraits as people move, particularly children (they're right buggers for moving LOL).

However, that's MY style of working as a working pro making money off my portraits. Others may get results they love with different settings. But my question is always "is this saleable and can I repeat it consistently to get the results I need for selling the images?"

**Z o e** · 11/07/2012, 10:46

generally ... not general!

**Paul Smith** · 11/07/2012, 10:54

A lot of it is down to personal choice, at 50mm (or equivalent 30ish on a cropped body) you're going to have to get physically quite close for a decent headshot. This narrows depth of field so 1.4/1.8 are a bit useless, especially if you focus on the centre spot and then recompose. I've found about 2.2 is the minimum I want to shoot at in those conditions and that still blurs the far eye.

But I'm guessing we're looking at at least three quarter length shots for what the original post was asking about so 50mm is fine and as you're further back DoF is slightly widened. In a studio I'd expect to adjust the lighting to shoot at 5.6/8/11 or thereabouts. That will give you plenty of depth of field to keep your subject sharp.

Personally for location stuff I like my 70-200 and studio I go 24-70 (unless the studio is huge). Although I've a real itch for the 135 at the minute.

**Mark Sands** · 24/07/2012, 18:53

The model has cancelled the shoot!! Gggrrrrr!! He's enlisted the services of a prof, an said he doesn't want to jeopardise his friendship and working relationship with him. So can't shoot with me

.

**Z o e** · 24/07/2012, 20:35

This is a great lesson to learn. Firstly, even with friends and family, enter into a contract - explain it's to keep the business side of things and the friendship separate.

Secondly, even with friends and family, take a booking fee to secure your time for the shoot. Explain that it's to give them the reassurance that you will secure the date for them - although in reality it's to protect you from the kind of situation that has arisen here.

And thirdly, expect cancellations. they happen. It's nothing personal.

**Mark Sands** · 24/07/2012, 20:50

Thanks Zoe. Still annoying though!!

**Z o e** · 24/07/2012, 22:24

Yep, even moreso when you've booked the makeup artist and you end up having to pay for them when the client was going to pay when they got there - so you not only don't have the client - you're also out of pocket for a no show! And yes, that's happened to me. Once! Never again.

**Lee Iggulden** · 24/07/2012, 22:32

Mark, wait until you spend all day (and sometimes more) preparing a quote and then it gets rejected...

Or worse, it gets accepted and then the clients stall, mix things around and even cancel before agreements and contracts are signed and booking fees taken - still a lot of work has gone into it.

You are always going to put work and effort into something and it gets postponed or cancelled.

People only think about themselves (it's human nature) and their lives and what's going on, they just don't think that it could be affecting people's lives...

I've lost count how many times we have been asked to run specific courses and events, and those people who have asked for it don't even book on it...

I hope you hadn't put the deposit down on the studio and if you did you had got half from your client and he can't get it back now - that's why I said to cover that aspect in your agreement...

**Mark Sands** · 25/07/2012, 16:41

Thankfully hadn't given any money over, the studio said to pay on the day! I contacted the model after my wedding to get email/address to send an agreement too, which would give a few details of what I'd deliver and what he would provide.

So luckily I'm not out of pocket, but a valuable lesson I think