Portrait Photos

lynx1lynx1
edited August 2012 Posted in » Nikon D3100 Forum
Hi. I have recently bought the D3100 and want to take portrait photos of my baby. I have the standard 18-55mm lens on my camera. I will be taking photos indoors with a good daytime natural light. Can someone give me some tips on settings I should use (ISO, shutter speed, aperture). Which mode is best? Also when I set the ISO to automatic it always takes the photos using the max ISO setting which is 1600, but the same photo in Auto mode uses a much lower ISO.
Regards.

Comments

  • mgpmgp
    edited August 2012
    Set to portrait mode and shoot. That's the icon with a little man and a picture frame. You should also use the guide mode. You will learn a lot from that.
  • shewcishewci
    Portrait mode works ok, but can you help with a more blurred background and a sharp portrait? What settings should I use? I can't seem to get it right no matter how much I play with my camera. :(
  • RiddelskeRiddelske
    edited September 2012
    Shewci and lynx,

    If you got good natural light then you should have no problems in taking pictures of your baby. Pictures of newborns before walking can limit your shots (thats my belief). I came across the same problem a year ago, because my son was constantly on his front or back I was kinda stuck getting creative.

    When I had the opportunity to get outside I put a few toys out and then he started lifting up and playing. Not to mention he's obsessed with daisys. So I got down to his level, put the camera in A mode, zoomed out to 18mm and selected f/3.5. I was able to get up close and had good results.

    In good light I choose ISO 100, a low f/stop (f/3.5 at 18mm) , AF-S, AF-Area set to Dynamic and metering either Matrix or Spot. Bare in mind your minimum shutter speed is your zoom length X 1.5 then round it up nearest to a shutter setting (i.e 55 X 1.5 = 82.5). On a D3100 your shutter speed should be no less than 1/100 of a second. Using a tripod and VR also helps.

    But TBH I would invest in a 50mm Prime lens or even a 35mm. Your shots will greatly improve and these lenses perform well in low light conditions if used correctly.

    Hope this helps and good luck.
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