How to Improve Portrait Photography – Using a Prime Lens and Lens Hood
In this video we will be learning how to improve our portraits by using a Prime Lens and a Lens Hood. A Prime Lens allows you to use a wider aperture, thereby resulting in a shallow depth of field, which is great for achieving a blurred background.
The use of a lens hood increases the contrast in the image since it cuts out unwanted light from entering the lens. Here’s the video:
Video Summary
In this video, the instructor demonstrates how to elevate portrait photography from a basic “level two” shot to a more professional “level three” result by upgrading equipment and settings.
Key Takeaways from the Video:
- Switching to a Prime Lens: The instructor replaces a standard kit lens with a 35mm f/1.8 prime lens [00:00]. Prime lenses generally offer superior optics, resulting in sharper images, better colors, and richer contrast compared to older or entry-level kit lenses [01:17].
- The Power of f/1.8: By using the manual mode to set the aperture to f/1.8, the photographer achieves a “creamy” blurred background (bokeh) [02:51]. This isolates the subject from the background far more effectively than a kit lens, which is often limited to f/5.6 when zoomed in [02:42].
- Using a Lens Hood: To combat the “hazy” or “washed out” look caused by shooting toward a light source, a lens hood was used [00:06]. This simple accessory significantly improves image contrast by blocking stray light from entering the lens [01:22].
- Contrast and Clarity: A direct comparison shows that the level two shot appeared foggy and lacked detail [01:01]. The combination of the prime lens and lens hood eliminated this flare, providing professional-level clarity [01:30].
Important Links
This video is from our Portrait Photography Course, which has 24 videos and 4 hours of content. You can access the full course via Udemy, using the link below:
