Professional Portrait Photographer: Phil Sharp
Main Image Above: The model is called Prudence and I shot her for a swimwear company. Nikon D200, 1/160sec @ f/6.3, ISO 100
Right : Lit using nothing more than my trusty Nikon SB-80DX speedlight off an extension cable from the hotshoe of my camera. The flash was set at full power. Kodak 14n, 1/60sec @ f/11, ISO 80
Below: I will quite often take a meter reading for the background, setting the power of the flash to match. This method makes a feature of the environment and creates atmosphere. Kodak 14n, 1/15sec @ f/5.6, ISO 80
Right: Again, I let daylight do the talking here. When
shooting inside keep your eyes peeled for interesting pools of light,
and learn how light looks at different times of day. Mamiya RZ67,
1/60sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80
What Kit (all above)
Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 24mm
Exposure: 1/160sec @ f/6.3
Phil’s Kit
What’s in Phil’s kit bag?
Kodak 14n with 28-70mm Zoom Lens
A harsh mistress with a utility lens means I can travel light. The 13.7MP Kodak 14n may be old in digital camera terms but it forces me to be creative.
Manfrotto Tripod
It’s both light and sturdy enough for my needs.
Mamiya RZ67 Pro II with 110mm lens
This is a great medium format camera and it’s coupled with one of the best lenses ever made.
Cable Release
Helpful for doing portraits when you want eye-to-eye contact with your subject.
MacBook
My laptop is an indispensable tool.
2 x Nikon Speedlights
Easy to use and quite reliable, although I spend too much time buying and charging endless AA batteries.
Mini Lumequest Softboxes
These fold flat for convenience and offer a slightly softer light when used with Speedlights.
2 x Interfit light stands
Handy at times for light support.
Lowepro Bag
I find that the foldaway waterproof cover is quite useful.
Lastolite Reflector
I use this when a little extra light needs to be thrown onto the subject.
Memory Cards
I usually keep around half a dozen 2GB and 4GB cards on me. It’s advisable to spread your work over several cards.
Flash Hotshoe Extension Cable
A great way to learn the basics of off-camera flash and still my main lighting source.
All Images by Phil Sharp