Photography News Issue 36

Photography News | Issue 36 | absolutephoto.com

Technique

People pictures Naturally betterportraits Want some great tips on shooting simple and beautiful location portraits? Then why not ask one of the UK’s best portrait photographers? This month, we talk to Neil Buchan-Grant about working wide open and compensating for light…

Beautiful light will do more to enhance a person’s look than anything else

at that early stage, I felt that photographing people was somehow more rewarding. The trouble was, I wasn’t great at approaching strangers at the best of times, let alone with a camera in my hand.” It wasn’t until his self-confidence grew apace with his photographic skills that he felt he could start shooting portraits properly. Now, after eight years of “photographing people more seriously”, Neil now shoots professionally and is an ambassador for Olympus, as well as running a series of exciting workshops, which you can find out more about at the end of this feature. His focus is on “trying new ways of showing people in photographs, and I’m always trying to ‘move it on’ a little where I can.” This, he says, usually means trying to show the character and beauty of his subject in a way that feels as real as possible to him: “I’m not much of a conceptualiser and I shoot instinctively, but I love the challenge of a new location and a new subject, trying to bring whatever elements you have at your disposal together in order to make something special.

Looking for great light, interesting locations and then trying to make a little bit of magic happen.” All right in the light? To that end, Neil has discovered a real passion for working on location with available light rather than shooting in the studio: “Location portraiture offers more variety and it’s easy to stay excited by the possibilities that way. I’m still learning new things I can do with portable flash, although I would always choose natural light if it’s available. Regardless of the clothes and make-up, beautiful light will do more to enhance a person’s look than anything else, so that’s always my main consideration.” So, what’s the key to working with available light? According to Neil, it’s all about scouting out the right level of subtle and diffused illumination on location, and augmenting it with flashes and reflectors if required. “That might sound like a tall order to beginners, but when you actually start looking and shooting, you’ll find the

Words by Kingsley Singleton

The world of portraiture is huge. There’s a planet full of faces to capture and a million and one ways of doing it. That’s why all good portrait photographers need to be adaptable, having the skills and the right equipment on hand to get the best out of any subject in any location. This month, we’re looking at how to shoot exactly those kinds of portraits; golden opportunities outside of the studio where you need to work fast, making the most of the available light and capturing the character of the subject, no matter what the location. A photographer with a specialism in doing exactly that is Neil Buchan-Grant (buchangrant.com) and being a nice sort of chap, he agreed to share some of his insights on the subject. Neil actually started his photographic journey mostly interested in landscapes, although, like many at the beginning, he also occasionally shot friends and relatives. “A good landscape shot,” he says, “has a certain integrity about it, but even

Above Shot in on a Sony A7S and Leica M 50mm 1.4 ASPH, Neil Buchan-Grant positioned his subject out of the direct sun, instead allowing her to be lit via reflected light.