Learning Center
Portrait

The Art of Composition

by Hernan Rodriguez

Challenges arise in every photo shoot, some more complex than others. For Photographer Hernan Rodriguez, composing an image of Gabriel Pruitt, the 6-foot 4-inch point guard of the Boston Celtics, required the versatility of Tamron’s AF17-50mm F/2.8 Di-II LD Aspherical lens.

“Having the f/2.8 throughout the lens eliminates any distortion issues. The 17-50 zoom gives me a wider angle range in smaller studio situations.”“The room was just about 13’ x 13’,” says Rodriguez who composed the shot with a seated Pruitt holding a championship Celtics basketball. Because of his height, his knees extended further into the camera viewfinder requiring Rodriguez to move further away to encompass the entire image.

The final portrait was created with a Canon EOS 30D camera and the17-50mm lens, using the full 50mm focal length.

"I like the fixed 2.8 aperture, because I can use faster shutter speeds. Using the lens wide open at f2.8, gives me nice compression for portraits as well.” He meticulously composed the shot, purposefully setting Pruitt slightly off center to the right so that the viewer’s eyes will focus first on the ball then move right. He also focused the lens at a lower angle to emphasize Pruitt’s size.

“Composition is so important,” adds Rodriguez.

To light Pruitt, he used an octagon softbox which provides more even lighting and a scrim to diffuse the light even further. He set the light at a 45 degree angle, camera left creating more shading and contouring.

His image of the young woman in front of the ornate mahogany doors was taken on location at her family home. The portrait was composed as a tribute to her family, showcasing Bolivian made doors and an heirloom dress that her mother once wore. The setting was down a narrow hallway, again making the 17-50mm lens with a fixed f/2.8 aperture invaluable.

“It was challenging to light this image because of the glass and enamel paint on the door as well as the marble floor,” admits Rodriguez.

To bring light into the image without causing reflections and unwanted shadows, Rodriguez lit the shot from behind the doors adding a magenta gel to complement the color of the dress. With the sun setting, the additional back light helped to fill in the shadows and offer some illumination on the marble floor.

For this portrait he also centered the subject off center to the right.

“This is one of the strongest compositions because our eyes enter left to right, just as we read.”

In this Rodriguez portrait, we enter the image with a focus on the heavy wood framed doors and move toward the young woman who appears to be gazing beyond our view.

Rodriguez’s talent for creating extraordinary images has made him the choice for many well-known subjects. Drawing on his background in illustration and a degree in advertising and design, his portraits offer narratives beyond the single image. His Tamron 17-50mm lens helps to create the story, using the technical components of a wide aperture for fast shooting and a wide range of focal lengths to capture even the most complicated subject.

HOT TIPS

1. Be creative with lighting. Lighting a subject from behind a prop can offer depth and contouring.

2. Use the lens as a brush, angling for effect and emphasis.

3. Position your subject off center for a more interesting composition.