While you don’t need a top pro studio, you will need these lenses and accessories at the very least
Any camera can be used to capture great portrait-familiarity with your kit is far more important than high-end features.
1 Wide to mid-telephoto zoom lens.
I use a Canon 24-105mm lens as it covers all the focal length you need, from creative wide-angle shots to throw the background out of focus. “Fast” lenses (those with wide maximum apertures) enable you to create beautifully soft backdrops when used wide open. The downside is the’re pricey, heavy and any focus inaccuracies will be magnified.
2 Telephoto zoom lenses
Giving more shooting distance than a 24-105mm, a zoom in the region of 70-200mm is ideal for isolating a subject from a distracting background and creating a cleaner portrait. Telephotos ‘compress’ a scene, so by selecting wider aperture, standing further away and zooming in, you can sandwich your model between two-layers of out-of-focus elements. The boost in magnification a tele zoom brings does mean camera shake can become a problem. Image stabilization can help reduce this, but a tripod is better route. It also frees you up to take your head away from the viewfinder and interact with the model. A camera with live view makes it even easier, as you can reframe and make adjustments without ducking behind the camera every few minutes.
Search Amazon.com for Telephoto zoom lenses
3 Flash Guns
Although, I am an anti-flash gun (I use it only for self-defense. Kidding!) I use it perodoxcally in a bright sunny weather for a fill-in-light, and since carrying a reflector is so bothersome and laborious, and, ok, I admit, an external flashgun extends your creative options
4 Silver/White/Gold reflector
It makes a huge difference when used for bouncing light onto a person’s face to brighten up shadow areas and make them really stand out from a dark background.
Search Amazon.com for Silver/White/Gold reflector
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