How to get started with Portrait Photography

How to get started with simple gear and improve quickly.
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If you only watch ONE MORE video of mine, make it this one:
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[@studio106raleigh]

"That's Just The Facts" I LOVE THIS GUY! (not just from one vid, either) Thanks Martin! You are among the very best!

[@MartinCastein]

Wow, thanks!

[@MikeLindup42]

Really great advice, applies to all arts and crafts, I would say. Thank you.

[@izzie5657]

Puree gold!

[@Adogcallednoortje]

It would be really cool to see one of your shoots. From the planning proces to the end result. Just like you did with your landscapes. I don’t know if you still do portrait or weddings? Great advice by the way on the gear.

[@efhurtado]

Martin, thank you for your passionate input. I have a similar setup like yours: a D800, a nifty fifty, a Sb-700 with trigger and receiver, and one soft box. All of these work perfectly for me. I also read arty books, as source of inspiration and guidance for portraits. Very encouraging to know that pros like you are minimalistic with the gear.

[@Cicilicious17118]

i just ordered my 6D last night! thank you for the info

[@harryhole4427]

Golden information right here. Cheers Martin. :)

[@julioyanez9665]

Again great stuff, great photos. Ill be using more my flash i think.

[@howiegoldfarb1871]

So true excellent video great advice

[@dylanhill1640]

Thanks for sharing your passion for photography, Martin.

[@Twobarpsi]

Very informative. I always look forward to your uploads. Keeping it simple, and constantly taking pictures is great advice!

[@MartinCastein]

thanks buddy, simplicity is key really

[@jovis3084]

Very refreshing to hear, thanks for the advice.

[@charlesfisher2134]

So true, great information.

[@MartinCastein]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RobertHarvey101]

It is fun. Well said.

[@LeandroBighetti]

I absolutely love this video! Thank you so much for you content Martin, this is gold ❤

[@MartinCastein]

you are welccome!

[@pauldarville3843]

Informative and interesting, thanks Martin!!

[@Taumisch]

I would recommend to read "Peak" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool if you want to be really good at something you care about.

[@BoReynolds]

I REALLY enjoyed your E-Book. Thank you for that.

[@MartinCastein]

glad you liked it!

[@legvalmont]

I've got an idea, a D200, 28/50mm, a simple one light setup and I feel like a little kid again when it comes to photography. Let's see where this road takes me to. It's not about the gear, it's about the concept and the people is like to photograph.

[@craiglinacrephotography]

Great advice as always. Inspirational.

[@johnbethell8666]

Hi Martin, thanks for your excellent informative videos. Am a new (old) photographer and have learnt a lot from your videos, discovered a week ago. Especially about the look and function of cameras and their sensors being more than the specs. Bought a new Canon 1500d (crop sensor) to get started. Pretty quickly wanted full-frame, and have just bought a 2nd hand 6d mark i . Appreciate your qualitative as well as quantitative comments on photography.

[@mikehurdiss226]

Fabulous Martin. Thank you!

[@rogeroliver6307]

Great advice!

[@colingerard7863]

Hi Martin. The realities of becoming a photographer in under fifteen minutes that will save you hours, days, and weeks. Enjoy the rest of your week.

[@MartinCastein]

good to see you again hope you are well.

[@colingerard7863]

@@MartinCastein ❤

[@paulsebring5326]

Loved the vid Martin! Thank you!

[@MartinCastein]

thank you

[@TheFilmFellow]

Hey Martin, love the channel! I'm shooting with my D700 and for portraiture I haven't found a reason to "upgrade". I've done a considerable amount of photo shoots with it. My combo has always been the Tamron 45 1.8 and Nikkor 85 1.8 and they've worked like a charm for me. I'm going to start a bit of a side hustle helping people with portraiture and I can only say how much I've enjoyed your advice! You are are absolutely spot on Martin. Thank you so much.

[@MartinCastein]

thank you! yeah no need to upgrade the d700 especially for portraits which it excels at.

[@kevinridley8883]

Cheers Martin, i use an olympus om-d em 1 ii & a 45mm f1.8 , a couple of TT600 godox flashes & bowens mounts & cheap soft boxes . But i get better results now after you telling us about light and how to use it .

[@MartinCastein]

thats good to hear! all the best

[@dance2jam]

Always appreciate your perspective and the vantage point of experience and "keeping it real". Nicely done. You're so on point with respect to the "GAP" phenomenon and peoples vantage points. This is, of course, so true in other artforms like the one I know well (dance). Often, you can not see (as a novice) the effort, time, and training that goes into making something just a bit better, and underestimate the gap. It's far easier to look back, and understand that, than forward. One last point on this analogy. Many of the more advanced dancers, as they work their way up, look backward and work on perfecting the basics, while beginners typically look forward for the next coolest pattern, footwork, or movement. Again, it's easier to visualize when you have experience. You realize all those novices dancing with all those steps (just like many of the new photographers with all that gear), would be better served focusing on the basics and getting really good at them, because everything builds better off an excellent foundation. Easy to say, hard to believe unless you've been through it. It's probably what I like most about your channel. It's clear you've lived it and are just trying to spread that message.

[@MartinCastein]

thanks, yes i try to guide people a bit in the right direction at least, i do feel like what im saying is lost in the noise on youtube a bit but its ok as long some people find it useful im happy with that.

[@dance2jam]

@@MartinCastein Keep up the excellent work that makes you stand out. It is appreciated.

[@jfhector]

Really helpful, thanks!

[@MartinCastein]

thanks!

[@superbug1977]

Excellent!

[@MartinCastein]

thanks!

[@DessieTots]

Martin, I used the SB-80’s for a good while years ago. I use to try and absorb the fancy, clever light modification images on the internet but predictably enough it was the manual Vivitars that I had that were easier to use if the flash came off the camera when I was feeling brave. Now, regards the 100 metre runner. I have to take issue with this well meant analogy. A bit of cross-training is a very effective way to increase one’s stamina and power. You’ll have noticed the muscular upper bodies of sprinters. That is time in the gym pumping iron, etc. I could go on Martin but I don’t want to square your circle with details. And if I may offer this alternative analogy. A bricklayer to trade will build a brick wall faster and more accurately than a general builder who does a bit of joinery, plumbing, foundations, brick-laying. A dedicated bricklayer will lay 300-500 bricks a day. Now if you expand this over a year minus weekends, Bank Holidays and Seasonal Holidays we could be talking 28,000 bricks a year. Now I can’t see many 100 metre sprinters achieving that level of bricklaying 😂😊❤

[@MartinCastein]

you are right on the analogy i just made it up on the spot 🤣 i hope what i meant came across though anyway. yeah i will use that analogy hahaha next time i think yours makes more sense and was funny too!

[@sunclimber7428]

Thankyou 🙏🏼.

[@baginatora]

14:20 I agree and disagree at the same time- while it takes a long time to perfect a technique, sometimes it’s a matter of it all clicking together. The right moment comes on its own, it cannot be forced. Great informative video, the words of advice here are worth their weight in gold. You’re basically repeating Bruce Lee “ I fear the man, who practiced one kick ten thousand time” quote :)

[@danielson_9211]

Started out with a 7d crop and the nifty 50 now using a R5 and the 85 1.2 it takes time to build up.

[@sols9449]

Hi Martin’s please do a video and show us how you edit your portraits. That painterly look.

[@MartinCastein]

i would mate but thats my paid workshops, got to pay the bills as well im afraid.

[@richalexander1138]

7:14, that's the secret sauce. Master limitations, once you do that you'll be unstoppable.

[@MartinCastein]

100% for sure.

[@nictu-g7n]

Hi Martin, thanks for a great video. Do you ever use a grid with your softbox during a portrait shoot?

[@MartinCastein]

Sometimes yes if I want to stop The light spilling on the. Background

[@onemanband3579]

Another great video, thank you! So, you're saying I shouldn't buy another camera? Have a wonderful weekend Martin.

[@MartinCastein]

you too buddy, i think you will be buying another camera regardless hahaha

[@onemanband3579]

@@MartinCastein You were right, it's happened again 😕

[@MartinCastein]

@@onemanband3579 hahahhaa i knew it!

[@Cotictimmy]

The littlt Yongnuo RF-603/04/05 triggers are a great cheapo solution. 😀

[@MartinCastein]

just had a look yes they look good

[@pedrobartolomei7707]

Nikon has the cheapest and more lovely 35 mm for crop sensor (F mount), that and a nikon D3000 series camera... And to be prepared to have fun learning, thats all!.

[@drakelujan]

Thanks !! Just a question, where to you suggest taking photos in the beginning ? Studios are expensive and the own apartment is often not the right place ..

[@MartinCastein]

A good option is to look at halls for hire, like church halls or yoga studios etc, often you can hire them for a couple of hours, you dont need more than 2 hours really.

[@bananaman-zd4lq]

I recently moved to a new city and work from home and I don't know how to meet people to get some first shoots. I often hear people say to start with friends and family and go from there but I have none. I could make business cards and approach people on the street but how do I get people interested in shooting when I don't have any previous work? Is money enough of a motivator for people to do a shoot with a stranger?

[@MartinCastein]

hi there, firstly I hope it all works out for you in the new city you are working in and that you will find friends in time and have a happy life there, i really hope that. My advice to you if you want to just get things moving quickly is do what I did, pay a model about $50 to shoot with you for an hour and make a mood board on pinterest of what you want to do. Post it on model mayhem or some model page for your city on facebook and wait till you find a model that represents what youd like to do. Make sure they understand the look you are trying to get from your mood board. After that its easy to book other models and you can give out cards and make things happen but you need something to start and its better to work with someone with some experience. See it as an investment and its not really a lot of money.

[@bananaman-zd4lq]

@@MartinCastein Thank you so much! I'll check out that website and try that

[@kaidiemulan6061]

Always used a godox TT600 for €73 with a €50 x1t transmitter, dont think I will ever need more…

[@PeopleMakePictures]

Why don't we just call it a Flash....?

[@MartinCastein]

Im guessing you mean me referring to speedlights? speedlights are flashes and strobes are flashes but a strobe isnt a speedlight. Its just about being specific.

[@stecartmel]

Talking of amount of gear. I learned a long long time ago with game consoles, if you have two games you will play two games. If you had 22 games you end up playing none. Because your never satisfied with what you are doing and want to try something els all the time, buying more just to use less !!! . Instead of actually sticking to one thing at a time. Thank for the video martin 👌.

[@andrewcroft2570]

Just have to say I love my 40D, it's outstanding I use it more than the 6D. I started with a Yongnuo YN560 II. I have now progressed to the wireless Godgox system.

[@MartinCastein]

good, the 40d is a great camera i think the godox system is probably the best choice right now for flash.

[@andrewcroft2570]

@@MartinCastein They seem very good but I need to start earning more money, after being a 6D and a Rolleiflex Model T also, I've just got a studio that I move into in the first week of June that's going to need some money spent on it for backdrops and the like. I have a friend who sells second-user lighting from studios and has loads of Broncolor lighting but that's some way off yet.

[@Workingman-u7s]

Just push a button and let the camera do all the hard work and heavy lifting is quite daunting. Very daunting.