Part 4. : Let's step forward
"Taking portraits"

Photo 1.A.
A setting for taking a portrait. There is no light other than fluorescent light. A camera is set to [AUTO].

Photo 1.B.
The resulting image

You prepare a background paper that is white or close to white without patterns. If the wall of your room is white, you can use the wall instead of a background paper. And fluorescent light can be enough used to take a portrait. If you take a portrait near the window, you can use light through the window.
If reproduced color of an image is not good, adjust the White Balance of your camera (cf. 2.3. "Adjusting color with White Balance function"). If subject's face is dark, use the Exposure Compensation (cf. 1.3.3. "Adjusting the image brightness").
In indoor environment, you are prone to cause a camera shake because the amount of light is not enough and a slow shutter speed is used. To avoid causing a camera shake, follow the next items.

1. Set sensitivity of your camera to a higher level (ex. ISO 400 equiv.). Then, you can decrease a camera shake because a faster shutter speed is used.
2. Use a tripod if possible.
3. Hold your camera steady when a shutter is released.
4. Take several pictures and select a sharp image among them.
   If your Nikon digital camera has BBS (Best Shot Selector) function, try to use it. The BBS enable you to take at maximum ten images at one time and automatically store only the "sharpest" image.

Photo 2.A.
The white paper is held with subject's hands

Photo 2.B.
The resulting image

Prepare a white paper (or a white cloth) as large as a newspaper. Hold it with your hands as shown in Photo 2.A. Things such as a white paper and white cloth are called "reflector" in photography.
When you use fluorescent light emitted by fluorescent lamps on the ceiling, place the white paper below your face.
When you use light passing through a widow, place the white paper at a position opposite to the window.
Comparing Photo 1B with Photo 2.B., it is apparent that the use of a white paper is very useful.

Photo 3.A.
She turns her body a little toward the right side, smiling a little

Photo 3.B.
She turns her face a little toward the right side, keeping her body in the same direction as in Photo 3.A.

Photo 3.C.
She is smiling

In a picture for a certificate, a front view of an object is typically used and object's facial expression is generally serious. But it is allowed that an object a little alters a direction of the body and face and makes a smile. If you are anxious whether your picture in which your figure is not a front view and you are smiling is allowed by the authorities, prepare several different pictures.
First you turn your body a little. Appearance of an image changes fairly and you look slim a little. (Photo 3.A.)
Next, you turn your face a little. Though one of ears disappears, it will be allowed as long as you don't turn your face extremely. (Photo 3.B.)
And you add a smile. This picture can be used not only as a certificate picture but also as a decent profile picture. (Photo 3.C.)
Remember that a certificate picture and a profile picture are viewed by people who don't know about you. Your pictures sometimes may look better than real you. But even if they are so, don't hesitate about it. It will give you many chances to meet many people.

We often see such a plate (board) as shown in Photo 4.A. and 4.B. in many Japanese tourist sites.
According to some book, such plates were exhibited for the first time in Chicago International Trade Exhibition in 1893.
Although it may look silly, it tells certain truth. When portraits are taken, things such as lighting, costume, makeup, hair makeup, and posing are chosen. But these things are, like the figure plates, superficial and are not related to subject's essential nature.

Making believe

Making believe may be a little "higher" than the figure plate. Because making believe needs to gesture using an entire body.

Acting somebody other than yourself

For beginners, image tones of a subject's face should be the same, whether the subject wears white clothing or black clothing.
But when a subject wears white clothing, the image becomes darker as a whole and subject's face also becomes darker.
On the other hand, when a subject wears black clothing, the image becomes lighter as a whole and subject's face also becomes lighter.
This is because a camera is designed to adjust brightness of the whole image.
In some cases, the brightness of the image, in a situation such as the above, may be automatically adjusted correctly depending on a condition of a light metering system or a situation of a subject. But basically, when there are multiple white portions in an image, the image tends to become darker as a whole. On the other hand, if there are multiple black portions in an image, the image tends to become brighter as a whole.

The brightness of an image also depends upon tones of background. Such tendency has been fairly improved in a matrix metering device, which is adopted in digital cameras such as Nikon COOLPIX 5000/995/885/880. But it is important to pay attention on the tones of a finished image (especially tones of a face in a portrait).
When you cannot obtain desired tones of an image, use the Exposure Compensation function (cf. 1.3.3. Adjusting the image brightness). By just increasing a + number, the whole image (especially, a face) becomes brighter, and by just increasing a - number, the whole image (especially, a face) becomes darker.
Thus, tones created in an image are not always the same as real tones. Use the Exposure Compensation function more freely.

When you changes a camera position (high position, low position), appearance of a background alters. And an impression for a subject's proportion also alters as described in 4.2.2.
Take several pictures, changing the camera positions (high, low), in memorial, model, children, and certificate shootings. Compare the results. Then you will discover surprising differences.

The two building("Tokyo Big Site" Convention Centre)s in the backgrounds in the above two images differ greatly in size and provide very different impressions. These images were taken on the board of a moving ship and positions at which two images were taken are close. Interestingly, although the Tokyo Big Site building in Photo 15.B. looks larger, Photo 15.B. was actually taken when the ship moved a little away from the Tokyo Big Site building.
Thus, just by adjusting a zoom lens and changing object distance, an impression of a picture changes greatly. (cf. 1.3. Key points for shooting)
To do these procedures smoothly, set the zoom lens to the [W] or [T] end in advance. Then change an object distance by moving by yourself to adjust a size of an object in a viewfinder.

I often hear words like "a good composition picture" or "a bad composition picture". But I think that there is not priori good composition or bad composition. There is only composition to meet purpose.
So, when I am asked which image has the best composition, I cannot answer it. Each image has good things and different foreground and background.
If I select a picture to be displayed in my room, I'll select Photo 16.A. because the subject is adequately located in the center of the image.
In Photo 16.B., the outdoor landscape is seen widely.
On Photo 16.C., I feel that the subject is narrowly pushed into the corner of the image. But it may be used when using along with other pictures.
Photo 16.D. is a little unique, and interesting.
But if I shoot only one picture, it'll be Photo 16.A. At this time I cannot have other three pictures, so I cannot taste interest of Photo 16.D.
It is better to take as many pictures as possible even if they will not be used.