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As well as having top of the range cameras, it is essential for photographers to have the right backgrounds, lighting and camera settings. It is also imperative that they know how to work with and position their subjects to achieve a desired result. Most photographers will envision the final result that they are aiming for, while some will rely more upon playing it by ear.

What background a photographer uses will be dependent upon the event that they are shooting and what the customers want, however usually seamless paper will be used – giving the textbook blank ‘portrait look’. Alternatively a backdrop may be used to provide a memorable picture. Whatever background is used, a good background will bring focus to the subject(s)’s face, as opposed to distract the viewer from looking at the subject.

The most common type of lighting used is strobe lighting since they have excellent light intensity control and light colour temperature control. Strobe lights have to be told when to fire, so ordinarily a sync chord is used so that the camera can communicate with the strobes. Diffused, soft lighting will usually be used in order to keep contrast low and prevent shadows from appearing in the pictures. Cold lights tend to be used over hot lights, as the heat tends to make hot lights difficult to work with. By using a flash meter, photographers can measure the light ratios of the room and calculate the brightness of their surroundings, the value denoting the brightness can then be used to determine the appropriate aperture and shutter speed to set on their camera(s).

It is often wrongly presumed that the same procedure is used for every person getting their picture taken. In actual fact the photographer will pose each subject differently and adjust the settings on their camera to compliment the subject(s)’s features to the best of their ability. There are different approaches for various types of face shape, noses, ears, hair colour etc. They will also tend to make men taller than women, spread out head heights, and bring people close together to give couples intimacy and groups unity. Many photographers however will simply give their subjects freedom to pose anyway they wish and work around them.