Two questions: 1)What kind of light do you all recomend for shooting portraits? I prefer natural light, but what another option. 2.) How do you get that "cool black outline" around black and white prints? Do I need a special negitive holder? Thanks in advance for your help!!

-- jesse torrey (jctorrey@home.com), November 04, 1999

Answers

1. Big flouro "soft box" --- easy to make yourself if you're handy, or a photoflood and a reflector. Here's an article on lighting for beginners

http://photocrit.hosting4less.com/digest/Dec-1998.html

2. A negative carrier bigger than the negative. I use a 6x6 carrier with movable masks, but you could also use a 35mm carrier filed out. You can also expose your print, cover it with a card of the appropriate size, then flick on the room lights for a few sec.

-- Christopher Biggs (chris@stallion.oz.au), November 04, 1999.

Try using one strobe with an umbrella and a reflector opposite it. Very nice light and simple.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), November 05, 1999.

For portraits, pretty much any lighting can be used, depending on the effect you are after. I generally like soft but directional lighting, such as from a softbox, and realy hate on-camera flash. For some subjects, a dramatic spotlight, with very little fill, can be wonderful.

For the 'cool black outline', see the printing and finishing forum, and use your browser to search for 'border'.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), November 06, 1999.