Essential Portrait Photography Equipment

Discover the equipment and materials you need to take incredible portraits, full of humanity, with Emilia Brandão

Portrait photography is unquestionably one of the most complex and challenging genres. This technique requires a real connection with the human beings you are trying to portray. But also, you need to consider the basic photography equipment that will help you to create unforgettable portraits.

Brazilian photographer Emilia Brandão (@emiliabrandao) is a Leica Ambassador. She has over 15 years’ experience in portraiture and has worked for publications including: Vogue, Glamour, ELLE and GQ.

In the next video, Emilia reveals the various types of equipment that can help create a profound connection with your subjects, and portray them in a genuine way.

Full frame digital camera

You obviously can’t take photos without a camera, it’s simply your must-have device. Emilia recommends using any digital camera, even a semi-professional camera, to start practicing your portraits and refining your technique. But if you can, the photographer suggests using a full frame camera, which is about the same size as the classic 35 mm cameras.

It’s always good to have a plan B, and portrait photography is no exception. Emilia recommends carrying a second camera that gives you a different perspective whenever possible. She uses the Leica M10 Monochrome, which only shoots black and white images. A second camera allows you to improvise and shoot in a different style.

Portrait lenses

Lenses are another essential piece of kit for unforgettable portraits. You need a range of focal distances. Emilia recommends 50 mm and 90 mm lenses. Unlike other lenses (which can distort the image or depth of field,) these lenses have an idea focal distance for images with a natural perspective. They see like the human eye.

Lighting equipment

Diffusers and tripod

Emilia always recommends using natural light for authentic portraits that reflect the atmosphere in every setting. You can control the light with a very basic set of gear when you’re working on a restricted budget. All you need is a diffuser or reflector, and a tripod to set them up on, which will allow you to illuminate your subjects with pure natural light. If you haven’t got a tripod you can ask someone to hold the diffusor and direct the light while you take the shots.

Strobe lights, a tripod and umbrella

If you need stronger light, you can use a strobe to shoot high frequency flashes. Mount the light on a tripod and use an umbrella to control its intensity and direction. You can also use a wireless transmitter connected to your camera to synchronize the shutter with the flash, and to operate it remotely. If you haven’t got a transmitter or it runs out of batteries, you can also connect the light to your camera with a cable.

Batteries, charger and memory cards

Last but not least, always remember to have several camera batteries and a charger with you, so you can charge them up before or during a shoot. Make sure you also have enough memory cards. You often take hundreds of high-res photos, and you need enough memory to save them all.

Final tip: create a connection with your subjects

While gear is important in photography, Emilia stresses that technology is a secondary consideration. The number one thing you need to create unforgettable portraits is to learn how to win your subjects’ trust by establishing an emotional connection. That’s the only way to generate authentic images that allow you to reflect the human quality of the person before your lens.

Want to learn more? Discover how to capture unforgettable portraits by establishing an emotional connection with people in Emilia Brandão’s online course: Directing People for Portrait Photography.

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