Although digital camera technology has changed considerably over the years, this basic precept remains one of the corner stones of this form of photography. If the personal element is missing in the interaction, the result is likely to be dull and lacking in warmth. You have to show that you care about the person. Find out what drives them, what makes them tick. Once there is a natural rapport with your subject, there will be no need for an unnatural, formal pose.

When you master the fundamentals of digital portrait photography technique, you will be richly rewarded in creative - and financial - terms. What starts out as a hobby, may very well turn into a profession, or at least a second income in time. A host of professional photographers share their experience and tips freely in well-written, informative books on the subject. Let’s take a look at a few of the best ones:

1. The Best of Family Portrait Photography: Professional Techniques and Images

Author: Bill Hurter
About The Author: Bill Hurter is a well-known magazine editor. He has written a number of other books, including ‘The Portrait Photographer’s Guide to Posing’, ‘The Best of Wedding Photojournalism’, ‘Portrait Photographer’s Handbook’, ‘The Best of Photographic Lighting: Techniques and Images for Digital Photographers’, ‘Digital Portrait Photography 101′ and ‘Group Portrait Photography Handbook’.
Publisher: Amherst Media (2005)
Format: Paperback 128 pages

Here is a unique opportunity for the amateur to gather ideas and inspiration. This book captures the work of top photographers from all over the world. Get a fresh take on how to approach family photographs to bring out the best in your subjects. Tired of awkward, stiff family group poses? Discover how the pro’s side-step this dilemma. The author also shows you how to approach the young child in digital portrait photography. Learn how to make the most of your digital camera equipment. You will be taken through all the vital aspects, such as perspective, lighting, focal length and mood creation. This is likely to become a favorite reference book over time.

2. Children’s Portrait Photography Handbook

Author: Bill Hurter
Publisher: Amherst Media (2007)
Format: Paperback 128 pages

Another of Bill Hurter’s excellent, practical books. If you have kids, you will love this volume. The author starts out by explaining the basic techniques, covering lenses, focusing, aperture and shutter speed. He also takes you through digital camera considerations, camera settings, raw versus JPEG modes, exposures and the use of black and white photography. Natural and studio lighting also get their innings. You have to know how to approach your younger subjects to get the best pictures. Bill generously shares his experience and guides you with regards to posing, composition and the use of clothing and props. Buying the book is well worth it, even if you do it only for all the cute photographs!

3. How to Start and Operate a Digital Portrait Photography Studio

Author: Lou Jacobs
About The Author: Lou Jacobs has been writing for decades and is the well-known author of books such as ‘Professional Children’s Portrait Photography: Techniques and Images from Master Photographers’, ‘Studio Lighting: A Primer for Photographers ‘ and ‘Take Great Pictures: A Simple Guide’.
Publisher: Amherst Media (2005)
Format: Paperback 224 pages

Taking the first steps after deciding to operate a studio, can be daunting. Here established studio owners share their knowledge and experience to help you to get your new venture off the ground. This volume can also be of value if you want to make the shift to digital technology. The book shows you how to select the best spot for your business. Budget concerns and the selection of equipment are discussed. Get the best take on lighting, as well as all the studio props you will need. If you want your clients to come back again and again, you need to be able to make them feel comfortable and relaxed. This book is aimed at beginners, so some folks may find it lacking in in-depth discussions.

4. Professional Secrets of Natural Light Portrait Photography

Author: Douglas Allen Box
About The Author: Douglas Allen Box is a pro with years of experience, as shown in his books ‘Professional Secrets for Photographing Children’ and ‘Professional Secrets of Wedding Photography’.
Publisher: Amherst Media (2001)
Format: Paperback 128 pages

If you want to find out how to use natural light effectively in your shoots, this is the book for you. This volume comes with loads of technical details to enable you to achieve professional results. You will be taken through all the natural light phases, from sunrise to sunset. Different kinds of light are discussed and many sample shots are given to explain the concepts and techniques. You will also receive ample advice about the right props to use in each situation. If you, like many beginners, are in a position where you simply can’t afford an expensive set-up, learning about natural light will enable you to take great pics without all the props.

5. A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Portrait Photography

Author: Duncan Evans
About The Author: Duncan Evans has written a number of popular books, including ‘ Successful Glamour Photography’, ‘ A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Glamour Photography (Digital Photography)’, ‘ A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Travel Photography’ and Digital Photography Workshops: Portraits: A Unique Course in a Book Taking You from Beginner to Expert’.
Publisher: AVA Publishing (2003)
Format: Paperback 128 pages

Evans takes you through the range of digital cameras on the market. He covers from compact, to single-lens reflex (SLR), and a variety of specialized models. He then goes on to discuss a home studio set-up. From there you will be guided through the basics of portrait composition. The author also discusses topics such as creating mood and texture. A whole range of other subjects are highlighted, including computer manipulation, using the different tones such as sepia, color in general, as well as the use of light and shadow.

A word of caution, here. Even the best digital camera and the most up to date technical knowledge won’t transform you into a digital portrait photography technique pro. The crucial aspect remains your proficiency when it comes to building rapport with people of all ages.

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A number of challenges await the amateur photographer. So, let’s see if we can shed some light on the subject!

Many of the camera models on the market comes with a whole range of preset digital photography lighting modes, also known as ’scenes’. These have been designed to enable you to cope with any lighting scenario you might come across. For example, the Olympus SP500 Ultra Zoom camera sports a nice collection featuring 21 preset scenes. You simply make a selection to suit the circumstances, ensuring a perfect shot.

Browse through the possibilities, and you will soon see why this versatile feature is bound to come in handy. If you are in an art gallery or a museum where you need to work without a flash or sound, simply opt for the ‘museum’ scene. This is also a useful option if your kids are asleep, for example. The ‘night and portrait’ mode makes use of a sub-normal shutter speed. Use it to capture your subject and an illuminated background.

Some CCD sensors come without the broad exposure latitude of color films. The result is that, if you are operating in strong light conditions, you may discover things like blown out highlights or empty shadows. Luckily, this is exactly where the benefit of digital technology becomes apparent. You can identify problems immediately and easily correct mistakes. Experimentation is the name of the game.

You will get acquainted with the term ‘white balancing’. This refers to determining the baseline white in your image. The other shades are rendered relative to this. In most cases, this setting will be automatic, so you don’t have to concern yourself too much with the technicalities. Daylight, clouds and shades are all taken into consideration. This is also where the digital camera histogram comes in, helping to judge exposure in the various lighting set-ups. This will take you from under exposure to overexposure.

Luckily the beginner who starts out with informal portrait photography, doesn’t need to equip himself with expensive equipment. Why not take a look at a Screwfix double 500W site light set as a first step? This includes a telescopic tripod. It is a good idea to study the experts, before you invest in one of the snazzy photo printers on the market. If you don’t, you will probably just be wasting paper.

The Scoop On Books That May Just Turn You Into A Super-Shot

As with portrait photography, the experts share their knowledge generously when it comes to digital photography lighting technique. ‘Digital Photography Expert: Light & Lighting: The Definitive Guide For Serious Digital Photographers‘, written by Michael Freeman, focuses on both the creative and technical issues. He covers the full light spectrum, color accuracy and the way your camera measures light. You can browse through 350 photos to fine-tune your technique.

Barry Huggins brings you ‘Creative Photoshop Lighting Techniques, Revised and Updated‘. This is all about using Photoshop post-processing to get a diverse range of results. Discover how you can experiment with different sources of light, from neon to candlelight. Did you know that you can add a touch of sunlight to a cloudy day? Even underwater scenes get their share of the attention.

‘Digital Portrait Photography and Lighting: Take Memorable Shots Every Time‘ (Wiley 2006) is another popular resource. This volume has been written by the well-known commercial and portrait photographer, Catherine Jamieson and Sean McCormick, landscape and portrait photographer. If you want to shift from the amateur to the pro scene, this book can give you a nudge in the right direction.

On the one hand, ‘Digital Portrait Photography and Lighting: Take Memorable Shots Every Time‘ equips you with the finer skills behind portrait photography, including working with groups, children and pets. Both location and studio work are covered. At the same time, the book takes you through the different digital photography lighting scenarios, teaching you how to use both natural light and mixed light. You will also discover the image-editing methods and final-touch processes used by the pro’s.

A number of other books can also be helpful. You may want to check out ‘Lighting Techniques for High Key Portrait Photography‘ by Norman Phillips. This books takes a look at the light ratio’s used in high key lighting. Light set-up is explained, as well as the various backgrounds you can use, and the placement of your subjects.

If you are concentrating on studio work, you may find JJ Allen’s ‘Posing and Lighting Techniques for Studio Portrait Photography‘ useful.

Who knows, by studying all these digital photography lighting techniques, you might just be writing your own best-seller down the line…

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As an amateur, you won’t be concerned with stuff like the RAW file format, which is absent in this model. More important for you would be easy-to-use manual controls such as shutter and aperture priority. A bonus for a digital camera in this class, is the manual focus control.

The ISO range from 50-400 is useful. The A75 features white balance controls with both manual settings and some 5 auto-positions. When you are confronted with low-light conditions, you will find that the autofocus illuminator comes in handy.

Reviews point to the decent 3X optical zoom of the A75 Canon Powershot Digital Camera. You also get a macro range down to 5cm. By adding a conversion lens adapter, you will gain access to a whole range of optional lenses. These include wide-angle lenses, a macro lens and a telephoto lens. You will find that any of these improve your picture-taking capabilities significantly.

You may also prefer to upgrade the 32MB card with a 128MB to 256MB card to further rev up your reach. The CompactFlash cards utilized by this camera goes up to 2GB in size.

Once you discover the joys of photograph retouching and using photo printers, you will be happy to make use of the ArcSoft PhotoImpression software. VideoImpression is available for the editing of video clips. The Canon Powershot A75 Digital Camera’s Zoom/ImageBrowser is great for downloading images. It can also be used for editing and printing.

Perhaps a word of caution is required here. The pro’s may not always rave about the image quality of this photo-taking tool. However, judging by reviews and consumer reports, the Canon Powershot A75 Digital Camera isn’t too shabby a choice if you are just launching a new, super-shot career…

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