Tripod or not?

Brumble Buffin

Senior Member
Using a tripod for portraits - - yes or no? What works for you? Do you think it makes any difference to the subject (how they perceive the photographer)?
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Using a tripod for portraits - - yes or no?
Depends on the type of portrait. In a studio environment? Absolutely. Environmental? it depends. Most of the environmental portraits I shoot don't lend themselves to using a tripod. If the location allows it though, it would be an asset I would definitely consider.

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What works for you?
Not sure what you're asking here, exactly.

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Do you think it makes any difference to the subject (how they perceive the photographer)?
It probably does for some but I've never asked. The work speaks for itself. If someone doesn't want to follow through on a shoot with me because I'm not using a tripod I'll happily suggest other photographers they might feel better about working with.
 
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BackdoorArts

Senior Member
^^^ Pretty much this ^^^

For a single portrait I don't think it matters, and I would say that not using one allows the photographer to explore a wider variety of angles to better capture the subject. I can't for the life of me remember who the photographer or the subject was (someone famous) but the photographer talked about getting very close and very low to capture a sense of power in the photo. The ability to play with focal length on a 70-200mm, say, can give you different looks even as you fill the frame in a similar manner.

For a series of portraits meant to be cohesive across subjects then yes, a tripod is probably best.
 
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