The most important thing you need as a pro portrait photographer is..... an assistant. Having someone holding a reflector or flash + soft box makes a huge difference.

So close to being the old “Pro Photographer, Cheap Camera” challenge from the old Digital Rev days!

Any used full frame from 10 years ago and an 85mm 1.8 from Ebay. Literally a 5D from 15 years ago and any 85 1.8 is gonna get you incredible portraits

Dropping the camera mid shoot is THE DRTV Moment! I was laughing so hard. Thank you guys!

Light, sure. But finally it is the professional model who makes 90% of the job. Working with a pro makes things so easy. I've had the pleasure a few times.

I was so obsessed with upgrading gears and still shoot like a noob🤣

In the last 20 years of photo innovation, no one found a way to move a big reflector around without an assistant

Eye AF is such a game changer, your efficiency and keeper rate skyrockets. I went from a Canon 5D Mark III to the R6 and it felt like I was cheating at photography. Less fiddling around with focus & recompose means faster shoots and the ability to shoot wide open without worry.

I love that y’all put this video together. I just set down my professional kit and picked up a 4 year old discontinued body at a fraction of the cost for street photography. Cameras and lenses are like the brushes we use when making our art. Budget shouldn’t limit what you can create.

Its never about the "latest and greatest" equipment. It's ALWAYS about learning the how and why.

Light, composition and a decent portrait lens is all you need.

Features like this are always a nice reminder not to obsess over gear. No one would ever look at those images and even question what camera they used. They're pro shots because the guy operating the camera is a talented pro...

The very minimal thing you need to be a photographer with models is being at least 7/10 on sociability, and that's something nerds can't buy.

Ive been a pro portrait/fashion photographer for 20 years. I just did a shoot last week with my 16 year old Sony a300 and Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm/1.7 I paid $79 for the camera and $37 for the lens on Ebay. CCD sensor and older lens with some character is a great combo that you cannot get from the sterile looking and over-sharpened modern mirrorless gear. Many clients really want that older filmic vibe these days. His work is really good.

Point made. If you have a decent amount of skill with looking for light and composition, and of course, a smoking hot model, you're gonna get good shots, regardless of the camera or lens.

6:49 That drop was deliberate. It was what the heart wanted. The body just followed...

I think you underplayed the importance of having a professional (and, let's be honest, physically attractive) model in order to create portraits that come across as 'pro' to most people, especially when it comes to female portraiture. It's not an aspect of portrait photography that I like or endorse but it's hard to argue with. You can be an ace photog with a PhaseOne and still have a really hard time achieving such result while photographing someone inexperienced or particularly camera-shy or with appearance that doesn't follow mainstream interpretations of beauty, male or female. Next time, pick someone who isn't a professional model with a conventionally perfect appearance - that would be a real test and much closer to the reality of many portrait photographers, especially those just starting out (i.e. exactly the folks that could really benefit from videos like this one). Cheers!

IMO there are two things you must have if you want to shoot professionally. 1/ Public liability insurance, seriously don't skimp on this. In my area a lot of businesses won't hire you unless you are insured. 2/ Redundancy, don't rely on a single body and lens. In this case your backup could be an A6000 and the 16-50mm kit lens. Not as nice as the camera you want to use, but if something does break when you drop your camera you can finish the job.

More segments like these please!! Watching how professionals work is amazing.

Great piece, thanks, and I like that in the full article you mention that the photographer, model, and light are more important. As constructive criticism I'd prefer a BTS in this case of the reasons for the locations of particular shots picked, and why Chris would be positioned in a particular spot for fill as those are more important in your findings. In the full article on the site you could include a shot or two that didn't work as well or a common one beginners would pick and why that wouldn't work. To avoid the article being as long-winded as this comment you'd probably have to pick just one key light technique, one location that worked and one photo that didn't.

100% agree. Light is the most important factor.

Thanks Chris, Jordon and most of all Nathan for this video! I didn't know about Nathan before this video but I'm so impressed by his work that i have started following him after this. You guys are doing such good work. Most of the world likes to photograph themselves in parties and evening get-togethers where we are always so deficient of light and take pictures with our horrible mobile cameras. I think you should make a video on how to take good pictures of oneself in these kind of situations with the lightest possible cameras. It should get the highest number of hits!

Why does everyone always say that the A6X00 cameras are "hideous?" They have a distinct look that is more modern than the Rebels of old, and I rather like a more modern aesthetic. Is it because all of these camera reviewers come from film and see film bodies as the ideal? Do I think an A6300 is the most attractive body on the planet? No. Is it a step up from a D3500 or whatever? Yep. Note that this is purely an aesthetic comment; I did find the old A6X00 cameras frustrating with limited dials and rangefinder design. 6:48 Ahh he pulled a Chris Niccolls!

You cannot beat a used 5dmkII for the money. That sensor is magical! As someone who has invested way too much money on professional gear (it’s my career), I picked up an old 5dmkII on a whim, and it still delivers in volumes. Could not recommend more.

Beautiful images with nice composition. I find the edits overdone and they really push the natural beauty of the model away. Have it more natural guys! PS: call the police on him for dropping that camera! Oh wait, it's a Sony. Nevermind.

I still use this as my everyday walk around cam , and still use for some professional work. it’s much easier to carry around than my full frame Sony. And most importantly there’s nothing wrong with it ! 99.99999999% of most everyone’s work is not getting blown up on a massive sign in Times Square . 24mp is more than enough !

Great video guys, love seeing things like this from you, keep it up!

I enjoy a lot of your episodes (and podcasts) but this one in particular was just such a fun watch. Great job!

Hopefully people will watch this and realize the most important thing to know is light and how to read it. Everything else just falls in place.

such a great video and a great reminder about skills and lighting matters. His images are fire!

The most important things you need to take good portraits are: 1) Ability to express your imagination - have the courage to try out new compositions. 2) Experience - just get out there and take photos. Look at photos you like and try to take a better one.

Fantastic video, please do more video's like this. Thank you

Bottom line, understanding the limitations of the gear and understanding light 🙏🙏

Nice to see a collab with Nathan!

This is a fantastic video. You make several points, implied and actual, that need to be made. 1. Digital photography technology has progressed to the point that you do not need the latest, greatest, and newest gear to do good photography. 2. Buying used gear in good condition can allow someone on a budget to do good photography. 3. Even Sony's (and I'm sure other manufacturers) entry level optics are quite good within their limits. Now a days we get inundated with the "new and improved" (Palmolive formula) marketing that camera manufacturers do. This is effective, that creates a demand and an artificial "need". Lets face it, all of us want the latest and greatest stuff. But this need creates, as Tony Northrup would say, a "Gear Acquisition Syndrome" that lots of us can't afford and really don't need. So, thank you for being a voice in the wilderness, advocating some rational approach to our favorite pastime. P.S. I use the A mount A700 & A850, and the E mount A7II & A7RII, and am quite happy with them.

Great work guys!!

With that model every camera works 😁😁

Always remember your wrist strap!

Love it! All about the lighting & composition

Wish you went even farther back in time. A6300 is too modern and capable to make for a true challenge. An Olympus E-xxx would have been fun.

That was really good, totally enjoyed it.

This is so amazingly inspiring! Thank you! Plus I love Canadians ❤

These days, there are no bad cameras amongst the major companies. Just bad expectations, use cases, and prices.

Very helpful and informative video! Thank you so much! God bless and good luck!

Thanks, Chris and Jordan, for the video. To be Honest, I think skin color in Panasonic G9 II isn't good.

I feel called out for never having started doing this job. This was my first camera and the one I said I'd begin offering work with, four years ago.

Great content once again! Though I have a Nikon z6 as my main shooter I was thinking of buying a used fujifilm for street photography this video made me do it lol

thanks for great sharing 👏👏

Quite the confident comment at 4:31

Great video!

Gear helps, but its all about the light.

Such an interesting content to cover!

I’m really glad he mentioned that he prefers the smaller file sizes and that no one ever complains about lack of resolution. That’s why I think OM made the right decision to keep at 20mp and improve the other elements of the sensor. I hope they continue to not be drawn into the spec wars. And if they do go bigger, I may just choose to limit the resolution in the JPG settings. Unless I specifically want to use full resolution and hi-res shot or something.

Light 💯

Pics came out great!

Beautiful video ❤

Great Video, I would love to know were those images shown in video straight out of camera or edited (and then added)?

Interesting video. I think you should do more content such as this. One camera, one lens, one photography genre.

One of the best videos. I wish I could commission Nathan to teach me correct lighting.

I'm a "retired" (sort of ;-) photographer with experience in portrait and photojournalism assignments. Over the past two years, I have switched to a kit of Fuji lenses and a Fujifilm X-Pro2, after a long career with 4x5's, Hasselblad and Nikon film equipment. My goal in digital had been to do everything possible to be as good as when I shot with film. I left the world of advertising art direction when an old photographer I knew in Westport, CT who used to shoot for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar during the 1940s and early 50s told me the lighting in my portraits reminded him of the paintings of Vermeer and Caravaggio, and that I should start my own portrait studio. And so I did for nearly 30 years. I never looked back. The 26mp X-Pro2 feels so natural and versatile and I never feel I need more than this sensor. I should also mention, I made my decision on the Fuji X-Pro2 after watching Cris and Nathan reviewing this camera.

Nice to finally see a real pro show off what they can do with older tech, unlike most of these KZfaqr hacks who claim to be pros just because they have the latest cameras.

higher resolution is great for landscapes and architecture, but 24MP is fine for portraiture

Nathan is a very talented photographer and shows that it is not the equipment but the person behind the equipment that makes it.

6:50 had a mini-heart attack for a moment there

A beautiful model does help. Like a famous portrait fashion model once said on a recent KZfaq video photo shoot video; “ It’s hard to take a bad shot of Mindy”. He’s obviously a great photographer. His work proves he knows his stuff with minimalist gear and set up.

I agree. Light is key. I still take out my Konica Minolta 7D with a 50mm 1.7. I’m always chasing light . Love the images on that 6mp camera.

For still photos….. any old camera that can click will just work.. since you dont need 2 card slot… fast card… fast af.. alot of megapixel.. huge buffer etc.. Image quality is just as good from old body to modern 2020s body…

It's never the equipment... it's always the photographer... and as your pro stated... their understanding of light... Some of the best photo's that I've ever seen... were from an old Diana... with a cracked lens... the photographer understood their instrument... and used its "faults"... to create beatiful and deamy images... The best reason for "the right" equipment... is to eliminate excuses... the better the equipment is suited for the task... the less you can use it as an excuse for unsatisfactory images... What you want to achieve is... to finding your excuse for an unsatisfactory image.... in the mirror... look there for your best answer in approaching an image... do that... and you will enjoy your image results a lot more... and do so... with what you have... and as you develop your skills... the equipment will follow...

Its ridiculous that Nathan is hidden behind the camera and hiding his potential - its time that Petapixel put Nathan in front of the lens and captured his good looks properly! haha... love the video!

The funniest bit to me was, that as I am watching this, I'm looking at used camera prices. I came up with a Sony A6300 that was pretty battered and was wondering why... and then they dropped the camera in the video. I giggled like a schoolgirl for much longer than I care to admit.

Very nice photography ❤👏

Can’t believe he dropped the camera 😂

Lol great episode, great shots !

Light, composition and sometimes timing. I use an older 12mp Nikon D700 at times.

Wow stunning results from Sony A6300

Haha I grab my old NEX6 and a Sigma prime just for fun sometimes and it works out just fine. It even has face autofocus and if you want it in focus every time just stop down a bit for zero issues. Challenge yourself.

My first thought without having any specific budget constraints but keeping it low was the Olympus E-M1 (Mark I) and M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8. But basically any 50/1.8 on an APS-C body would be fine too

Yes but did you include the cost of a full time assistant? What is Chris's hourly rate?

You need lights

funny when this episode came out.... I just got myself an a6300. glad to see that i could probably use it to a good extent as a new photographer

I make $1500 a day in fashion photography and portraits. What do I use, as do many of my contemporaries? a Nikon D700 and 35-50-85 f1.8 AFD lenses. All up investment is $1000. I could spend more, but its all you need to be a pro. And the output is spectacular in contrast, colour and sharpness. They all have the same magic formula that Nikon put into their manual lenses before the days of in-camera lens corrections. They can even be cleaned and serviced for $100 at a Nikon authorised repair facility and gain a new warranty. You can't do that with the latest lenses. And the resolution of the D700 is double what agencies require for magazine and advert purposes. A 12mp file will give you an A2 print at 300dpi. More than enough.

Would be great to see a comparison of different configurations and price points, how does this confirm to the super cheap canon setup you mentioned?

That was cool and interesting

Even the a6000 is still a great starter camera!

For the same money you buy a a 5D II or a 6D and the EF 85 f1.8 that's something you can actually handle properly and show your customer you're serious about the job and not an amateur. If you're super lucky and can wait for the right listing on eBay you can even spend the same money and getting a heavily beaten 5D III with double card slot, and do weddings.

Having my daily driver (until a few months ago) called out as some ancient old camera is interesting hah. I now own an A7RV but I've used my A6300 for years and it had done great

Hope next time you get to promote some Canadian owned camera stores as well. I mean with US EXCHANGE RATE, plus custom for Canadian customers it’s not really worth it. Thank you for such a fun video though.

i lovethis video so much! sometimes, i just use the sigma 56mm 1.4 on a a6100 and get results that rival a $3,000 body + lens. Hell, one of my best pics (according to those who follow me) was done with a kit 55-210 sony ($150) and a a6100. subject, lighting, backdrop, composition >>> best tech.

Focus-recompose on a Rebel. 🤣 iykyk.

it never about the gear, it's about who and how the photographer use it.

Hey, I am not sure why you guys using the FE50, not E50 with OSS?

I was wondering why you decided on the FE 50/1.8 and not the lovely E 50/1.8 OSS - until I checked the prices on KEH and noticed the E 50/1.8 OSS is priced like how much fun it is :)

Love the vlog guys and keep up the great work ok as for KEH is crap i bought a camera from there, in what I thought was in excellent condition and paid for it in excellent condition and what did I get a camera that needed a CLA and new light seals as well. And their customer service sucks as well I contacted them about this and got no response so I wouldn’t suggest KEH to buy a camera.

Why are you showing heavily edited photos?

I don't buy from KEH because they don't show pics of the actual item you're purchasing. All pics for any given item are always the same file image, no matter the condition of the actual item. So you're left taking only their word on condition.

A boy, an instax camera, a bag full of instax film, and a dream.

To be honest too, for portraits old piece of camera works enough good. Things get harder when you try to shoot fast moving subjects and have darker enviroment etc.. then you need good gear..

I thought a barebones camera would be like a Nikon D80 or something :D Sony a6300 is still quite modern, but great video nonetheless :)

Is there a "KEH" in Canada? Buying from KEH or MPB involves import duties, etc. In some cases it is more expensive than buying new.

Nikon D610 + a few AF-D Lenses. You can have a 3 prime lenses kits and camera for less than $1000.