Photography Class Portrait Ideas?

[Kathryn :]]

For my photography class I have to take a bunch of pictures of someone. They can be wearing costumes, but we're experimenting with lighting such as Butterfly lighting and Short lighting, etc. I was wondering if anyone has any interesting ideas?

My teacher said it was alright for me to try the thing where you put a paper bag over someone's head and draw a face on it, but only a couple shots...

Does anyone have any good ideas?
We're going to be photoshopping too, but I don't know how to do a whole lot.

Thanks!

[perki88]

While the bag on the head is interesting, it will not serve to show your teacher that you understand facial lighting.

Perhaps some of my shots would inspire you to do something unique, yet showing you understand the concepts.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/perki88/sets/72157600066477469/

[Michael U]

A consensus seems to be that THE most important area you can look at will be lighting techniques, metering, exposure etc.

I'd have a quick look through the back catalogue of answers here at YA - there have been several very comprehensive answers on the subject which will give you lots of ideas.

This set of free tutorials should help with some of the lighting / exposure basics:
http://www.image-nut.com/spip.php?rubrique86

[fhotoace]

Take a look at samples on the Model Mayhem website. You should get some good ideas ... be sure to shoot using different lighting setups ... single key light, single key light with reflector fill, key & fill lights, key, fill & background, key, fil, background and hair light. Remember to look at what the light is doing to your subject before you take the shots.

You should be able to burn a few rolls shooting using those kinds of lighting