Portraits underexposed

Is that a question? Is it a single photo that's dark or all your photos?

what type of photos are you taking, indoors, outdoors, portraits? Etc etc....

hello

Increase your ASA/ISO to a higher number.Lower your Shutter Speed.Lower your F Stop.

Try fresh 4AA Energizer Lithium.

The 18-105mm is a great "walking about" lens. I've used mine for just about everything, from landscapes to candids to portraits to architecture to sports.
It's a great focal length for portraits, but unfortunately f/4.5-5.6 is too slow to be ideal for this purpose. In general, you want a narrow depth of field to blur the background and make your subject stand out. Pros routinely use f/2.8 and faster lenses for portraits, but such lenses will cost more than you paid for your camera-and-lens kit.
That doesn't mean you can't do it with this lens. It just means you have to be a little more careful about the selection of backgrounds and the positioning of your subjects.
Visit your local library or bookstore. You'll find many books on portrait techniques, covering everything from equipment to lighting to posing.

There are several different lenses that are commonly used for portrait photography with this camera. I need more information to tell which one would be "best" for you, but these are all excellent choices:

85 mm f/1.2 (many portrait photographers prefer this lens)
24-70 f/2.8 (I own and love this lens)
24-105 f/4 - a great all-purpose lens that also works well for portraits

I can help more if you can tell me what lenses you already have, and what you will be shooting in addition to portraits.

The scene modes only apply to stills, not movies. They're intended to set the camera appropriately for different things. Portrait mode for portraits, landscape mode for landscapes, etc. Experienced photographers don't use the same settings for shooting a landscape as they do for portraits: these modes attempt to mimic some of that.

Personally, I feel they don't always do the right thing, and thus prefer a camera that leaves me in control.

Hey caturner7,
If you have a large family and you are having a difficult time fitting everyone in the frame then a wide angle lens might be exactly what you need, but this will probably not make your images any sharper. The most common cause of blurry images is the camera is moving during exposure. Even the slightest camera shake can cause blurry images. There are multiple solutions to this, first make sure the shutter speed is high enough, then make sure the ISO is set to about 400, and then make sure the flash is on. Another cause of this could be that the camera is not achieving focus so make sure you are pressing the shutter button down halfway so the camera can achieve focus before you take the picture. A slightly telephoto lens usually produces the most pleasing portraits. I hope this helps!

Sincerely,
Allan
Go Ahead. Use Us.

The best film is the one YOU like the best.

Flash can be used to fill in the shadows in outdoor portraits, as you say. Do it by all means, if that's the effect you want. Sometimes you may not want it. Do it both ways and see how they come out.

Photography is all about YOUR creativity.

Whenever you are taking pictures of people within six feet of you, it is a good idea to turn on the flash whether you are indoors or out. The Flash mode is easily accessed via the arrow pad on the back of the camera. Press the up arrow key, which has a lightning bolt icon, to enter the Flash Mode. Press the down key to select the lightning bolt icon and press “OK”. The flash will fire every time in this mode. Your outdoor pictures of people should improve in appearance since the flash will fill-in shadows normally apparent in outdoor shots.

Whenever you are taking pictures of people within six feet of them, it is a good idea to turn on the flash whether you are indoors or out. The Flash mode is easily accessed via the arrow pad on the back of the camera. Press the up arrow key, which has a lightening bolt icon, to enter the Flash Mode. Press the down key to select the lightning bolt icon and press “OK”. The flash will fire every time in this mode. Your outdoor pictures of people should improve in appearance since the flash will fill-in shadows normally apparent in outdoor shots.