Portrait Photography Tips - Get The Most Out Of Your Portraits

Jun 03

Portrait Photography Tips - Get The Most Out Of Your Portraits

Portraiture can be very rewarding. It’s a chance to show the best side (literally) of someone, and create a photo that communicates something unique.

The first rule of good portrait photography is LOOK at your subject.

This sounds obvious but take a browse through all the shots you have of your family and friends and see if they don’t have a sameness about them. Cut off head and shoulder shots, uncomfortable posing, goofy expressions, mug shots, empty staring, frozen smiles..?

Each person has some unique quality that deserves photographing. It doesn’t have to be perfect skin, a remodeled nose, pouting mouth, stunning eyes. But it should be some quality that best communicates the person’s individuality.

Sound difficult? It isn’t if you follow some basic tips.

Don’t Use Direct Flash.

Flash is light at its most boring. On rare occasions it can really lift a shot into dazzling life, but most of the time using available light is better. A flash firing removes any relaxed atmosphere you may have built up with your subject and gives the shot a bland look.

Use a Telephoto Lens. 105-135mm is usually best.

Wide angle lenses are definitely out.

Use Vertical Compostion.

Tilt the camera to one side. A portrait usually includes the head and upper torso and sometimes the hands. These work best in a vertical format. Framing horizontally wastes space on each side of your subject and can ruin the “feel” of the image.

Dress Your Subject Up if Possible.

If this is to be almost a formal portrait photo you may be able to suggest what clothes. Solid, dark or light colors work best. Stripes, checks, swirls, and patterns confuse the viewer’s eye. Strong colors can can overwhelm the skin tones. A scoop or vee cut is usually better than a round cut. For a man or older woman, cover the shoulders, for a young woman leave them bare.

Try to use whatever available light you have to create a good effect.

Position the person where the light is soft and coming mainly from one direction. This can give a moody feel and usually gets the eyes more attention. You can use a reflector on the shadowed side to ‘bounce the light’ if the contrast between highlight and shadow is too strong. You can make a simple reflector using aluminum foil on a sheet of cardboard.

Pick the Person’s ‘best side’.

People really do have one. Have one shoulder slightly turned towards the camera favoring one side. Try that particular pose another way and work out which one is best.

Let the Person Sit Down.

This helps put them at ease by haviing somewhere to “be” and assists you in being able to direct them more easily. Give the person directions.

In a portrait photo, you’re dealing with minor movements and shifts of position and angle. Try to shoot slightly above the person to make the eyes open more. Lower the shoulder closest to the camera, get the head straight or at an engaging angle. Lower the chin a little.

Some people look better when they smile but some do not. You can get more interesting expressions and nuances without a smile. Ask your subject to think about something they like. This will highlight the eyes and accentuate the mouth lines.

If you have included the hands in the shot, make sure you check them. Hands can sometimes look awkward or even ugly. A fist that is lightly closed is usually neutral. Let the hands rest on a knee or in the lap and see what you have. Cut them off later if they don’t work.

If you’re shooting candid portraits the same tips apply but in these shots you have to move around to get the best angle.