Portrait Photography

10 tips for portrait photography

There are plenty of tips and techniques for portrait photography. Here is my recipe for how you can be almost sure to get a good portrait photo in the box.

Go close to the model

It is my experience that you almost always get good, strong portraits, if you are not afraid to go near. It is often the face we want to see, and it is often the face that expresses the most. By cutting everything else off, you get a clean and strong expression. Always ask the model before you move close to - it might seem a bit overwhelming.

It may be advantageous to use a tele-lense, so the model does not do you invade them.
Use natural light
I'ma big fan of artificial light. But there is rarely anything that beats the natural light. Place your model near a large window or a little in the shade on a sunny day. It gives a nice, flattering light.

Take the portrait from above

Few wish to highlight their double chin - and if you use white angle, your model also look a little slimmer and longer, if you shoot them a little above. It can also add some extra life into the picture when the model will have to look up to look into the camera. But watch out wrinkles in the forehead. This tip does not work so well on thinning hair people. Sometimes it can serve to take the picture MUCH from above.

Clean background - use shallow depth of field

The background can easily get to take too much attention. Often we want to focus should be on the eyes and nothing else. So if you shoot in a place where a lot is happening, try to open up the blinded, giving you a shallow depth of field. If you can not control the boarded on your camera or if you want to avoid the low depth of field, so be sure to find a background that is calm - eg. a nice wall.
Light in your eyes if the light comes from above, you will easily get into the eyes come to lie a little in shadow. If you can not get the model's face turned so there is no shadow in his eyes, so place a reflector or a white A4 sheet just below the model's head. So you make sure that the light is reflected onto the face and you create maybe even a little catch-light in his eyes.

Capture - stop and evaluate - correct before you shoot again

When you take the portrait, it's a good idea to take a few pictures, stop, evaluate his pictures carefully, make changes on the camera model or the background - and only then begin to take more pictures. Often it has been too busy as a photographer, and overlook that there is a stupid branch in the background, or that the model's hair is funny.

Take many pictures

With digital there is no excuse not to take a couple hundred pictures now you're going.Be sure to have something to choose from, so that there are still some good in between, when you've sorted all those in which it portrayed blinks or yawns.

Spend time with the model first

To take a good portrait is just as much about the switch to the one you take the portrait of that what you do with the camera. If you have time for it, so sludr little to the model before you start taking pictures. Take the time to evaluate the images together with the model, and explain why you do what you do. The more relaxed and confident model, the easier you can get the picture you want.

Give room to experiment

If you achieve a good contact for your model, it often happens that the model even comes up with proposals. "Could we try one where I'm professional from" el. the like. I have only good experience to play with. It is not always the pictures are in the closet, but the model is to create images, it means that you work towards the same goal: to take a good portrait. And it makes the work easier and more fun.


Try all the above tips - and try to help

Try taking the picture from a great distance, try to take the picture before you say hi to the model, try to give the background more attention than the model, experiments with architect lamp as light source and try to challenge yourself. The best results often come when you follow most rules, but break the individual - or as they say: it's okay to break the rules, but it works best if you know what rules you break.