Since portrait photography is all about capturing people, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most popular types of photography.
It is used for professional headshots, family portraits, and creative self-shots. Basically, most of the photos we take are portraits in some form or another.
But what does it take to create portraits that not only serve their purpose but also captivate an audience? This article will provide you with 15 portrait photography tips and tricks that are sure to improve your understanding of portraiture and enhance your photography skills. Read on to master the art of capturing personalities.
5 portrait photography tips for beginners
- Learn the rules so you know how to break them
One of the most basic tips for taking good photographs is to learn the rules of composition in photography. Photographers often use a variety of compositional elements, such as shape, form, texture, color, and negative space to make images more visually interesting.
On top of that, it’s important to understand the rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, and other basic rules of composition. That way, you’ll be able to embrace them in your portraits, enhancing your works or breaking them in creative ways to impress your viewers.
- Interact with your subject
A few beginner photographers understand that a photo shoot is a creative collaboration between the photographer and the subject. Of course, you’re in charge of the creative direction and technical aspects of the shoot, but your subject is a key part of the process.
To shoot professional-looking portraits, similar to the pictures of people by Depositphotos, you must interact with your subject. How? Connect with people in the frame, pose your model if needed, and share details of the creative process. These actions will help create a more comfortable atmosphere on set.
- Play with eye contact
The mood of the photo and the direction of the model’s gaze are correlated. If you want to create a sense of connection in a portrait, ask a person to look directly at the camera. On the other hand, if you want to convey a more contemplative or mysterious mood, have the model look away from the camera. When shooting a couple, eye contact will help show the bond between them.
- Use creative props
Don’t make the mistake of limiting your portrait photography to just the model and their expression. Use creative crops to add interest to the photo. You can start with shadows, color gels, and projector lights, and progress to flowers, balloons, candles, confetti, glitter, and mirrors.
- Shoot in RAW format
No matter how convenient taking pictures in JPEG format is, shooting in RAW format will give you more flexibility when it comes to editing your photos. Plus, you won’t lose quality in the process. With RAW format, you can preserve more colors and details in your images.
5 portrait photography tips using a phone
- Clean your lens
The most essential photography tip for beginners when shooting with a phone is to clean your smartphone’s camera lens. For every professional photographer, it’s extremely important to keep camera lenses clean. But for some reason, people ignore this rule when shooting with a phone. Even though you use your phone daily, collecting dust and smudges on its camera lens.
- Maximize phone camera settings
As with any camera, you need to adjust its settings before your photo session. A phone camera is no exception. The three pillars of photography are ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. For portrait photography:
- Set your ISO to a lower number to reduce noise;
- Adjust the aperture to a lower f-stop for a blurred background;
- Set your shutter speed to twice the focal length of the lens.
- Use portrait mode
If you don’t want to manually adjust the perfect portraiture settings, use portrait mode. It will automatically separate the subject from the background, creating a bokeh effect (blur quality) behind it. However, for the best results, use it only in well-lit conditions.
- Find the best light source
Good lighting is key to a high-quality image. Whether you’re using your digital camera or phone, make sure to photograph your subject in a well-lit area. If you shoot portraiture indoors, position your subject near a window or use artificial lighting (ring light, neon strip light, etc.).
- Avoid using digital zoom
While true optical zoom will enlarge your subject without losing quality, digital zoom will only degrade the image. As a result, you’ll receive a grainy, blurry, or pixelated photo. Instead of using digital zoom, physically move closer to your subject to get a better shot.
5 portrait photography tips and tricks for professionals
- Master the technical side
Once you become a pro photographer, it’s essential to master the technical side of portrait photography. When shooting, you have to consider things like quality of light, lighting pattern, lighting ratio, camera lenses, camera settings, and additional equipment (a tripod, reflectors, and professional lighting).
- Create a shot list
Don’t blindly trust the process; ensure your success by creating a shot list before each portrait session. In the list, outline the specific poses, angles, and expressions you want to capture. This way, you can stay more organized during the photo session, making sure you don’t miss any important shots.
- Direct your subject like a pro
As a photographer, you must confidently orchestrate the creative process. If you prepare a shot list before the shoot, you’ll know exactly what poses you want your subject to be in, making it easier for both you and the model. Thus, you can propose advanced posing techniques while giving clear and effective directions.
- Allow spontaneity
A well-thought-out shot list can help guide the photo session, but don’t be afraid to allow for some spontaneity as well. Sometimes, the best shots come from unexpected moments or poses that weren’t planned.
- Experiment with creative concepts
To make your portraits more captivating, try organizing thematic or conceptual portrait shoots where you can use props, costumes, and creative makeup. From the early 2000s to cottagecore, 2024 is full of aesthetics that can be used for creative portraits.
To sum up
Hopefully, these photography tips and tricks will help you step up your portrait photography game. But don’t get discouraged if your first few attempts don’t turn out exactly how you envisioned. Always try to remember that practice makes perfect.
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