10 Tips To Better Portraits Photography | Professional Guide
Top 10 Tips To Better Portraits - Sneak Peek
Through photography, we're able to capture serene shots of beautiful people or moments cherished with family and friends. If you know what you're doing, you can capture seconds of emotion through portrait photography that will be immortalised for generations to lay their eyes upon.
Here's a sneak peek at my top 10 tips for taking better portrait photography!
Relationship
Portrait photography isn't as simple as pointing a camera at a person and taking a photo. You need to put the time and effort into getting to know your subject. Make them feel comfortable and at ease so you can take natural photos; the best kind when it comes to portrait photography.
Understand what makes them feel all the different emotions you want to portray in your photography. Make them laugh for a joyful, energising shot or perhaps talk of deeper topics if you're looking to find a more distant facial expression. Your subject needs to be just as engaged in the photography as you are!
Get Level
If you can, try to take your photo at their eye level so you can avoid the dreaded nose or scalp cam look.
They say emotion is mostly portrayed through the eyes, so getting to their eye level means the viewers will gain a deeper understanding of the emotions you’re trying to portray. A picture is worth 1000 words so if you can get the point of view and angle right, you needn't explain your shots to anyone.
The only thing that physically changes the perspective of the photo is the camera, which is controlled by you. Move around until you find a perspective that speaks to you. Photography isn't something to be rushed; it's an art that takes time so just relax and you'll find your subject will too.
Pose Carefully
One thing that ruins portrait photography is unnatural 'poses'. Don't make your subject feel uncomfortable with positions that aren't natural to them. If possible, avoid using the word 'pose' all together; it'll remove pressure from the subject to manipulate themselves into a position they think you want to see.
Instead, ask them to adjust their position and see what they do. If you find a ‘pose’ that works for the shot you're looking for, tell them!
Consider the position of their body posture in relation to the position of the camera. Face on photos are fine for passport photos but they lack depth and energy. Experiment with various positions as well your own point of view to create something wonderful!
These are just three tips that can help you create stunning portrait photos! I cover 10 tips to taking better portrait photographs in my 5th pocket guide, Top 10 - Tips To Better Portraits. These pocket guides are great to take on the move in case you need that little bit of guidance during your shoots. There are 10 pocket photography guides in total with 3 more on the way and are all filled with useful tidbits of advice.
Take these tips to heart and you’ll be succeeding in your photography ventures in no time!
If you really want to improve your portrait photography skills then sign up for my next Portrait Photography Course.