Tips on Photographing People
Portraits are a lot of fun to take, especially of your friends and family. However, you are probably looking for ways to get more creative and make your photographs look more professional. What follows are tips to take stunning portraits, steering away from the boring ‘snap-shot.’
1. Do not place your subject in the middle of the frame. Rarely do you want someone in the center because it does not make for an interesting photograph. Experiment putting your subject to one side of the frame- by doing that you include some background which adds context.
2. You will want soft lighting for portrait photography. By keeping the light source to your back, you will avoid backlighting your subject, which makes them dark (this is a cool effect sometimes) losing detail in their face. Natural, outdoor lighting is best, and that is usually before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
3. Some cameras will have a “Portrait” setting, which sets a shallow depth of field that creates a blurred background. This is a great feature because you subject is the main focus. Manually, you can set your aperture below 5.6 to get the same effect.
4. Don’t be afraid to get close to your subject. Zoom in; fill the frame with their face. Also, photograph your subject looking somewhere else besides the camera. Always make sure that your subject is comfortable and having fun.
5. While many portraits are of the subject’s face, not all of them have to be. Try capturing a portrait without the subject’s face. What do their hands, feet, or possessions say about them? Where do they work, where are they in their element, where do they enjoy spending time?
6. Explore your inner creativity. Have fun tilting your camera, or have your subject run around or jump up and down. If you use a tripod in low lighting, you can create a streaking effect using a slow shutter speed with a moving subject.
Have fun, there are not set rules to follow. Your subject may even have some ideas for certain shots or locations. After the photo shoot, send your subject one of the wonderful photographs you took.
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