www.photographyworlds.com
www.photographyworlds.com
Portrait Tips and Tricks - We’ve selected our favourite portrait photography tips and tricks to help you make the most of a shoot. Portraiture has long been popular with photographers, but there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. Find out more about this important genre and learn how you can improve your portraits with our Portrait Tips and Tricks here : Pick Up a Prop If you are working with an uncomfortable or reticent subject, try incorporating a prop into the shoot. Most people will feel much more relaxed and a lot less awkward when they have something specific to do – such as holding an object of some kind, particularly if it is something personal to them. Keep The Energy Up Portrait photogr, need to be enthusiastic and inspire the same sort of enthusiasm in their subjects. If your subjects feel inspired by you and your energy levels they will try harder themselves, wnich in turn will help you to keep coming up with different ideas. Safety in Numbers Where possible, start portrait sessions with a group shot – especially with tense or uneasy
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models. Camera shy people will feel far less threatened and nervous when they are not the only one being photographed, and they will probably be quite happy to pose after the warm-up provided by a group shoot. Aperture matters A wide aperture, like f2 or f1.4, will produce extremely shallow depth of field that can look very attractive in portraits. But be extra careful with your focusing to ensure that the eyes are sharp. The eye nearest the lens should be the main focal point when you’re using shallow depth of field. Negative space works Negative space in a portrait can look incredibly effective. The only point to remember is that your subject must not be looking away from the negative space, and negative space usually works better towards the left of the frame, the subject on the right, rather than the other way around.
Work Quickly
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Keeping things moving during the shoot will prevent your subject from getting restless and it also helps them to have more confidence in your abilities. Spending too long on something makes you look less purposeful and will make the client think that things aren’t working. Simple light Don’t assume that you need lots of different lights to create a pro-looking portrait. Many of the best portraits are taken using just one carefully positioned light. Using several lights often only serves to make everything more complex and doesn’t necessarily improve the shots. Get gritty Whereas some subjects suit soft, flattering light that suppresses imperfections and blemishes, other subjects – including older men – often work well with processing that really highlights every nuance and detail oi their face and skin. Consider the crop Creative or unusual crops can make a massive difference to a portrait. Don’t be afraid to crop in really tight on your subject’s face, perhaps even cropping out some of your subject’s face. Try breaking the conventional portraiture rules for dynamic images. Go beyond portrait lenses You often hear photographers describing an 85mm lens as a great portrait lens. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t shoot great portraits with a wide angle lens. Never be afraid to experiment and go for creative compositions. The Eyes Have It Pay close attention to your subject’s eyes. What expression do they have? Where are they looking? How sharp are they? Ask yourself these questions when you are posing your models and composing your portraits, and you’ll see the difference in your shots. Edit your shots The work you do in Lightroom and Photoshop can make a difference to the quality of your portraits. Experiment with different crops and different contrast levels. If you shoot RAW. you can also tweak the white balance. Black and white Some portraits simply work better in black and white. Shadowy low key images are a classic example, but don’t overlook the potential of high-key conversions. Always try out an image in mono before committing to colour.
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Have a Plan Ready It’s very important to have a plan for your shoot so that you have something to go on once the subject is there and the session has begun. When you don’t have to think of ideas during the shoot, because you’ve already planned them, you’ll find that plenty of ideas will come to you as you work. Avoid direct on-camera flash Using an on-camera flash as a main light source will rarely result in top quality portraits. Without bouncing your flash or modifying it with a small softbox, the light produced is very likely to be harsh and unflattering. Source from Photographers Forum UK www.photographyworlds.com www.photographyworlds.com Check Out The Full Indepth Details Here: 15 Foolproof Portrait Tips and Tricks
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