How To Take Great Portraits

Portraits is my preferred photography discipline. It is one of the most difficult subjects as most people are sensitive about being photographed. It is our job as a photographer to get the best result this tutorial aims to offer a few tips that I have learnt.

Being able to control your subject is helpful and having confidence in your skills is a major reason in your success to lead a subject. As everyone is not born Heidi Klum and if you are not shooting a model, asking your subject to pose will most likely scare them an make them clamp up and look unnatural.

If you can try and make time to have a cup of tea (a coffee from Starbucks works also) with them. Try to get to know your subject and explain the process of how you work as they have had different experiences in the past. The point here is to leave no surprises. Learn their personality, gain some trust and create a friendly and relaxed environment. Another good idea is to have your portfolio with you as you can show them if they have not already seen your work. They will be far more relaxed knowing you have the skill to take a great photo of them.

Pose

If you chose to direct the subject to look at you; eye contact with the camera can really help and bring out a lot of emotion, as well as show a lot of personality. Do not forget to fill your frame with this shot.

If you are taking a shot from a profile angle; do not forget to have leading space between the subject and the edge of the frame. Using the Rule of Thirds here will give you a very natural feeling shot.

Props are a handy addition to any shoot. Not only do they help ease up a subject, they can help create a more unique and interesting photo. Beware the overuse of props though, as sometimes they can detract from the main subject; your model.

Eyes

One of the biggest details to pay attention to in Portrait Photography is the eyes. They are, as cliché as it is, the window to the soul and where most people find themselves being drawn to in most photos.

Accidentally, some photographers put the most focus on the nose area and let the depth of field fall off from that point leaving the eyes less sharp. You will get a better result if you allow the eyes to be the most in-focus point. Take your time. A good post-processing tip is to add selective vibrance and exposure over the eyes to help bring out the pupil’s interesting colour and patterns.

Having slightly wider pupils than usual is also a preference as it is a sign of attraction. As Poker players and psychologists alike know when we see something we like, our pupils dilate.

Background

When taking a portrait, the background is too often overlooked. Having an active background can help say a lot about your subject; outside on the street – they lead busy lives, in a kitchen – they are in the catering industry. Make sure to remember what your primary subject is though.

Sometimes for promotional shots or where the background will be part of the composition it is best to use a solid backdrop. For this, I recommend a neutral grey so that you do not lose any highlights or shadows and can easily remove the background.

Personality

As a photographer your motto should be Carpe Minutam (Seize the Minute). Your photograph should not only accurately portray what the subject looks like, but also convey some emotion in time. The viewer should instantly feel like they know the person or can relate to the emotion somehow.

Post-processing

Photoshop is a friend, not an enemy. The camera is often not very forgiving. We get the best cameras we can to help us shoot but unfortunately they come with a downside. They will pick up any dirty or blemishes the subject has on their skin, and even the most beautiful girls do. Using the healing tool, patch tool or stamp tool and a slight touch of skin smoothing to rectify that. I have not met a subject yet who has come back asking “Can you please go back and add that zit I had on the tip of my nose?”