How to Make the Most of Portrait Photography

When it comes to professional photography, portraiture is easily the most common type, hands down! Even if we talk about everyday photography, selfies are the most commonly shot, and happen to be portraits of individuals and groups.

A common notion about portrait photography is that it only features a single individual. However, a portrait can actually be of one or more people. You can distinguish a portrait from other forms by simply pointing out the focal point of the image. 

In portrait photography, the focus is on the subjects’ facial features. Professional portrait photographers, however, factor in several other aspects in order to produce a picture that is perfect in all forms. 

If you are a newbie in the area of professional portrait photography, here are a few tips and tricks that will help you make the most out of it. 

Draw Attention to the Subject

When you are shooting a portrait, you want to draw the viewers’ complete attention towards the subject.  There are a couple of ways you can do so. 

One of the best tricks to go about it is to play with your angles. With constant exposure to the same angles, the person viewing portraits may skip out on the details. When you capture the portrait from a unique angle, it is what catches the eye, and draws attention to the photo in the first place. 

A universal way to draw attention to something is to frame it. That is what you can do as well. While many amateur portrait photographers often add frames during the editing process, you can make it a part of your raw photography too. 

A simple way to do that would be to put your subject behind a window. For additional effect, you can use hanging tree branches as a frame or any other space from where the subject can peek out at the camera. 

Natural Light

Lighting is certainly among the most crucial aspects of any form of photography, let alone portraitures. Professional photographers use light to create the essence of a picture. While outdoor portraiture is mostly done using natural light, you can do so for indoor photo sessions as well by having the subject sit beside an open window. The light hitting the face from a window can offer the perfect contrast for a great portrait picture. So the next time you shoot indoors, why waste time setting up the lighting panel? Make the most of daylight instead.

Placement

Portraiture is all about how your subject is portrayed to the viewer. This is why it is of immense importance to place them strategically in a surrounding where they become the highlight. Most contemporary cameras, especially the more professional ones, therefore, offers a feature to blur out the noise in a picture’s background while taking portraits. This brings the entire focus on the subject.

If you want to incorporate the background, you can place the subject in a way that they become the core focus of a photo. For instance, try placing your subject right in the middle, which is generally a more commonly focused area in any picture. For a more stylish look, you can place the subject on the edge while blurring the background. This also allows for a better and more creative picture. 

Keep it Natural

In portraiture, the subject is quite close to the camera. Moreover, since the facial expressions are highlighted, it is quite easy for the viewer to distinguish between real and fake expressions. The latter is something you don’t want. No matter how good the conditions are for perfect portraitures, and regardless of how well you shoot the image, a fake expression can bring it all down.

The trick is to make the subject feel comfortable. A lot of professionals even prefer to get the subject out of their comfort zones in order to get a more candid picture. The bottom line is to make sure that the facial expressions remain natural. This will assist your efforts with the technical aspects of portraiture and result in an awe-inspiring picture. 

Take the Risk

If you’re confident in your ability to keep the focus on the subject, you can even add a prop to the picture. This will add more interest to the picture, making it an even better shot. This will also add another layer to your picture. However, most portrait photographers prefer avoiding these props to remove the risk of taking away too much focus from the core subject. 

Tell a Story

A picture is better than a thousand words. This is what elevates the importance of expressions in portraitures even more. Since they are close-ups of a person or group, the subject has the chance to deliver a story. This can be done by letting the individual or group portray their emotions in the truest manner. With the right click, you will be able to do justice to the picture and deliver a story worth a thousand words. 

Other Key Factors

There is a lot more that you can do to make your portraits look more enticing. For instance, you can play with the background as that can help your subject stand out in the picture. You can start off by using a minimalistic background which makes focusing easier. As you go pro, you can even opt for colorful backgrounds that blend well with the subject without drifting away from the focus of the portrait. 

A false notion that prevails about portraiture is that you can only take pictures in a square frame. This is no such condition for a great picture. You can even enjoy a wider frame and still end up with a portrait that stands out. 

Shooting Portraitures 

Want to see what professional portraitures would look like? Head over to Dino Mosley Photography. We are one of the biggest names when it comes to portrait photography. You can get yours done at pocket-friendly rates simply by dialing 323-332-1197 and getting in touch with us. We also provide consultation services. For more information, email us at info@dinomosleyphotography.com.