Many professional photos are constantly being uploaded onto the internet more than ever. With so many photographers on the web, people have gotten so used to looking at images that even the time span for viewing a photo has minimized, thanks to apps like Instagram, Tik tok, etc.
Here I will share the best pro tips every portrait photographer should keep in mind when photographing people.
Choose a Pleasing Background
Many photographers who begin taking portraits usually are doing the photo sessions outdoors. In the case where you are shooting outside, it is best to focus on backgrounds with little noise. Meaning, it should look clean and not filled with a lot of background noise. This will allow for the portrait to look pleasing to the eye.
Clean Too much background noise
Try a 50 mm Lens
A 50 mm lens is known to be the lens that closely mimics the human eye. Making it one of, if not the best photography lens to use for portraits. Keep in mind a 50 mm will not blur every background as easily as a 35 mm; you will need to constantly be aware of your backgrounds with a 50 mm. Overall, it will make you a better photographer than those who use a 35 mm for portraits. Below is an example of a 50 mm lens blurring the back, this effect is known as shallow depth of field.
Be Aware of Composition
When it comes to producing good photographs; the ones with good composition are always the more favorable photos. When I started taking portraits I would receive feedback from professors and professionals that my composition was spot on. Although I may have been off slightly on a technical aspect in the photo, the composition made up for the pact that the photo was eye-grabbing to the viewer. At the time, I had no idea what the term meant, I simply nodded my head . Now I understand and see how composition can be the borderline of taking a good or bad photograph.
Take Advantage of Golden Hour
If you've been taking photographs for a while you may have heard of the term "golden hour." Which falls between the time 6-7pm. The sunset will offer a glamouring effect on your subject's skin; making your photo more appealing and interesting to look at. Golden hour also offers you to play with contrast as you can see in the image above.
Experiment with your subjects hair
This tip is a big help when it comes to making your subject look like a different person. Now this tip works best with people that have medium/long hair styles. So if your model has a buzzcut or short hair this effect will not work. What you want to experiment with their hair by either combing it all to one side, side part, slick back, or even have your model just pull their long hair like if they're going to put it into a ponytail.
Now go out there and shoot!
This process in portrait photography will take some time. You will learn more from your mistakes than improvement. Every time I look back on some photos, I see what I could've done differently to improve the shot. All in all this is an artwork one learns by making technical mistakes. There are so many photos I have captured beautifully but my focus was off or the shutter speed was too slow.
Comments