To have amazing portrait photography you can use the following tips and tricks.
Fill the frame with your subject
There are basically two types of portraits than you can take. These being either:-
- Head and shoulders
- Full length
Full length will be taken when you wish to capture the outfit that the individual is wearing (for example at a wedding). When taking head and shoulder shots don’t be afraid to zoom in close, (however remember that zooming in does not mean capturing only face shots).
Keep eyes in the upper third
An exception to this rule however, is when a subject is full-bodied in the bottom third of the frame.
Looking away from the camera
Ask the individual to focus their attention on something unseen and outside the field of view of your camera. This can create a feeling of intrigue and interest as the viewer of the shot wonders what they are looking at. This intrigue is particularly drawn about when the subject is showing some kind of emotion (ie laughing or looking surprised). Try to capture the emotion being shown in your picture.
Looking within the frame
For example have a mother looking at her baby, which will create a relationship and a story of the photograph.
Experiment with Lighting
By adding lighting to a photograph, this can create mood to your photographs. Try to avoid using the built in flash on your camera as this is likely to cause red-eye. If photographing outdoors, it’s best to avoid harsh sunlight as this can create shadows and also make the individual squint – a look that will not look attractive in your photographs.