Starting Portrait Photography

“Want to start portrait photography but not sure how to begin? Just a few technique tips will make all the difference between a simple snapshot and an awe-inspiring portrait photo”

What equipment will I need for Portrait Photography?

You don’t need an awful lot of equipment when first starting portrait photography – you can start with just a good compact camera but a DSLR would of course be better.

How do I start?

When starting portrait photography I suggest that you choose one style to concentrate on. Once you feel confident with your chosen style choose another to master. Concentrating on and mastering one style at a time will boost your confidence and make learning new portrait photography techniques much easier.

The main styles of portrait photography are:

• Head and shoulders/close up
   
• Upper body or full length
   
• Environmental portrait photography (Capturing your subject in his or her work or home etc.)
   
• Family portrait photography

Ask a friend or family member to pose for you – this will make you more relaxed and give you loads of confidence!

Before starting a portrait photography session, you should have an idea of what poses you want your sitter to take. When I first started portrait photography and wanted some inspiration I looked through countless magazines, cut out the poses I liked and kept them all together in a folder then, using my folder, I could quickly get ideas of how I wanted my sitter to pose.

What lens should I use?

Use the right lens to avoid distortion - unless it is an effect you want!

The best focal length for portrait photography is between 50 - 105mm The classic head and shoulder portrait setting is around 85mm on a telephoto zoom lens; this setting will flatter the face and make the subject’s nose look shorter than it is. If you are using the aperture-priority on your camera set it to a wide aperture (f/5.6 or larger) – this will make the background blurry and your subject stand out.


Experiment with other focal lengths to see what results they give. If you set the focal length to 50mm be careful not to get too close to your subject as this can give unflattering results and overemphasises the nose.

Is it best to take portrait photography inside or outside?

Try taking some portrait photography outside, that way you haven’t got to worry about indoor lighting. Make sure it is not too sunny (you don’t want your sitter to be squinting because the sun is in his or her eyes) - just a little bit of sun and some cloud. A cloudy day is great for taking portrait photography as the cloud diffuses the light and this will compliment your subjects face. One of the best times to take portrait photography is either late morning or early afternoon as the light at this time of day is more flattering to your subject.

Focus on your subjects eyes

Remember:

• Plan where your subject is going to sit and avoid too many distracting backgrounds. Always check that there isn’t a tree, lamppost or flower growing out of your subject’s head!
   
• Establish a rapport with your subject to make them feel more relaxed.
   
• If you are using your camera hand held, try crouching down and get your subject to lean forward a bit.
   
• Focus on your subjects eyes, make sure they are nice and sharp – in all portraits, whether art or portrait photography the eyes are always the focal point of the picture.

If my sitter wears glasses will their glasses reflect light, especially if I use fill-in flash?

Try to get your sitter to angle their face slightly to avoid reflection in their glasses

Almost certainly yes! Even if you don’t use flash you will still see reflections in the subjects glasses and this can cause a bit of a problem when taking portrait photography. If your sitter wears glasses all the time don’t ask them to take their glasses off as:


(Someone I know suggested that you ask your sitter to bring frames along without any lenses in them – I have not tried this out yet!)

Is there any other equipment I should use for portrait photography?

• Whenever suitable I suggest using a tripod and, if you have one, a remote control for your camera. Using a tripod when taking portrait photography prevents “camera shake” which will ruin the best of pictures!

  Reflectors can direct light onto your subjects face to help improve your picture

• A reflector would also be handy:

• Lastolite do a very good range of portable reflectors. Reflectors bounce light up into your subjects face and can help to fill in shadows making the lighting on their face soft and even. 

• (A cheap alternative is to buy a large piece of white card approx. A1 size (594 x 841 mm -- 23.4 x 33.1 inches) and cover with a sheet of tin foil and stick the tin foil on to the card with some masking tape.

• Reflectors are excellent for using indoors, with or without studio lighting. If your subject is sitting next to a window try using a reflector at different angles to reflect the natural light from the window onto your subject.   

• Use your filters when experimenting with portrait photography – try a warm up filter to improve the skin tone or a diffuser filter to offer a softer effect.
   
• Use your flash for fill-in if there are harsh shadows. Fill-in flash will lighten the shadows – if using your flash set it to the red-eye reductions mode.

Be chatty and friendly to your sitter, make them feel comfortable – if you make a few mistakes let them know, it will break the ice - just enjoy yourself and try using these portrait photography tips!








P.S. Don’t forget to send me your portrait photos for inclusion in the digital photo gallery!