Portrait Photography Tips/ Experimenting with light:
Other:
- Hold your camera very still or use a tripod. You do not want the photo to be blurry.
- Know how to use the manual focus on your camera. If you do not have a manual focus, know how to use your auto focus. Make sure to focus on the person not the background.
- Focus on someones eyes to make them the focal point. This tends to soften skin.
- KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid. Simplify the background (uncluttered) or use narrow depth of field (subject is in focus, background is blurry).
- Get up Close. Do not be afraid to cut off parts by focusing on a particular body part (creative).
- Altar perspective. Different angles.
- Experiment with lighting. (Side lighting, backlighting)
- Break the rules.
- Take a series of shots and put them together. Odd number selections are more interesting.
- Introduce a prop. Can relax them.
- Play with eye contact. Tell them to look off to the side, up, down, or over your shoulder.
- Shoot candidly. Not posed.
Other:
- Best time to take photos is during the golden hour- 1 hour before dawn or 1 hour before dusk. The light is soft and golden.
- Do not shoot into the sun. (Unless you want a silhouette) Otherwise have the sun behind you. If this causes the subject to squint, move them to the shade.
- During a bright and sunny day, go into the shade.
- Play around with different colored filters/ lights.
- Place the subject in the dead center. Or you can have the person way off center.
- Add emotion or a blur to the photo.