Portrait Photography - Techniques That Can Help You Take the Perfect Shot
In portrait photography, we have a lot of control over how we represent the people we photograph. The amount of factors that impact the mood and self-image of a person are nearly limitless, so there is a lot to learn when it comes to taking quality shots. I'll cover some of the more significant methods you can apply as well as the key steps that need to be taken before you can get started.
Get to Know the Person You're Photographing
In most cases (at least as a professional), the majority of your shots will be of people who you've never met before. In fact, the best way to practice portrait photography is to ask random strangers for permission to take their photographs - you can learn a lot by experimenting with mass-production.
But, with this being said, it's important to take a little time to get to know your subject. Even if it's just a spontaneous shot taken on the streets, you should at least try to converse with people before taking their portraits, because bringing out the personality of someone is the key to giving your shot some real substance.
For example, if someone gives you permission to take their photograph, you could ask them what their hopes and dreams are while you are searching for the proper background. A woman might tell you that she yearns to be a famous singer - you could ask her to sing a line from her favorite song so you could take a shot of her emulating her ambitions. Perhaps a man would tell you that he's already made it big as a gourmet chef - a shot of him cooking or eating a meal would easily bring out his personality.
Not all of your portrait photos need to be this creative, but you'd be surprised by how amazing these kinds of shots can turn out.
Incorporate Other Objects into Your Photo
In portrait photography, props can give your subjects a little more incentive to show the camera who they really are. This could range from someone talking on the phone or a child playing with a toy - anything that allows them to interact with the scene can add even more substance to your frame. Just be aware that props and other objects can end up stealing attention away from your subject, so use them in moderation.
Capturing Movement and Decreasing Your Shutter Speed
Movement in portrait photography is a great tool for when you need to spice things up. Even the most basic of actions can produce certain moods that would otherwise be unobtainable. A person jumping in the air or dribbling a basketball - maybe a little girl chasing a dog across a field. It's extremely easy to use these simple actions to your advantage. Also, you can further enhance the focal point of your photo by keeping your subject still and capturing the movement around him or her. This is done by decreasing your shutter speed and extending your exposure.
Establishing the Proper Focus
Once you've made a decision on how you want to take someone's portrait, you need to know how to adjust your Depth of Field in respect to your composition. If your subject is further away from you, then you will probably want to use a larger aperture to keep your foreground out of focus. On the other hand, you may want your Depth of Field to be balanced so everything in the photo is in focus - this is done by using a smaller aperture.
Now, in terms of your ISO and shutter speed, you will normally want to make adjustments in respect to your aperture size. Smaller aperture means less light reception, so you will inevitably have to compensate by increasing your ISO or decreasing your shutter speed (or both).
When conducting portrait photography in an interior space, you will need to adjust your ISO in respect to the walls and ceilings. A higher ISO is useful for when the ceilings are high and the walls are further apart because less light is being bounced back to your camera.
Also, wide-angle lenses are best used for indoor shots. When taking photographs outside, you can choose to use a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens, depending on what type of composition you are trying to achieve.
Making Further Adjustments to Lighting
If you find that adjusting your ISO, aperture and shutter speed simply isn't enough to deal with the lighting, then you may want to consider using a beauty dish for your portraits. These photographic lighting devices come in all sorts of styles and they are appropriate for when you need to distribute more soft light towards your focal point.
Learn the Fundamentals and Gain Experience
There's no better way to become refined in the field of portrait photography than to gain plenty of experience. Once you've familiarized yourself with your camera and feel that you have a strong grasp on the fundamentals, start taking as many portraits as you possibly can. Experiment with different compositions and lighting adjustments until you develop your own style, then start building a strong portfolio.