Digital Portrait Photography Tips - Comparing digital cameras & buying guide for different type of digital photography

Digital Portrait Photography Tips

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Written by OpenDP

Friday, 17 February 2006

Certain kinds of photography can seem intimidating at first, especially if you’ve never had a chance to practice them. Portrait photography can take place in a number of settings, from a studio to a natural scene to a candid, unexpected situation.

To get started as a portrait photographer, first decide if you’ll be operating in a studio setting, a sports setting (like taking shots of each athlete and then shooting a team photograph) or shooting portraits of family and friends just for fun. Once you’ve decided on your level of expertise, you can move on to these relatively easy tips and hints. Don’t be shy. To capture a great portrait of your subject, sometimes it is necessary to get in pretty close. Don’t be afraid to get right in your subject’s face as you strive for the perfect shot.

Rely on simple, plain backgrounds as opposed to busy, patterned or multi-colored backgrounds. A background with detailed patterns or a lot of designs blending together may take the focus away from the subject.

Take several, if not many, photos to ensure you get at least a few really great ones. Your subject may blink, sneeze, tilt one way or the other, but if you snap a number of shots, you almost guarantee that some will come out the way you want.

Rotate your camera to introduce new angles. If you’ve been taking mainly horizontal photos, turn the camera one way or the other to capture a different view of your subject. A lengthened shot will show more neck and upper body while a horizontal shot will allow you to get closer into the subject’s facial area.

Shoot in a well-lit area. By using the flash less, you decrease the chances of your subject being photographed with red-eye. Do whatever you can to increase the natural or artificial lighting in a particular setting and use your flash as a last resort.

Organize your workspace before your subject arrives. Decide upon a backdrop and your lighting situation, take a few practice shots and be sure everything is in order before your subject appears.

Consider altering some of your settings to suit the situation and the subject. Increase the shutter speed to capture an infant’s quick movements. Shoot in black and white to add drama and elegance.

Elements to enhance photos:
- Consider including more background with your subject. By not filling the entire frame, you add new dimensions and allow yourself an escape hatch to deal with errors or imperfections in the photos.

- Introduce the hands. Emphasize certain parts of your subject’s appearance by including his or her hands in the pose. Show off a girl’s nicely manicured fingers, an engagement ring or a flower. Introduce a delicate lace umbrella or a dainty handkerchief. Trump a soon-to-be graduate’s cap or degree. Welcome a new puppy. So many adorable poses can be created with just a little bit of creativity!

- To draw out more natural looking smiles, distract an uncooperative subject with a discussion about something he or she enjoys…be it animals, summertime, sweets, sports or otherwise. By getting your subject into a pleasant conversation, you’re sure to eventually find the opportune moment to snap a few priceless portraits!