Portraits are a lot of fun to take, especially of your friends and family. However, you are probably looking for ways to get more creative and make your photographs look more professional. What follows are tips to take stunning portraits, steering away from the boring 'snap-shot.'
1. Placing your subject in the middle of the frame is generally a bad idea. The reason being is because it makes for a very uninteresting photograph. Try placing your subject in the left side or the right side of the frame, because now you are including some background in your photo, adding context.
2. Place your subject where the sun is gently lighting their face. If your light source is behind your subject, they will end up being darker than the background and you will lose detail in their face (there are some occasions where you would want this effect). The best natural (outdoor) lighting is in the morning and afternoon, specifically before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
3. Your camera may have a "Portrait" setting, creating a blurred background because it sets a shallow depth of field, blurring the background. This feature is very useful, and it will allow the viewer to focus on the subject. If you want to create this effect manually, set your aperture below 5.6
4. Try getting close to your subject. Zoom in; feel free to fill the frame with your subject's face. You may want to have them look in different directions rather than directly into the camera. The most important thing is that your subject is comfortable and having fun.
5. Don't forget that a portrait does not just have to be a subject's face. Challenge yourself to capture your subject without including their face. Can you tell a story using your subject's hands, feet, or possessions? Where do they enjoy spending time, where do they work, where are they in their element?
6. Be creative. Try tilting the camera, or have the person move around. In low lighting (and using a tripod), you can use a long shutter speed to create streaking effects.
Have fun, there are not set rules to follow. Your subject may even have some ideas for certain shots or locations. After the photo shoot, send your subject one of the wonderful photographs you took.
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