Portrait photography is one of the top three specializations for photographers. But, what are the top portrait photography tips to ensure that your photos look their best?
Well, it’s time to find out. Let’s go through how to get started with portrait photography.
Create The Right Setting
Having the right background for your portrait photos will help make sure they’re as good as they can be.
Ensure that your subject is comfortable with the setting. If they’re uncomfortable with the setting, it’s bound to show up in their face or pose, and your end result won’t be as good.
If you decide you were wrong about the setting after the fact, you can look into options to help you remove background from an image.
Depending on the setting, you’ll need different lighting. The lighting needed for outdoor and indoor settings is very different, for example. Some types of lighting you can utilize include butterfly light, broad light, flat light, loop lighting, silhouette lighting, and many others.
Try Different Angles
Portrait photography isn’t all headshots. You can use different angles and different forms of composition for interesting portrait photos. Your subject can be in different parts of the image, or you can be closer or further away from them.
But, don’t be frightened to get a little out there with your photography, either. You can experiment with different unusual angles to see if you can get something truly unique out of your subject.
You’ll have different angles to try depending on the aim of your photo, too. You’ll want to stay more traditional if you’re taking headshots. However, if you’re taking street portraits, you’ll want to try something totally different.
Get Comfortable With Photo Editing
There are also actions you can take in post-production to improve your portrait photos. So, becoming a great photo editor can really benefit you. Download your editing software of choice, and start experimenting.
Playing with the highlights and shadows is particularly important when it comes to portrait photography. Highlights will allow you to balance the lighting and ensure that the colors stand out.
If you’re brand-new to this world, you can watch YouTube tutorials or read articles to help introduce yourself to these concepts. If you have some spare time, you can also sign up for a class to get some truly professional advice.
Consider The Eyes
Your subject’s eyes are truly the soul of any portrait. So, you need to keep them in mind. Start off any photo shoot by centering your subjects’ eyes in your image. You can use them as a focal point in your first few images.
Try shooting some images at their eye level, too. This will help keep your angles flattering and consistent.
Portrait Photography: Get Started
Clearly, portrait photography isn’t as difficult as you think. It just takes some time and practice.
Are you searching for more photography advice? Scroll through a few of our other helpful posts for everything you need to know.
