Five Tips for Taking Better Portraits
People make a great focus and subject for many different photos. Whether you’re trying to get better pictures of your kids, or you want to tell a story through your photographs, including some portraits in your repertoire can help you achieve your goals. These five tips for taking better portraits will help you get there faster as well
Change Your Perspective
Most people are used to looking at things head on, so when you change the perspective of a photo, it changes the way they view things. Try getting down on your kids’ level when taking their photos to see things from their world. Or climb up high to shoot a subject from above to give an aerial appearance to a scene.
Don’t Make Eye Contact
It’s natural to have your subject looking into the camera lens, but having them looking off frame or in frame at someone or something else can make the portrait more intimate. Try taking some shots with someone looking just off to the side of the lens to see how it changes their look.
Try Candid Shots
Posing can be fun, but so can just shooting some candid photos. When you take candid portraits you invite the viewer into the subject’s world, which makes for a more interesting composition. Mix it up and have your subject just relax and interact with his or her surroundings in a natural way to get better, more intimate shots.
Get In Close
Who says that a portrait needs to capture all of someone? Getting in very close and illuminating just one part of a person can be extremely powerful, because what’s outside of the frame has a story to tell as well. Try framing just a part of a person or a single area of their face or body to up your impact.
Take Shots in a Series
Try snapping away as your subject moves around, plays, and interacts with his or her surroundings. You may find things in a series that aren’t always obvious from a single shot, such as the change in facial expression, which can lead the viewer on a journey.
Get Comfortable with Your Subject
Portrait taking is something that every photographer will do at some point. Get comfortable with the subject enough to have some fun with it, and get better results from your art.