Tips to take better portraits
Portraits is one of the most popular type of photography out there. Everyone with a camera or with a phone taking a picture of another person if fact is taking a portrait
I do not believe a simple face in a picture limits the definition of a portrait. There are other ways to capture people, not necessarily in the most obvious daylight record of their face. I think a shadow or a silhouette suggesting or capturing one aspect of the entire personality of the subject can be also considered portraits.
What do you think about these examples?
Are they portraits?
Are there artistic enough?
Do they capture essence of the subject?
Do they capture just an idea, feeling or just create a visual powerful impact?
Let’s explore few tips how to take better portraits
- Think outside the box. As per the above comments I am recommending everyone to try to see a portraits with different eyes, rather than snapping a shot in someone’s face
- Try to think what you want to show…is it one aspect of the personality, is it the essence of who they are, is it just a detail exaggerated to highlight the core quality like an eye macro shot, or lips. Is it a silhouette running or dancing
- Think about light, and how do you want to highlight the core qualities of the subject. Do you want natural light, do you play with artificial lights.
- Do you use shadows, darks, greys or contrast
- Do you want to integrate the portrait in a longer story? Or just show a portrait in isolation
- Have you thought about composition rules?
Symmetry,
- rule of thirds,
- repetition,
- balance,
- perspective
- How do you use the colour, is it relevant, does it play a role?
- Do you want to capture a candid shot or do you capture a posed shot.
These obviously are just some questions that I believe have value if you think about at least half of them before you press the trigger. Todays session was not about me telling you what to do and how to do it to become a better portrait photographer, but just an attempt to create a line of thoughts within yourself
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