From dreamy imagery with blurred backgrounds to striking monochromatic depictions, portraiture photography relies on your handle with a camera, the sense of the subject matter and your creative talent to bring these critical elements together to produce stunning images.
If you’re struggling in capturing professional-looking portraiture work, this tutorial outlines eight effective techniques that are guaranteed to elevate your portfolio to the next level. You will learn how to find the perfect background for your subject, considering the light source to properly prepare the subject matter for the shoot.
Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will be shooting stunning portraiture photography with your mirrorless camera or your DSLR.
Understanding portraiture photography
Portrait photography is a specific style of photography that focuses on a person or people as the subjects. This style of photography is all about capturing the personality, identity and attitude of a person with the help of posing, props, lighting and backgrounds.
While the definition of portraiture work sounds straightforward, it can be the most challenging form of photography to excel.
Creative Portrait Photography Tips
A mirrorless digital camera and a DSLR can allow the user to manipulate different settings on your camera and the aspects of your photo compositions. When you become more adept at operating your camera, you can do things such as adjusting the exposure compensation to altering the light to changing the shutter speed of your lens. You can also manipulate the depth of field to sharpen the focus on your model’s facial features. Alternatively, you can also use a deeper depth with a wide-angle lens to create a stunning environmental portrait.
Here are Sydney Photographic Workshops eight techniques to enhance your shots and transform lacklustre portraits into stunning portraits.
- Diffuse light sources: When selecting the environment for your shot, consider soft diffused natural light for an indirect source. We find this lighting the best when shooting for portraits. Direct light or full sunlight will often cast dark shadows or create unnatural-looking skin tones. You can use a softbox or a white sheet to help you soften harsher lights and produce a more flattering image.
- Diffuse light sources: When selecting the environment for your shot, consider soft diffused natural light for an indirect source. We find this lighting the best when shooting for portraits. Direct light or full sunlight will often cast dark shadows or create unnatural-looking skin tones. You can use a softbox or a white sheet to help you soften harsher lights and produce a more flattering image.
- Use a longer lens: Using longer lenses, such as an 85mm to 200mm range, has a greater chance to produce better image compressions for portraiture photography without distorting pixels. Doing so can give you a longer focal length, which brings your background closer to your subject. In turn, it increases the background blur and creates a more dynamic portrait.
- Be choosy with backgrounds: When it comes to portraiture work, the environment is just as crucial as the subject. Crowded or distracting backgrounds can take attention away from the person in your photograph. You will want to opt for a neutral, uncluttered background that doesn’t distract viewers from the subject matter for stunning portraiture photography. You don’t always have to choose a background utterly devoid of texture or patterns. For example, a freshly painted fence could offer an excellent pop of colour. Alternatively, another technique includes an object in the background to provide added interest or context.
- Trying using gels: Gels help a photographer alter the colour temperatures of their portraiture work. If you find your photoshoot is producing odd colour contrasts, you may have to manipulate your light temperatures. If your images appear too warm, you will want to apply a CTB gel to cool the environment down. Conversely, if you’re shooting during an overcast day, you might want to add a CTO orange gel to make your environment appear warmer.
- Experiment with your angles: If you’re dedicated to going outside of the box with your portraiture photography, then don’t be afraid to try out new perspectives and breaking the rule of thirds. Be daring and shoot angles that aren’t perfectly structured or at your subject’s natural eye level. Instead, try shooting from aerial viewpoints, different angles and distances for something more candid.
- Alter the aperture: Wider apertures produce a shallow depth of field. Consequently, this will blur the background and draw focus on your main subject. If you have more than one subject (a family portrait for example), you will require a smaller aperture to ensure all persons are kept in focus.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help: You can’t master the art of portrait photography without a little help along the way. The most practical way to obtain help is by signing up for private tuition, beginners or advanced photography courses run by experienced professionals. In intimate group classes, you can reap the benefits of getting hands-on experience with your camera and gain invaluable feedback from your photography instructors. Not only will you learn new creative techniques on how to build your portfolio, but you will also receive expert advice on how to improve your current skills. Photography instructors are highly qualified, possessing years of experience and providing unbiased insight on what it really takes to become a professional in portrait photography.
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