I have put together 15 tips and advice here to help you improve your images.
1 - Focus on the gaze
I cannot repeat it enough, the focus for a portrait photo is on the eye because it is really the most important point. "The eyes are the windows to the soul" wrote the Belgian novelist Georges Rodenbach.
Accurate focus on the eye is really crucial.
2 - Shoot with a large opening
Taking a wide aperture portrait (f / 4 and below) has several advantages. The first is that it allows you to have a beautiful background blur, with the corollary of better bringing out your subject. Then, if you use really large apertures (f / 2.8 and below) as it is possible to do with fixed focal lengths, it makes it possible to soften the skin and therefore to reduce the small blemishes of the face. When using these iris values then it is extremely important to focus on the eye closest to the camera. If the portrait is face-on, it does not matter, but if it is three-quarter length, it is mandatory.
3 - Do not use a focal length below 50mm
If you take a portrait with a wide angle (type 28mm and below) it will distort the subject due to the distortion of the lens, especially if you are very close. In addition, if you want to take a close portrait with this type of lens, it will force you to get so close that you will accumulate a reinforcement of the distortion with a very strong distortion of your subject linked to the perspective. The last thing you want is to turn your model into a misshapen being.
My opinion is that the 50mm is a minimum, although it is not, strictly speaking, a portrait lens. Prefer focal lengths of 70mm and above. Basically, the whole family of telephoto lenses. The compression effect will allow you, again, to have a better background.
4 - Fill in the frame
It is a basic rule of composition: do not leave too much negative space, that is to say space-where-nothing-happens-nothing, around your subject. Don't be tempted by your viewfinder by putting your model's head right in the middle, with lots of void around. In the case of a very tight portrait photo, you can even cut off the forehead. The cinema uses this process constantly.
5 - Leave room in front of the eye
Again, this is a rule of thumb. When placing your subject's head in the frame, be sure to leave room in front of the gaze. So you give air to your model. If you glue the face against one edge of the frame, it's like locking it up, without leaving it space to express itself.
6 - Avoid the portrait photo in direct sunlight
As I have often shown, taking a portrait in the middle of the day has only drawbacks . This draws very hard shadows under the arches, under the nose and under the chin, the model's eyes crinkle because of the light, in summer, we sweat… In short, we must avoid, unless using one of the techniques following.
7 - Use a reflector or diffuser
Light management is an important part of a portrait photo. Your goal is to present your topic in the best possible light, let it be flattering. For this, you have to tame the light, especially outdoors. If you want to shoot in the middle of the day, a diffuser is an irreplaceable ally. It will allow you to soften the light and therefore the facial features. You can also choose to shoot against the light by adding a reflector (see diagram). This allows to have a good rendering. If you don't have a photographer's reflector (which sometimes costs an arm), you can always use a white sheet, or even a polystyrene plate… UNBEATABLE value for money. The problem with these two techniques (diffuser and reflector) is that you need someone to hold these accessories. So, if you don't have an assistant, refer to the following tip ...
8 - If not, find a natural reflector
A wall of a rather neutral or a little warm color (yellow, orange, not too strong) makes an excellent reflector. All you have to do is place your model close enough so that it can take advantage of the soft light reflected from the wall. We don't think about it often enough and yet it is an extremely powerful tool. So when the natural light is very harsh, and you don't have a reflector, find an object in the environment that can replace it.
9 - Shoot in the shade, but open to the light
It's about putting your model in the shade, but at the edge of the light. It's not that easy to explain it. This is why I advise you to watch the video of the open shadow available in the Corporate Photo training : shooting and business with Alice Prenat to see what an "open shadow" is.
10 - Woman portrait photo: no front, but 3/4
This is not a basic photo rule, it's a basic rule…. short. Women like to be highlighted. One way to do this is to have women pose three quarters and not face. Why ? Well, it's very simple. If you put it in front of the lens, it will appear full width in the image. Conversely, if you put her at an angle, her body will be less imposing, and therefore she will appear more to her advantage. It's stupid as cabbage… but it works.
11 - Create curves, spaces, triangles
Always in order to slim women, a very effective technique consists in creating curves, spaces and triangles in the model's posture. This refines the silhouette on the one hand, and at the same time, it emphasizes the feminine forms. I made you a diagram to illustrate all that.
12 - Male portrait photo: front view
Conversely, we can pose a man from the front, precisely to bring out his stature, his build. This exacerbates the masculine, square, strong side.
13 - Create a good atmosphere
Make an effort to create a favorable atmosphere when photographing someone. For that, a few loose ends. First, talk to your model, don't wall yourself in silence, it's intimidating and therefore tense. If you are indoors, you can put on some music. The best is to listen to the songs that your subject likes. It can bring a lot of positive energy. Be careful, however, not to put too much power, you must be able to communicate at any time, this is PRIMORDIAL. Encourage your role model by staying positive and telling him / her that he / she is good looking. If you have the soul of a joker, (tasteful) jokes are not forbidden. Speak calmly and calmly, not in a loud voice. Finally, don't let your model stare at the goal for too long, because as the seconds tick away, his face might contract. The solution: tell your model to look elsewhere (on the ground for example) and then come back to look at the lens.
14 - Tilt your chin slightly down
Making the model tilt her chin down has two effects. One, that will make his eyes look bigger, and when you know the importance of the eyes in a portrait (see rule 1) it's a real plus. Two, if the person has a tendency to double chin, it will have the effect of hiding it (at least a little).
15 - Avoid shooting from above (at the same level or below, it's better)
Shoot at eye level or below. If you trigger from above, your subject (when diving) will tend to settle down.
Bonus - Break the rules
Since the beginning of the article, there are quite a few rules to follow. Well you know what, once you get them in it's time to transgress them: use a lot of negative space, take a top view portrait, stuck the face at the edge of the frame, focus on the back of the head… what do I know. The photo feeds on all the experiments, so let go.
I hope all these tips will help you in the practice of portrait photography.
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