Natural Portrait Photography Tips - 10 Simple Tricks For Natural Portraits

I once put together a few little tips that help me a lot with natural portrait photography. These are all small things that are easy to use and have a big impact. Anyone who has been photographing people for a long time will know them all, but beginners in particular can make life much easier with it.

So let's get into our Natural Portrait Photography Tips - 10 Simple Tricks For Natural Portraits article shall we?

1. LOOK FOR OPEN SHADOWS

One of the simplest and oldest wisdom. Don't take photos in the blazing sun, look for shade. The light is much more even there, you have no nasty contrasts and no areas that are outshone by the sun. In addition, it is much more pleasant in the shade than in the bright sun, at least in summer 😉Look for so-called open shade. These are areas that are completely in the shade, for example due to large walls. There you usually have a large radius of action. In the example image there is also a wall made of containers on the left, which keeps out direct sunlight. In this light you don't have to pay so much attention to which direction you are shooting from.

A so-called open shadow. Mostly it is created by a wall.

2. USE THE WINDOW AS A LIGHT SOURCE

A window is often underestimated as a light source. It's one of my favorite light sources. You can work with daylight, but the light has a clearly defined direction. In contrast to the open shadow outside, the light now comes specifically from the direction of the window and there is a significant drop in light. Since you have a roof over your head, the light cannot come from above and so the edges of the eyes are minimized. If there is a curtain in front of the window, the light is really soft. It is important to pay attention to the walls. Light walls reflect light, dark ones swallow it. With dark walls you have a lot more contrast in the picture. If the model stands in the window light, it stands out really well against the background.

Window light from the front and a relatively dark room create a nice contrast.  In this picture there is also some lighting in the background, which creates a cozy atmosphere.

3. TAKE PICTURES AGAINST THE SUN

In many cases, I find backlighting more exciting than direct light from the front. Usually this gives you more depth in the picture. You have to be careful not to completely burn out the background. The trick is to find a background in the shade. For example, if there is a wall behind the model, this wall is in the shadow and therefore has drawing again. In the example image, I simply took a photo downwards to have some background. If you only have the sky on it, the background is hopelessly overexposed.

In backlighting, the model creates shadows for herself. That means it does not get any direct light on the face. The light is usually very flattering and you can also open your eyes in the sun. The exposure should be measured on the model's skin.

Back light when the sun rises.  More is not really possible

4. NO WEIRD POSES

If you've ever seen any weird poses with S-curves, hollow backs or hands on the hips on professional models, don't imitate them. For most people, these unnatural poses just look scary. If you don't have a model in front of the lens, then bring people into natural positions. Have them lean, sit down, prop up, lean somewhere. That usually works very well. Keep it simple is especially true for me when posing. A pose is a good pose if it doesn't look like a pose. On the other hand, it is difficult for most people to stand freely in the area. That's why I also love railings, because you can lean on them so nicely.

If you don't know where to put your hands: handrails always work.

5. GET CLOSE

A common mistake is showing too much in one photo. From Mutti comes the saying: “It doesn't have everything”. Pictures with too much to see are mostly boring. The art is to omit and simplify. In humans, everything happens in the face and that consists of the eyes, nose and mouth. Nobody needs the ears and hair to show emotions. Get really close and trim the pictures properly. You will be amazed what effect the photos get all at once. On the other hand, if you completely depict a person in a photo, you usually give away 60 to 70% of the photo and then of course have to take care of the background more.

6. ALWAYS BE READY

As soon as the camera moves between the photographer and the model, the model often feels a certain amount of tension. I have often noticed that people in front of the camera relax the moment they take the camera away from their eyes. That is exactly the moment when you have to be ready to fire. Sounds strange, but it's actually easy. Be ready to pull the trigger again immediately. Immediately pick up the camera and pull the trigger to capture the moment. If you spend too long looking through pictures, you will miss a lot of good situations. The following picture was taken in just such a situation. Sometimes you catch a model in an atypical pose. Sure, the focus isn't right there, but I don't care about the picture.

7. TAKE PHOTOS MANUALLY OR NOT

Taking photos by hand is certainly not something that will make you a better photographer. However, I've found that I'm more relaxed in manual mode. I set the camera once and then I can concentrate on the model. I tell the model that I'll set the camera for a moment and that it won't start yet. Then I take the time to make all the settings. After that, I can be sure that all images are the same and correctly exposed, unless I change the location or perspective. I don't always have the question in the back of my mind whether my exposure meter is actually doing what I think it should be doing. If I use aperture priority, the exposure may fluctuate as soon as I move the camera just a few centimeters.

BUT: If you are not yet so confident in handling the camera and the setting may cause you stress, then you can rely on the camera's automatic function. The advantage is that it will most likely never be so wrong that you cannot save the picture later if you have photographed in RAW. It is worth striving to get the right exposure when taking photos, but it can be helpful, especially for beginners, to concentrate completely on the model first.

2. BUT: I still often use the A mode, especially for reports. So whenever I want to concentrate fully on what is happening. Then I trust the automatic camera.

8. THROW THE FIRST THOUGHT OVERBOARD

You see a cool wall and often the first thought is to put the model directly in front of it and hold it face-on. Yes, you can do that. But the same location often offers many more options. Move around the model, get close or farther away and think about what else you can do. Often times, the first thought is also the most obvious. Most photographers would take this picture. But only when you make an effort and think about a second or third possibility does it usually get creative.

The first thought is usually to use the wall as a simple background.

9. USE THE 2/3 RULE

It cannot be said often enough. In my opinion, the 2/3 rule is the most important rule in image composition. Anyone who has been taking photos for a long time uses them intuitively and subconsciously. Pay attention to how many pictures meet the 2/3 rule. Of course you can break this rule and of course there are many other ways to build a picture, but the 2/3 rule for me is the mother as the picture design rules. I like to use the 2/3 rule in landscape format for people photography, as it gives me more space and gives the picture a context. The surroundings are often an important part of my pictures and tell the story behind them to a certain extent. OK, now that's not what you would call a natural portrait, but you know what I mean.

Two wonderfully beautiful girls. But only through the background does the picture get a story.

10. TAKE PICTURES WHILE IN MOTION

When it comes to natural poses, I like to take photos of people out of motion. Just let them go, away from you, towards you, past you. Move around the people and take photos. This gives you countless perspectives and often images that are much more vivid than if you set someone up statically. I also think that for a lot of people it is easier to move in front of the camera than just stand still. If you also play with longer exposure times, there are very dynamic photos.

Photographed while in motion with 1 / 15s.

These were just a few brief guides that might help you a little at the beginning. Have fun trying.

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