Tips for Better Portrait shots

We all love to see a great photo of a friend or family member, especially if we have taken it ourselves, but all too often we end up disappointed because the image that we often end up with is not the image we had in mind when we pressed the shutter release !

Here are some basic tips to help you improve your hit rate and get closer to the image you want !

1. Get to know the person you are taking a photo of to help bring through their personality in the picture you take, ( obviously if you know the person already - you have a headstart).

2. Look at what direction the available light is coming from and what effect this has one the subjects face . It is common practice not to shoot a portrait into the light ( ie with the subjects back to the sun), but I have found that if you use a fill in flash or reflector to bounce light back into the subjects face, you get a lovely portrait and the sun behind the subject adds a lovely rim light to the subjects hair.

Photo shot with light behind the subjects

3. When you look to take the image have a good look around the frame of the photograph, are there any unsightly additions to the picture in the backgrounds ( rubbish bins, washing on the line in the garden etc)if so then reframe up - move the subject around or move the offending items until you get a pleasing background.

4. Engage your subject in conversation to help ease any tensions, even if you know the person very well, it always pays dividends to take the focus of the fact that your are about to take their picture. A relaxed and happy subject makes for a much better picture.

5.Depending on what type of camera you have, you can experiment with depth of field.  A nice shallow depth of field really focuses the viewers eyes onto the area of the photograph you want them to. With portrait ( as with any genre of photography) you have the freedom to decide how you want to photograph a subject, but as a general rule o thumb a subjects eyes should always be in sharp focus ( even if their hair of side of the face is starting to blur because of a very shallow depth of field).

Shallow depth of field but eyes are still sharp

Get out there are experiment with your photography, try using the techniques I have mentioned above, watch your images get better and above all enjoy !