Photographing People: A How To
It’s always fun to photograph people, particularly friends and family. But now you want your portraits to look more professional. Below are tips that will transform your snap-shots into beautiful photographs.
1. Do not place your subject in the middle of the frame. Rarely do you want someone in the center because it does not make for an interesting photograph. Experiment putting your subject to one side of the frame- by doing that you include some background which adds context.
2. Place your subject where the sun is gently lighting their face. If your light source is behind your subject, they will end up being darker than the background and you will lose detail in their face (there are some occasions where you would want this effect). The best natural (outdoor) lighting is in the morning and afternoon, specifically before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
3. Some cameras will have a “Portrait” setting, which sets a shallow depth of field that creates a blurred background. This is a great feature because you subject is the main focus. Manually, you can set your aperture below 5.6 to get the same effect.
4. Don’t be afraid to get close to your subject. Zoom in; fill the frame with their face. Also, photograph your subject looking somewhere else besides the camera. Always make sure that your subject is comfortable and having fun.
5. While many portraits are of the subject’s face, not all of them have to be. Try capturing a portrait without the subject’s face. What do their hands, feet, or possessions say about them? Where do they work, where are they in their element, where do they enjoy spending time?
6. Be creative. Try tilting the camera, or have the person move around. In low lighting (and using a tripod), you can use a long shutter speed to create streaking effects.
Have fun, there are not set rules to follow. Your subject may even have some ideas for certain shots or locations. After the photo shoot, send your subject one of the wonderful photographs you took.
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