Untitled Document

Portrait Photography Shack Guide

Portrait Photography And The Best Concepts For Better Images

By Jane Lovell

Portrait photography is a professional service from photographers specializing in images of people, models and animals. A portrait is where the model dominates the photograph. The image may be of a head shot, a waist up shot or a full body.

Portrait photography covers a range of fields, including fashion, model portfolio, corporate and commercial, school and college photography. It may also include an image of your favorite pet. If there is a requirement for a quality portrait image to be placed on a wall for all to see, then you need to hire the services of a professional portrait photographer.

Basic Techniques Of Portrait Photography

Portrait photography does not rely so much on the most advanced photographic equipment as much as it does on basic techniques that capture the physical appearance and internal character of a human being.

If you are meeting a subject for portrait photography for the first time, then you may need to take some time to get that person to warm up and be comfortable with you.

You can try talking to that person in the course of the portrait photography session, allowing some of their personality to shine through. Although most portrait photography styles involve the subject in a pose, you can also take pictures during their unguarded moments, which are often more revealing.

Untitled Document

Indoor Portrait Photography

In terms of lighting, soft and off-camera works best for indoor portrait photography, while overcast skies bring about more flattering photos when outdoors. A reflector can be your best friend when taking photographs in bright sunlight, since you do not want to cast attention on the shadows underneath a subject’s eyes.

If you want to draw attention to certain features, then lighting should come from the top or the side of the face of the subject.

In portrait photography, you also do not want to emphasize someone’s nose, which means that you will need to take the photograph from a distance, as much as ten to fifteen feet away.

Use A Telephoto Lens For Portraiture

In this case, you will need to have a telephoto lens to compensate for the distance. When taking group photos, it is a general rule to have everyone move as close to each other as possible to convey warmth and camaraderie.

There are different kinds of shots under portrait photography with close-up photos being the most common. Usually, close-ups include the subject’s face taken from the neck up. Upper body shots allow more of the background to be seen in the photo and let the subject relax a bit.

Environmental Portraits

Portrait photography also includes environmental portraits, which show the surroundings or activities that the subject usually engages in. Photojournalists prefer this type of portrait photography best since you get an interesting peek into the life of a person.

You may be taking the portrait of a successful businessman and you want to give an indication to the viewer of the image, tell the story of the man in the image. For example, if he runs a clothing manufacturing plant, you may show some of the clothing he manufactures in the background. As it is his portrait, the businessman dominates the image, the eye sees him first and then looks around to see the clothes he manufactures.

Meeting Customer Requirements

As a professional portrait photographer, you need to discuss with your subject, the requirements of the project, your ideas. This is to ensure the customer is satisfied with your end product and you will not have to do a re-shoot at your expense, just because you did not meet the customer requirements.

I always write down in the contract what I will do in this project, so the customer can see it all in writing. I have never had any problem, but I know of other photographers who have not proceeded in this written fashion and have come to a sticky end including legal proceedings against the photographer, claiming a refund plus compensation.

So it is always best to have everything in writing, and the customer signs off on the contract and knows what to expect in portrait photography.

About the Author:
Jane Lovell has written a number of articles on digital photography including Best Digital Cameras, Mini Digital Camera, Photographer School, Baby Photography, Still Photography, Boudoir Photography, Art Of Photography, Amateur Photography, Photography Backdrop, Photography Tips, Digital Photography Tips, Photography Studio.
Lookout for more articles from this author on this website.