If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a good portrait
should read like an intimate biography. But how do you make a flat, static
image tell a story? How do you infuse life into a frozen moment in time? What
are the professional techniques that separate the drab awkwardness of a
grade school head-shot from the power and beauty of a "National Geographic" cover?
The good news is that you don't need a lot expensive
equipment to take great portrait photos. Many of the following photography tips
that we've culled from experts and professionals are more about attitude than
technique. How do you get your subject to relax and smile naturally? How do you
choose a setting that adds depth and meaning to the image? The best tip of all
is to be creative and experiment. The most memorable portraits are more than
straight documentation, but expressive works of art. Let's start with a classic portrait photography conundrum: To
pose or not to pose?
Mix Things Up
It's easy to get bogged down by rules. People talk about the
"rule of thirds" and other composition conventions, but some of the
best and most arresting portraits are anything but conventional.
The standard rule about backgrounds is that they shouldn't be
too noisy or busy, or they'll run the risk of overpowering the subject. But
sometimes a loud background like a
wildly colorful wall mural or geometric tile pattern can set off a delightful
contrast with the subject.
Mess around with framing. Try your subject right in the
middle of the frame, then way off to either side. The same is true for the
angle of your shot. Conventional wisdom says to take the shot at eye level or
slightly above. Why not have your subject lay on the ground and take the
picture from directly above? Why not tilt the frame dramatically and play with
equilibrium?
If you're really feeling creative, suggests Darren Rowse of
the Digital Photography School, try adding some blurred movement into the
portrait. Tell your subject to stand still in the rush of a crowd and capture
the swarming movements with a slow shutter speed. Focus on a single body part.
Or don't focus at all! You never know which unusual idea will turn out to be an
unforgettable picture.
The Eyes Have It
What is it about a professional portrait that grabs you
first? If you survey the work of Richard Avedon or other great portrait
photographers, much of the spark and life of the images comes from the
subject's eyes. Think of the famous close-up portrait of the Afghan girl with
sparkling green eyes captured by National Geographic photojournalist Steve
McCurry. The eyes lock you in, but it's more than just their vivid color. Much
of their depth and shine is due to lighting technique called a catchlight.
A catchlight is any source of natural or artificial light
that is purposefully bounced off of the subject's eyes to make them sparkle.
The classic positioning of the catchlight sparkle is at 10 o'clock in relation
to the iris of the eye. Studio photographers will use an umbrella reflector to
aim diffused light into the subject's eyes, but you don't need fancy equipment
to achieve the same effect. One photographer recommends using the reflective
back of a compact disc to bounce light toward the subject. Another even
suggests wearing a white T-shirt to act as a soft reflective surface.
Capture the Context
The opposite approach to Richard Avedon's spare, close-up
technique is something called environmental portraiture. In this type of
portrait, your subject only tells half the story; the rest of the details are
supplied by a vivid sense of place.
The setting should be someplace intimately familiar to the
subject. It could be as simple as his or her home, kitchen or bedroom. Think of
a portrait of a teenager sitting on his bed, framed by the relics of childhood
(action figures, trophies) and the signs of emerging adulthood (computer, music
posters). Or it can be a workplace. Imagine a shot of a football coach on the
playing field, the bright green turf below and empty stands rising behind him.
If you don't know the subject very well, ask them to take you
to one of their favorite places. It doesn't have to be a bucolic outdoor
setting. It could be a favorite taco stand or a retro arcade. This is a great
way to make your subject comfortable and capture them in an atmosphere that
matches their personality.
Fill the Frame
Some of the most dramatic and engaging examples of portrait
photography are tight close-ups of the subject's face or medium shots of their
face and torso in front of a white backdrop. Take a look at Richard Avedon's
celebrity photos for some wonderful examples, particularly his later work for
"The New Yorker." To really make your portraits "pop,"
you'll want to mimic Avedon's technique by filling the frame with your subject
and minimizing all background noise.
The simplest way to get a tight shot of your subject is to
physically get close. Be careful, though, because this can
cause problems if you're using a conventional short lens. Short lenses, also
called wide-angle lenses, are designed to capture the largest image possible.
This leads to distortion; objects in the foreground like your subject's nose or hands will look
too big.
One solution is to use a long lens, such as a 70-200 mm lens. A
long lens has a powerful zoom, allowing you to stand farther away while still
filling the frame with your subject. A longer lens has the added bonus of
calming your subject's nerves. It's harder to relax and be natural when there's
a camera snapping mere inches from your face.
Strike the Pose
Posed portraits are rarely the most memorable. Ironically,
they can be too stiff and come off as "trying too hard" at the same
time. Candid shots, on the other hand, retain some vitality the risk of real
life. With some practice, though, you can inject some of the natural energy of
candid photography into portraits.
First of all, forget about the yearbook poses. Sure, people
have more and less flattering angles, but too much "chin down, head left,
eyes right," will result in unnatural, awkward facial expressions. A
better technique, particularly in the age of digital cameras, is to make your
subject comfortable and take as many pictures as possible. You're bound to end
up with a few real gems no contortions
necessary.
If your subject is nervous (and subjects almost always are),
break the ice and get them talking. It's even better to try to get them
laughing. Laughter radiates warmth and will make your subject both more
photogenic and more relaxed. Most people are more comfortable sitting down, so
consider bringing a stool along to the location. Hands can be particularly
problematic, so give your subject something to hold or frame your shots in such
a way that the hands are left out.
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