Hot tips for PORTRAIT photography

Christie Photo · Jan 15, 2008

Lisa B said:
I think one of THE most important pieces of advice I could give would be to get used to your OWN equiptment...

This is good advice for all areas of photography. Only after all technical concerns are no longer a distraction are we completely free to concentrate on the artistic elements of composition.

-Pete

Tiberius47 · Mar 26, 2008

Focus on the eyes! it's only been mentioned once so far, it should be mentioned in every tip!

One Sister · Apr 2, 2008

I've heard at least one portrait photographer say that a woman subject should wear *heavier* makeup than usual. Yikes! When I see a woman come into the studio with lip gloss I cringe. Pose-good. DOF-good. Catch lights-good. Then all manner of hot spots on lips-ABOMINABLE.

Also, I've been getting more and more little children coming in dressed like little hookers, complete with sequins. A little of that goes a looooong way. I've sold 'em, but I hate 'em. I can't fix a dress with a thousand tiny hot spots.

Perhaps you more experienced folks have a fix for the problems above. Let me know if you do.

Also, I've read and heard about the struggles photogs have with adult hands. I've even read that people should put them in their pockets rather than have them in the portrait. I do not find this. I love hands and I use them for my subjects to interact with one another. If a woman is wearing a ring I like it in the portrait somewhere and believe me I sell more if I succeed, especially if it's an engagement ring. I'll ask her to drape her hand over the male's near shoulder if nothing else, just to get it in. But that's just me...

herrickphoto · Jun 1, 2008

These are great! Thanks for posting. With children, I always praise them for everything they do. Children love to hear how great they are and they're so much more willing to cooperate with the shoot if they feel it's all something they're doing well.
Also anything that makes noise will get them to look at you. I have a bright green cuddly toy that when I bounce it on my head makes a boinging noise. This always gets a laugh or two. Of course, then they want to play with it themselves...

Derek Zoolander · Dec 23, 2008

Alpha said:
Here's a trick some of you kids probably don't know. I bet some of the seasoned (read: old. jk) photographers will know it. It used to be a very popular wedding shot, back in the day before PS.

Flash Silhouette
1) Position a strong flash behind a person or couple, and take the shot, backlighting it enough to really darken them out.
2) Keep them in the same position, ditch the flash, double expose.

You get this really brilliant halo/silhouette around your subject(s).

do you have an example of this Alpha?

_rebecca_ · Feb 21, 2009

On the subject of working with children, one thing that has worked for me most of the time is to engage the child first. I introduce myself, ask their names (even if I already know it) then I tell them it's great to meet them and ask if they would like to help me take a picture for Mommy and Daddy. I sometimes even have them introduce me to the parents. This has worked for me 100% of the time with preschool aged children, as they seem to really eat up the idea of me being there to work with them on something for their parents, and not just there for their parents and they have to sit pretty and cooperate.

Another thing I have discovered is that often the very best family portraits happen *in between* the more set-up posed shots. So keep your camera ready and your eyes open even when everyone thinks you're just setting up for the next shot.

Prophotoworkshop · Mar 1, 2009

That's a tough question, there are no fixed rules.
It really Depends on what your going for.
If you want silly go wide, if you want serious go big (lens).
if you want distortion put the subject at the edge of the lens,
less distortion put them in the middle, if you want them to look powerful shoot up,
weak shoot down. Lower depth of field will bring more attention to the subject,
More depth will put more emphasis on the environment as well.
And then there's lighting...............

MrsMoo · Jun 19, 2009

I was told at college to let models bring their own music, it also helps them to feel relaxed in an unknown environment, like the studio.
You could have an iPod docking station or a CD player in the studio;
also taking photo's of teens who have headphones in gives it a stereotypical feel

goodkarma · Sep 24, 2009

I only shoot outdoors so I only offer 2 sittings a day. My biggest tip would be to take the time you need until you get the shots you need. All of my packages have a predetermined time but I never stick to it. If we are done early, great if it take an extra 20 or 30 min great, as long as the client is happy that is what is the most important. I am always willing to turn the camera back on if the child decides to put on their best smiles all day on the way back to the parking lot! Also I always have two camera bodies with me at all times. I usually keep a 1.8 135 prime for those detail shots on one and a 16-80 for those wide open environmental shots (most of my clients want those as the setting is as much a part of the portraits as the people, I shoot on the beaches of Maui). Having the two lenses gives my clients a lot of choices in the look of their portraits.

Derrel · Oct 9, 2009

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this fairly complete, 16-part lesson on studio portraiture.

http://jzportraits.home.att.ne

Addendum June 2019, 10 years later
This thread has been resurrected by new member. The photo lessons that I have referred to you are known as the Zeltsman Approach. I believe this online photo class is still available somewhere, but I see now that the-year-old that I gave back in 2009, is no longer valid.

themedicine · Dec 29, 2009

In response to the idea of not shooting hands or only shooting the sides of hands:

The best tip I have learned for hands is that before it comes time to shoot them, especially closer up shots of rings and such, get the subject to left their hands over their head for a minute. Explain why you are doing it, or make some thing up like "my lights/lenses are so good I don't want to get too much definition." The result is that the blood drains from the hands and you get a minute or two to compose and shoot non-veiny fingers.

And as far as kids go, acting pretty goofy works wonders. Kind of like a toned down clown. Key words toned down.

willli · Dec 29, 2009

For outdoor potraits I recomend a zoom lens My favorite is my new nikon 70-200 F2.8 VR II but any good 70-200 like canon will do the trick.

I love that zoom factor for outdoor portraits because you can control the DOF with the aperture and the zoom and that is really handy on a shiny day. when you need to use small apertures

marteen147 · Jul 9, 2010

1.Focus on the eyes.

The eyes are said to be the window of the soul. Therefore, nothing is more important than achieving sharp, crisp eyes in your shot. Capturing the eyes in a powerful way will draw the viewer into the photo, establishing a strong connection that will speak volumes.
2. Watch your angles.

Remember that for close up shots, angles will affect the outcome look and feel. For women, make the eyes appear larger and the face more delicate by shooting down on them. For men, emphasize strength and achievement by shooting slightly up.
3. Use diffused light.

In close up shots, the skin is a central feature. Its crucial to show the skin without blemishes. Achieve this by using diffused light to gently wrap around the skin, bringing definition along the lines of the face without highlighting blemishes.
4. Add a hair light

Detail is critical in head-shots and are no more dynamic than when created with a hair-light. A hair-light can be placed above or behind the subject [with a flash or the sun] to add depth to the shot, and pull the top of the head out of the background.
5. Use of Lens

Nothing is more disturbing than a near-dynamic headshot that fails simply because of lens distortion. Generally, avoid mid to wide angle lenses for close headshots. Instead, use a lens that will compress your image and slim your subjects face typically 90mm and above.
6. Guide expression

The final most important element is an expression to match the purpose of the headshot. Its your job as photographer to pull out the most natural looks from your subjects. Do so by guiding them through complimenting conversation; i.e. asking serious questions to pull out a thoughtful gaze, or cracking a joke to capture a natural smile.

thatfornoobs · Jan 24, 2011

There are many good apps for the ipod that are basically a listings of poses. Some of them prove to be very useful, showing you more "dangerous" poses. They can be used as a source of inspiration as well.