Five tips for taking better portrait photographs

Photography is a really fun hobby. Taking photos in my spare time was how I started on the path to working as a professional photographer and it’s really easy to improve your photographs immediately with a little thought and some small adjustments to your technique.

Light

This is the most important aspect of photography. You can have Elle McPherson in shot, but put some direct flash on her (such as that from built in flash units) and she will not look her best. Natural light is by far the most flattering to use for portraiture. If you’re outside and it’s really sunny, look for some shade to shoot in to avoid harsh shadows across your subject’s face. Window light (out of direct sun) is also easily available, so place your subject near this to get even light across their face. Its very easy to bounce some light onto an unlit area of your subject by using a piece of white paper or card to reflect light on them – don’t be fooled into thinking you have to buy technical kit to get good results.

Composition

How you frame your subject and their positioning in the viewfinder can make the difference between a creative looking photo and a boring one. The rule of thirds is one to consider – having your subject positioned one third in to the right, left, top or bottom rather than smack bang in the middle of the frame can add interest to a portrait. You could also consider how you crop the picture. Cropping in tight on someone’s face so they are the sole focus of the image can have real impact as can including all of them along with some environmental detail (on a beach for example).

Background

“Behind You!!”. Pay attention to what’s behind your subject, you may wish to include the background ( as the beach example above demonstrated) but telegraph poles and really colourful sign posts sticking out of your subjects head are always a deal breaker. Take some time to consider what’s going on in the background before you start snapping and if necessary move to a different location. Sometimes two steps to one side are all it takes to avoid the dreaded telegraph pole look!

Camera Angle & Positioning

I’m a fan of taking photos on a slight angle (where appropriate); it adds interest and a little bit of fun to a shot. On the other hand some shots require very precise and straight composition. This is one to experiment with depending on your subject. Shooting from a slightly higher position is very flattering when taking photos of women whereas shooting from slightly below a man’s eye line can add impact; again it’s worth trying different camera angles out to see what works best for you.

Have Fun!!!!

Photography is fun, so enjoy the process of experimenting with different techniques and lighting. You’ll get the best photos of your subject when they’re relaxed. Build a rapport with the person you’re taking photos of by chatting to them, the odd joke helps too (keep them PC!!!). If you’re struggling to get across how you want your subject to pose, show them a picture of what you want. Magazines such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar are a great source of inspiration for me in terms of lighting, poses and composition ideas. They make great photography really accessible, so keep looking at other photos for inspiration.

Happy snapping!!

Emma

I’ve just returned from a trip to South Africa, to mine and my daughter’s surprise and delight there were three leopards on the plane on the way to Joburg!!! They were being transported from appalling conditions in Limassol zoo to the Shamwari wildlife reserve in Eastern Cape. Their arrival at Shamwari would have been the first time they’d ever set foot on grass and given that one was 19 and the others were 11 that’s pretty amazing.

There was a team of around ten people on the plane from the Born Free Foundation, all there with the sole purpose of improving the lives of these three big cats. The relocation had been quite some time in the happening and despite all the potential complications and massive preparation these guys got the three cats safely to the Jean Byrd Centre in Shamwari. That is, to me, truly inspiring.

Leopards were a key feature during our stay in SA, we spent a couple of days in Pilanesburg National Park and managed to see two wild leopards in the space of about 30 minutes! Wild leopards are notoriously difficult to see, so we were very lucky indeed. Photos of both are on the flickr feed along with some other African beauties!

For more information about Born Free and the leopard relocation please go to:

http://www.bornfree.org.uk/

I arrived at the cats’ house, set my lights up , positioned Julie and we spent 30 minutes cajoling, bribing and gently persuading Yum-Yum, Pie and Narla to sit nicely facing the camera! Yum-Yum spent the entire time hiding behind the sofa, Narla wandered in and out of shot at will (hers) and Pie very patiently sat and posed with Julie whilst I worked hard to stay upright after being bent double from laughing so much. But get the shots we did you can see a couple of them on Julie's website:

I look forward to updating readers with this week's photographic assignments next Monday!!!

Emma :-)