Portrait Photography Techniques

By William Stevens

Faces of people have been captured in several famous photographs down the ages. However, portrait photography isn't just about capturing a face; instead it is about making one person or a group of persons come alive in a photo by showing them in their true form.

A well done portrait photograph doesn't adhere to convention, and presents the character in a mental state that makes the picture exceptional. However, portrait photographs are also done in the traditional style with one person or the whole family as subjects, and these often end up in family albums.

An appropriate close up bringing the person's face into prominence distinguishes a truly expert portrait photograph from an amateur one. This can be attained by making use of a setting in the camera that makes the background fuzzy and faint so as to place the face more in focus. A camera with a broader aperture can achieve this ideal tuning between the background and the foreground image. Whereas, when both the person and the background are important, like a photograph taken with the subject in a scenic landscape, then a normal aperture is more appropriate.

Photography is all about falling of light into the camera; hence insufficient light has always been a photographer's cause of worry. But an impressive portrait photograph is simpler to click if certain ground rules are adhered to. If the subject is made to sit near a window in a posture in which sunlight falls only partly on the face, then the photograph normally ends up looking splendid. A reflective sheet can be employed to highlight the other side of the subject's face. However, portrait photography is best done in studios as lights can be regulated there.

Another significant factor that determines a good portrait photograph is the ease of the subject when he or she poses for the image. If the subject doesn't feel at ease while being shot and doesn't give a natural expression, then even the best camera and lighting methods will fail to do justice to the portrait. - 30452

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here