3 Important Portrait Photography Basics You Need To Know

3 Important Portrait Photography Basics You Need To Know

Portrait or portraiture is one of the most interesting genres of photography. When taken properly, it can dramatically deliver the mood, personality, character, story, and essence of the subject—normally, a person. But more than having an expensive DSLR and a stunning subject, some portrait photography basics have to be learned in order to create a smashing portrait that produces the intended result.

Check Your Camera Settings and Choose the Right Lens

One important portrait photography basics that is often misunderstood particularly by beginning photographers is their camera settings. How you adjust your camera settings greatly affects the outcome of your portrait. If you’re aiming for classic portrait photography, you have to remove anything that’s distracting from the background of the shot. Use wide apertures to produce a shallow depth-of-
field— f/2.8 or f/4. Moreover, lower your ISO settings; otherwise, it can create digital noise on your photograph.
On the other hand, choosing a lens that would flatter your subject is more important than buying every top of the line camera lens in the market today. The rule of thumb for head and shoulder portraits is that the length of your lens should be double the diagonal of the film plane or in the case these days the digital sensor. Among the recommended lens for portrait photography are Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L
IS II USM, Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM Lens, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro Lens, and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM Lens.

Lighting

When it comes to photography basics, lighting is largely emphasized. This is because, no matter how striking your subject is, your prop, and even your location, a poor lighting can destroy the message you want to convey in your photograph. Unlike doing portrait photography in a studio where lighting can be 100% controlled, outdoor location demands a more challenging task. Sunlight will practically become
your major source of light in your portrait, and therefore, you should understand how to use it properly. That means, knowing where to position your subject without going against the light and bringing with you some white cardboard or aluminum sheet you can use to bounce reflected light.

Make Your Subject Relaxed

Engaging your subject in a conversation is one way to make him/her feel relaxed. Sadly, even the most professional model can get fidgety in front of a photo shoot especially if they are uncomfortable with the photographer taking their pictures or with the prop they have on themselves. Find a way to develop a good rapport with your subjects to make them feel at ease and become more open with your
suggestions. Interacting with your subject is an important photography basics tip you would get not only from many photography books but also from the more seasoned photographers.
Portrait photography can reveal a series of emotions to a viewer. As the industry continues to advanced, you will be learning a lot more photography basics that will help you capture the intended expression and message you want to convey. Learn to explore with different angles. Alter your perspectives, and play with the backgrounds so you can go beyond the common styles of portrait photography and produce finer images