|
When shooting outdoors:
Choose an appropriate time for your photographs
The best time to take an outdoor portrait is in the hours before sunset because the sun is low, thus creating rich details and providing a soft red tint that enhances skin tones.
The worst time is in the hours before and after noon (10 to 4, depending on the time of year) because the sun is too high and its light is too harsh. The result is an image that is too bright, too dark, or both. It is very difficult to properly balance highlights and shadows when the sun is so high, but you can use your camera's flash and a makeshift reflector to create balanced lighting.
Just after sunrise is also a great time to take a portrait, but it's inconvenient and people don't look their best just after they've woken up.
Position your subject in relation to the sun. Shoot your subject at an angle
to the sun. If the person you are photographing is directly in front of
sunlight, she'll be entirely in shadows. Try to place your subject at
roughly 45 degrees in relation the sun (both horizontally and vertically,
which is easiest in the hours just before sunset). Again, you can use your
camera's flash and have your subject hold a makeshift reflector in her lap
to balance shadows and highlights, and to create appropriate contrast.
Taking The Picture
Select the type of shot you want: a close shot, a medium or a long shot. The
type of shot simply means how much of the person you want to show in your
picture. A close shot features your subject's head and shoulders; a medium
shot features head, torso and hands; a long shot is either 3/4 of the body
(head to knees) or the entire body. Remember, the more you show of your
subject, the more of the background appears in the picture, so make sure
that your subject takes up as much of the picture as possible and that the
background does not overwhelm her.
Take lots of pictures. You can go back and select the best shot as the final portrait, just like the pros do. You can start with close shots, move on to medium shots and finally take long shots. You can also stick to one type of shot.
Experiment with light, props and poses while you're taking the portait and
make sure that your subject is having fun. The camera captures everything.
If your subject is bored or annoyed, it will show up in the final portrait.
Portrait photography is very challenging and takes lots of practice. Ask your friends and family to model for you. They'll be more than happy to pose for you, especially once they see the results that you achieve with the professional secrets you now know.
Tip 1:
To reduce the effect of your flash, place a piece of tissue or medical tape
over the flash window to create softer light.
Tip 2:
Indoor lighting adds a yellow tinge to your photographs. Set your camera's white balance (WB) to indoors for realistic skin tones. (Note: most cameras won't allow yout change this setting in auto mode.)
Tip 3:
Turn on your red eye reduction if you're using a flash.
Portrait Photography: [1] [2] [3]
|
Email this page
