Portrait Photography Tips
1. Hold camera very still or use a tripod
2. Know how to use the focus
10. Introduce a Prop
11. Eye Contact
12. Shoot candidly
2. Know how to use the focus
- manual focus on the camera. If don't have manual, make sure to know how to use the auto focus.
- If you want a portrait of a person, make sure you're focused on the person and not the background
- Put eyes on the top line of the rule of thirds and zoom in
- Make sure theres nothing in the background.
- Use narrow depth of field so the image is focused and the background is blurry
- Make sure the background is uncluttered
- Focus on expressive hands
- Get close up
- Get creative
- Use different angles
- Use side lighting, light goes right on the side. THe other side has shadows
- Back lighting: Makes the subject a silhouette. The front is black/in a shadow and the back is lit up
- Best time to take pictures is one hour after dawn and one hour before dusk.
- The lighting appears softer. "The Golden Hour"
- Do not shoot into the sun
- If don't want bright sun, take picture in the shade
- Rule of Thirds
- Break the rules of composition
- Put the person in the center
- Put the person way off to the side
- Add a motion or blur to it
10. Introduce a Prop
11. Eye Contact
- What to tell your subject
- Look off to the side
- Look over should to look through the camera
- Play with eye contact
12. Shoot candidly
- Follow your subject around