From the outside looking in, taking a portrait picture seems pretty straight forward – get a person in frame, get them to smile, and click the button. And if you want a boring, two-dimensional shot, then that’s the way to go. But what if you could add a couple of small touches that could take your picture to the next level? Here are a few small hints that could take your portrait photography up a notch or two.
- Play with the lighting on the person’s face. Something as simple as adding a little more light, or taking it away, in a shot can add another dimension to the ‘look’ of a pic. It might add an air of mystery, or could add that sparkle that might be missing.
- Focus on only one part of the body. Too often we get engrossed in getting that perfect, all-in-one shot of the body or head. How about mixing it up a little and take a close up of one side of the face, or of the eyes, or mouth?
- Change your perspective. The traditional portrait picture is usually head on, with the subject looking down the lens of the camera. Get them to look up or down at you. How about they remain static and you climb up on a stool to take the shot from above. Alternatively, lie on the floor and get them to either look down at you or straight ahead. You’ll still have to be careful on how you compose the shot, but it will break things up.
- Don’t be afraid to use a prop. People think for such a shot you only have to have the bare minimum. What’s wrong with putting on a hat, or a pair of glasses? Drinking some water or blowing a bubble using chewing gum?
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. What we mean by this is, get the subject to pose seriously, then laughing, then perhaps with a neutral look. Put on a coat, take it off. Style their hair (with a male, put in some gel, with a female, put it in a bun etc).
There are many and varied ways you can make the subject a lot more interesting - it just takes a little time and thought.