How to Get the Perfect Portrait

Lighting is a key element to getting the perfect portrait.

Portrait photography is one of the most common types of photography. The best portrait photographers make the task of taking amazing portraits appear simple and painless. These photographers often have years of experience and knowledge of what makes a portrait classic. While the best way to take better portraits is to practice, going through a checklist of tips can have you taking amazing portraits in no time. 

Things You'll Need

• Camera
• Tripod
• Background
• Studio Lights

Instructions

1. Talk to your model before the shoot as well as during the shoot. Get to know his personality and translate it into the portraits. Tell jokes to relax the model and get him to smile naturally and avoid pressed or awkward expressions.

2. Choose the background selectively. Match the background to the theme of the photo shoot. Set your camera to a wide aperture setting such as f/4.0 or smaller so that the background becomes blurred and avoids becoming distracting.

3. Light your subject properly. Shoot outdoors in the sunlight if possible to take advantage of its natural light. Use at least two studio lights if shooting indoors. Experiment with light placement indoors. Try setting one above eye-level of your model. Set up additional lights on either side of the model to use as fill lights.

4. Pose your model in a flattering stance. Point one of his feet towards the camera and angle the other out to the side slightly. Ask your model to move his hands from his side by putting them on the hips or holding them out to the side. Move the elbows slightly away from the body so the arms are not flattened on the side of the body.

5. Keep the model's eyes in the upper one-third of the frame. Ask your model to tilt his chin slightly downwards when taking a close-up to make his eyes appear larger. Check that the expression of the model's eyes matches the expression of his mouth to avoid confusing facial expressions.

6. Set your camera on a tripod. Reduce the amount of camera shake by giving it the added stability of a tripod. Set your camera on a flat surface such as a table or shelf if you do not have a tripod.

7. Experiment with different camera angles. Shoot male models lower from the ground to create a larger appearance. Shoot females from above to give them a smaller and more feminine appearance. Also, try taking shots from the sides of the model.

References

• Duke University: "Digital Photography FAQ"; Ronald Parr
• Digital Photography School: "6 Tips for Perfect Composition in Portrait Photography"; Christina Dickinson
• Photo Tuts: "How to Achieve the Perfect Portrait Pose"; Matt Taylor; March 2010
• Photo Radar: "Take the Perfect Portrait"; Ben Brain; July 2009