How to Take A Great Portrait Photo

Use the right lighting when taking portraits.

Portrait photography is an art, partly because it can be so complicated to get the photo just right. Good portrait photography takes practice and patience. When starting out in portrait photography, ask a friend or family member to be your subject. Offer her copies of the photos in exchange for helping you hone your photography skills.

Things You'll Need

• A camera, preferably digital.
• A subject to photograph.

Instructions

1. Decide on your lighting. Cameras need much more light than our eyes do for a proper exposure. Set up lamps or have your subject stand near a window that has a lot of light. Take portraits outside but not in direct sunlight.

2. Open up your aperture as wide as possible. An open aperture will give you a shallow depth of field which will make everything out of focus except your subject.

3. Use the rule of thirds to compose your photograph. The eyes of your subject should not be in the center of the photo, instead position the eyes in the upper third of the photo. This often creates more interest in the photo.

4. Take as many shots as you can in the time allotted. Use the burst mode if your camera has it. The more photos you take, the better chance you'll have the perfect one for your needs. With digital photography, you can delete the ones you don't want, so don't worry about having too many shots.

Tips & Warnings

• Have your subject wear solid colors. Patterns in clothing distract from the person's face.