Tips For Better Portrait Photography
Youve probably been taking photos for a long time now but are not able to snap the type of photographs that pro-photographers are able to. While there are a number of good and professional portrait photography services in Perth nothing really beats being able to take good photos of your own using a DSLR that youve invested in. Below we discuss a few tips which should help you a great deal.
Take the background into account
The background of your portrait photograph plays a major role in how your photos look. While, portrait photography is all about the subjects face using the right background helps to improve focus on the expressions. So, its always a good idea to use a background which does not interfere with the model. You should use very simple backgrounds that have little or no clutter. However, some portrait photographs will call for a better background in order to add personality to the subject in focus. One good example of this type of portrait photography is a photograph of a lawyer against a background of legal books and reference material. That being said your camera should be set to blur the background slightly so that it does not draw attention away from the subject.
Lighting Factor
The best idea is to take a portrait photograph in the presence of natural light. Natural light brings out the natural colors and the skin tones of the subject. That being said shooting outdoors is a bit difficult as you are not able to completely control the reflection and the diffusion of the light in most instances. These may often cause deep shadows or extra brightness; this is why you should avoid shooting around mid day. Reflectors and an external flash setup should be used to light up darker parts of the face. If shooting indoors make sure to use light which is evenly distributed. Use highlighters to light up for instance hair glow.
Set the right Aperture
Use various apertures. Try using wide open aperture settings which will blur the background and make your subject stand out. By setting a small aperture (lower number value) the whole scene will be in better focus. Usually an f/2.0-5.0 is considered best for Portraits but feel free to experiment with other values.
The focus of your lens
It is said that the eyes are the mirrors to your soul and so this is the case with a portrait too. This is why when you are taking portraits you should focus on the eyes of the model. Everybodys eyes have many stories to tell and so good portrait photography has a lot to do with the attention paid to the eyes. You also do not have to always have a smiling face in order to take a good quality portrait. Try various expressions and try to focus on the eyes as much as you can.
Take the background into account
The background of your portrait photograph plays a major role in how your photos look. While, portrait photography is all about the subjects face using the right background helps to improve focus on the expressions. So, its always a good idea to use a background which does not interfere with the model. You should use very simple backgrounds that have little or no clutter. However, some portrait photographs will call for a better background in order to add personality to the subject in focus. One good example of this type of portrait photography is a photograph of a lawyer against a background of legal books and reference material. That being said your camera should be set to blur the background slightly so that it does not draw attention away from the subject.
Lighting Factor
The best idea is to take a portrait photograph in the presence of natural light. Natural light brings out the natural colors and the skin tones of the subject. That being said shooting outdoors is a bit difficult as you are not able to completely control the reflection and the diffusion of the light in most instances. These may often cause deep shadows or extra brightness; this is why you should avoid shooting around mid day. Reflectors and an external flash setup should be used to light up darker parts of the face. If shooting indoors make sure to use light which is evenly distributed. Use highlighters to light up for instance hair glow.
Set the right Aperture
Use various apertures. Try using wide open aperture settings which will blur the background and make your subject stand out. By setting a small aperture (lower number value) the whole scene will be in better focus. Usually an f/2.0-5.0 is considered best for Portraits but feel free to experiment with other values.
The focus of your lens
It is said that the eyes are the mirrors to your soul and so this is the case with a portrait too. This is why when you are taking portraits you should focus on the eyes of the model. Everybodys eyes have many stories to tell and so good portrait photography has a lot to do with the attention paid to the eyes. You also do not have to always have a smiling face in order to take a good quality portrait. Try various expressions and try to focus on the eyes as much as you can.
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