A portrait is a photo of an individual or group of people that capture the personality of the subjects in the photo. This is usually done with the use of lighting, backdrops, and staged poses.
To get a great portrait, it takes some practice and know-how so that you end up telling the exact story you were hoping to capture. Here are five tips to getting better portraits.
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Background Blur Brings Focus to the Subject(s)
A slightly and ever so subtle blur on the background will make a huge difference in the quality of a portrait. It puts the focus on the people and takes away the distraction of the background while adding depth and definition to your focal point.
To keep a blurred background from looking overly filtered or fake, let the camera do the work while taking the photo. For best results use a wide aperture and a long focal length lens also keep in mind your distance from the actual subject. The correct combination of all three will land you just the right level of blurred background.
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Some backgrounds, especially indoor ones, you may find are too visually busy. There is too much back there causing the eye to wander away from the true focus of the photo. Don’t be afraid to simplify things and take things out of the shot so the focus is not dragged away from the main subject.
Become a Master of Lighting
In a portrait, great lighting is so crucial. The best portrait photographers have played around with the effects of different light sources and know how to make their lighting add to the photos. Start with these lighting basics:
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Have the subject face the light source and shoot with your back to the light.
When shooting outdoors with the sun directly above the shot have your subject tilt their head just slightly upwards. You might just end up capturing a natural glow.
Natural light is almost always the best way to go, but not always possible depending on location. Just try not to over-rely on studio lighting you don’t want your portraits to look like stock photos.
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Let the camera Do the Work
This may feel like cheating, but it is the best way to get the most natural and best quality out of your portraits. One of the main benefits of today’s amazing cameras is the work they can do for you. If you are using a camera with aperture priority mode turn it on. On most cameras, this will be marked with an A or Av. The camera will select the shutter speed based on the selected aperture value. Most times this will help you land that perfect blurred background and can easily be overridden if it isn’t working out.
Many times when we are trying to create the perfect piece of artistic portrait photography we can overthink it trying to use the perfect piece of equipment to capture just the right technical elements. In realty, some of the best and most stunning photos come from getting to know your subject and showing them in their best light. The person in the photo is not concerned with how many tools are used they just want the photos to turn out great in the end. Many times if you are able to produce a stunning portrait with simple equipment your subject will be more impressed.
For amazing professional portraits in NYC and Westchester check out the photos at janegoodrich.com and book your session today.
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