Tips For Shooting Portraits
As a photographer, your skills and knowledge are extremely important no matter what you’re capturing on camera. But when it comes to shooting great portraits, there’s a whole other set of rules that apply. Whether it’s wedding portraits, an actor’s headshots, or just family photos… the photographer will be held accountable for the outcome, even if it’s the subjects themselves that made a poor decision with posing or wardrobe.
So whether it’s fair or not, the bottom line is the photographer will be considered responsible for the outcome – good or bad, regardless of who’s at fault. I’ve worked on Hollywood shoots and productions for years, so I know all to well about this dilemma. Fortunately, I’ve learned quite a few tips and tricks along the way, which I will share with you.
Wardrobe
More often than not, the subject being shot will often want to wear something that is busy looking; plaids, stripes, bright colors, etc. While these may look nice in-person, they rarely do on camera; these things become distractions in the photo. This is why muted colors generally work best. When it comes to stripes, I have found that tiny pinstripes can work but anything bigger doesn’t. Occasionally plaids can work if their colors are extremely muted.
Skin Care
Thanks to Photoshop, today we can usually fix skin blemishes with the click of a mouse. But when it comes to changing actual skin tones, it can be a bit trickier; editing pale skin to make it tan or vice-versa can be a lot of work. This is why I recommend you try and create the desired skin tone before you shoot. Of course lighting plays a big part, but the use of a little sunless tanner or bronzer can work wonders too. But be careful not to overdue it; you don’t want your subjects looking orange or too dark. If you are going for a glowing, more radiant look instead, a skin lightening gel like kojic acid may be able to help.
Posing
This is a whole art in itself, so it’s impossible for me to cover this in a single paragraph. But I do have one valuable tip which can make your shoot a lot easier: Before shooting, explain to your subject that when you tell them to turn their head a certain way for a shot, less is more. For example, when you tell a subject to turn their head a little to the left, more times than not they will drastically turn to the left. The difference between the perfect shot and the worst shot may only be 1 or 2 degrees in the rotation of their head, so explain this to them before you begin – subtle movements are better.
Eyes
Growing up, we are taught to “say cheese” and smile for the camera. But any seasoned portrait photographer will tell you the eyes are just as important, if not more so. Take a look at a “fake” looking smile and a real one, and usually the only difference are the eyes. So be sure and explain this to your subject before the shoot. I’ve always found the phrase “smile with your eyes” helps tremendously. Also it’s important to note that editing eyes in post can be tricky, so be sure the subject’s eye makeup is good to go. If dark circles are present, using a dark circles eye cream may not be a bad idea. However, under eye blemishes like dark spots and eye bags can easily be edited out.
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