Ideas, Tips & Techniques For Best Portrait Photography

In this article we will show you some good tips and ideas for portrait photography
Portrait is a word whose first origin is French, meaning it refers to an image or art, but at the present time this word has become known in the world of photography to express the portrayal of people or rather the portrayal of people’s faces, this is the simple and short definition that we can call portraiture.

Also read: 10 Tips for Taking a Portrait Photography Correctly

Tips and techniques for getting the best Portrait photos.

Portrait photography is considered a wide field for conversation, as most photographers and authors of photography books divide it into four main axes, which are as follows:

• Portrait photography of newborns or infants.
• Portrait photography for young children in general.
• Portrait for young people photography.
• Portrait for photographing elderly people.

These are not the divisions that bring together all photographers around the world, rather there are some categories that add other divisions, such as portraits for pregnant women, portraits of women’s portraits, black and white portraits, and many other types … The art of portraiture in general. There are many photographers specializing in this distinct type of photography, as it is among the most important and widespread types in the societies of the present time.

Portrait Photography Rules:

Portrait photography, like other types of photography, the photographer needs to adhere to some of the rules that regulate it, but in reality this is not mandatory, because a professional photographer can break these rules in order to draw his creative artistic touch on his photos.

Among the rules that we recommend during the preparation and filming of a photo session for portraiture, we recommend to apply the following rules:

• Apply the rule of thirds in the process of mounting the image in a coordinated and organized manner.
• Perfect framing is the key to its success, so be sure to choose the right framing for every portrait you capture.
• The rule of movement direction has its decisive role in highlighting the parameters of the message that you want to express through a particular portrait. Choose the correct and ideal direction for the person you are photographing, especially the direction of his gaze.

What are the most important success factors for a portrait photo?

Without a doubt, you now know well that every step you take in the world of photography needs special factors and methods in order to obtain the highest results, in portraiture you will find yourself facing this challenge as well, as it forces you to control a set of factors until you reach the desired result .

Lighting: Let’s start from the most important thing, I do not think that you will differ much with me on this point, it is lighting, of course, you must search for its appropriate source, whether it is natural or artificial, the important thing is that the image is at the top of its aesthetic through your full control of its lighting. In portraiture photography, you need to highlight and display all the features and features of the target’s face to be photographed in order to convey your message completely uncompromised. If you rely on artificial lighting in portraiture photography, please do not let the light reflect directly on the person’s face in order to avoid the appearance of unwanted shadows. On some areas of the face. Most photographers prefer natural lighting at times when it is soft because it helps to photograph in special conditions, whether for the photographer or the target itself, we recommend shooting in the early hours of the morning or just before sunset and you know the reason for sure, if you do not know this to you this topic that It’ll let you know: When are the best times to take stunning photos?

Eyes: For me personally, I consider it the most important component of the face, so the more you give it the focus it deserves, otherwise it makes the viewer attracted to it more strongly, always try to highlight its beauty in order to add a special sparkle to the portraits you take.

Photography angle: On many occasions we have talked about this point due to its utmost importance in adding a creative touch to the image. In the art of portraiture, we can talk about four different angles that you have the right to choose between them:

• The direct angle: It is the moment when the person’s face is divided into two vertical halves, where the right side is level with the left by making his nose facing the camera lens.
• The three-quarter angle 3/4: you get it when one of the ears of the person you are photographing disappears, for example if you are photographing him from the right side, you must move or ask him to turn his face to the left until his left ear disappears. Then you take the picture with him, making sure that he does not divert his gaze About the viewfinder.
• The angle of the thirds 2/3: This angle can be achieved when the person to be photographed turns his face to a certain direction until the level of the last point of his nose is equal to one of his cheeks, for example if you choose to photograph him from the left side, try to turn his face to the right until the last point of his nose is equal With his right cheek, it reaches the desired angle.
• Profile angle: is to make the person you are photographing to turn their face to the right or left by 90 degrees, in this case you will take a picture either to the right or the left side according to your choice.

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Settings suitable for portrait photography:

As for the appropriate camera settings for portraiture photography, it depends on the shooting conditions in which you are working, mainly in terms of lighting. In general, it is recommended to:

Using a lens close to 50mm because it is the most suitable, as its focal length preserves the face factor and gives a suitable viewing angle, in addition to these lenses give us greater background insulation.

Adhering to the exposure triangle settings, balancing shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity.

In practice, it is desirable for the aperture to be between 5 and 11, the shutter speed is 1/60 and above, as for the ISO sensitivity to be between 100 and 400 to avoid the appearance of noise in the images.

Firas Ghraoui