Saturday, July 31, 2010

Portrait Photography Tips

One of the most popular types of film-taking is portrait photography. Many people use a point and shoot camera to take still pictures of others, but what differentiates a hobby from professional photography is generally the quality. A good portrait photographer has the ability to not only capture the best of his subject's face but also to bring out the personality of that individual.

If you would like to learn and excel at portrait photography, then the five points below will help guide you in that direction.

Rapport

Get involved with your subject while preparing for the picture. Engage the person in a friendly conversation so that there is comfort not only with you, but also for a naturalness in front of camera. Success at the "pre-snap" phase will help you to capture the natural expression of your subject and display it on film.

Personality

One of your main objectives should be to bring out the personality of your subject through your pictures. This can more easily be achieved if the person is relaxed. Since capturing personality is best done when an individual is least expecting a shot, be ready for those natural opportunities.

Lighting

Natural lighting is preferred by most photographers; however, an artificial light source can at times be more helpful to acquire the image you truly want to portray on film. Before using artificial light, take care for the amount of light and the angle at which it shines so that it provides an enhancing - rather than distracting - effect on film.

Background

The background color of a picture should compliment the subject's color. For this purpose, light backgrounds are generally preferable to help with emphasis on the subject. If the background color is not given due consideration, it could distort the attention away from your picture's primary target - the person.

Plan

You should always make a checklist of all the equipment you need prior to a photo shoot. Besides the necessary equipment, also come prepared with an interesting topic to discuss with your subject for a friendly and relaxed conversation.

Think through the job seriously before actually doing it and whether you currently have the skill set to handle it. If not, solicit the assistance of someone you trust and who has greater experience. Of course, if this is a hobby, then practice away.

Portrait photography can be enjoyed as a hobby or, with skill and knowledge development, adapted over time as a career. Either way, you will have many great opportunities to "stop time" with the push of a button!

Source : Ezinearticles

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