Beginner Portrait Photography Tips
If you’ve recently fallen in love with photography as many have, you might be taking an interest in portrait photography. With the right amount of experience and creativity, many people start their own photography companies for portrait photography. If you’re wondering how to do that or you just want to take better family photos, start by reading these beginner portrait photography tips and then practice, practice, practice!
Engage your subjects.
Capturing raw emotion in photos is one of the most amazing things about portraight photography. If you’re doing a shoot with kids, get them to laugh, smile, or have fun! Connecting with your subject is really important as a photographer, especially if you’re doing portrait photography. Make sure that if you’re doing a shoot with an entire family that they are connecting and spending time together. These kinds of things show through in photography and this is one of the best portrait photography tips you can follow to really get your photos to the next level.
Choose your lens wisely.
Choosing your lens before a photoshoot can make all the difference in the photos you get. First, decide what your plan is for the shoot, what you’re envisioning, and how you’ll make it happen. Will you need props and lots of background with the subjects smaller, or do you want to do closeup pictures with minimal background? If you’re wanting more background, choose a wider lens (like 18mm) and you’ll get more of the surroundings. For minimal background for things like headshots, try a telephoto lens around 70mm. This is a great lens for closeup portrait photography!
Don’t be afraid to get close!
Sometimes when a photographer gets really close and fills the frame with their subject, the photos turn out more beautiful than you’d imagine! Zoom in or get closer to master this technique! Don’t be afraid, even if you’re photographing somebody you don’t know. Get comfortable with your subject so you are able to do this, and everybody will love the beautiful end work!
Ultimately, the most important of the portrait photography tips is that you should always be prepared in a photoshoot. Kids get cranky and tired, parents get stressed, it happens! Sometimes it’s best to reschedule, but other times, it’s up to you to take control and get everyone feeling good about the photoshoot and make everyone comfortable. Prepare yourself by taking toys, snacks, etc. if you’ll be photographing any kids. Kids are almost always interested in one of those and they might open up to you more that way too! Don’t forget to check the weather before you go, too! No matter what it is, always be prepared.
