Hot tips for PORTRAIT photography

[diGIgirl]

Another kid tip.. ( I loved that tape one by the way!!)

Similar, but if you want a kid to look or point or have interest in something take a little tiny sticker and stick it to that object/person. If the child is young it will take some time for them to be able to unstick that sticker...long enough for a good 5 or 6 shots! I use it a lot if I want a child to point to or show interest in mommys pregnant belly!


Works like a charm!

n----->:greenpbl:

 

[Alpha]

Here's a trick some of you kids probably don't know. I bet some of the seasoned (read: old. jk) photographers will know it. It used to be a very popular wedding shot, back in the day before PS.

Flash Silhouette
1) Position a strong flash behind a person or couple, and take the shot, backlighting it enough to really darken them out.
2) Keep them in the same position, ditch the flash, double expose.

You get this really brilliant halo/silhouette around your subject(s).

 

[ElectricHarmony]

Be patient and let the subjects be their natural selves, especially kids! Those make the most precious portraits :mrgreen:

 

[Rolleistef]

One may avoid small apertures, especially with hi-resolution lenses, MF and elderly models, because the slighest skin imperfection will appear.
For instance, if you take a 'flex and stop down to 11, image quality will be tremendous, but the model may not be entirely satisfied.

 

[JJP]

Be patient and let the subjects be their natural selves, especially kids! Those make the most precious portraits :mrgreen:

When that works, it works brilliantly. But sometimes it just doesn't happen.

 

[Christie Photo]

A great tip for taking photographs of difficult babies/toddlers - tape a little bit of sticky tape around their index finger. They'll become entranced by it, and their hands will stay together, and they will sit still!

Also, the tape won't show up in your photograph works like a treat

well... I tired the tape thing today. Oh well.

 

[Ken_D]

When photgraphing toddlers (4 and under) I have a bowl of suckers (lollypops) and with permission from the parent(s) I bribe them to behave and let me take pictures of them. By letting one of the parents hold the sucker off to one side, I can get the child to face in that direction most of the time. By having a selection of flavors, I have the parent hold them just out of camera range and let the child decide which one they want, again by directing the parent, I can usually get the child to look in the direction I want.

Ken D

 

[NJMAN]

One photographer I met a long time ago used a technique with babies and toddlers that I will never forget. This is especially for toddlers who are shy, scared, cranky, stubborn, or refuse to smile for whatever reason (around 1-3 years of age, maybe 4). Have a kids soap bubble container and a bubble wand handy. If the child is stubborn to smile, turn your back and blow a big soap bubble, then float it gently toward the child. I guarantee it will soften even the most sour of faces. But it may take a couple of tries to warm them up. I never met a kid at that age who couldnt resist popping a big soap bubble, and its good clean fun if you dont overdo it. Get your shots in quick, because the smiles may not last.

 

[JubbaKing]

During the session, do everything you can to gain the trust of your subject. Even if everything on them looks perfect, fix stray hairs even if you don't see any. Adjust coat jackets and ties, even if they look fine.

Talk to them...I repeat, TALK TO THEM! You're a stranger and they'll likely be very reserved around you (especially high school seniors) so it is your job to make them feel at ease with the camera and in essence, you. If you can get them to talk about themselves then you've done a great job. Who doesn't like to talk about themselves? It's all about finding common ground with them.

When I adjust a pose, I like to explain (in simple terms) why I am having them pose that way. After tilting a head a certain way, I might say, "This is going to give more curvature to your body, which is always a good thing in a portrait and it will make you look beautiful." Just something that they'll understand and be less nervous about doing. Put yourself in their position--they don't want to be there 99% of the time so you have to get them to warm up to you. In the end, if they enjoyed your personality, they'll love the portraits that much more, even before seeing them. You are selling your photographs even before you sit down with them a week later in a projection room, proof room, etc. etc. The more they enjoy you, the better they'll look and the more they'll buy.

Compliment the subject. They feel weird doing the things we ask them so you must assure them that you know what you're doing and that they're going to look great. For girls, I like to use words like beautiful, gorgeous, elegant, graceful, etc. to let them know how they look. Just saying, "This makes you look pretty" almost sounds amateur don't you think? Women want to look beautiful, graceful, elegant, etc. so why not tell them they are? For men I use words that they associate more with as well. ie: cool, nice, excellent, slick, etc. etc. It can vary by the age of the subject.

I myself have always loved to laugh and joke around. I like to associate myself with people who are like me in that regard. My sense of humor is my greatest quality in my opinion. Unfortunately, not everyone out there wants to joke around when I do so when someone comes to be photographed and I can tell they are not the laughable type, I still make it an effort to make them comfortable but moreso by being polite and freindly and professional. I'll still pop off a few jokes here and there but nothing with the goal of getting a huge laugh-just a way to get me to smile a little bit. Dry people are my biggest challenge to work with so I have to keep myself...myself. If that makes sense...probably doesn't but oh well.

 

[skieur]

Based on what I see wrong with portraits on many internet photo sites and forums:

1. avoid butchering the body of your subject

Don't cut off the top of the head and particularly don't cut the body at the joints. Leave the fingers connected to the knuckles, the hands on the wrists, the forearm connected to the elbow, the legs below the knees and the feet connected at the ankles.

2. Look at the clothes of the subject

Gaudy, cheap, jewellry for example does not go with a corporate portrait and yet I have seen it submitted by a pro for Critique on a site.

Formal portraits require the appropriate clothing. With casual portraits it depends on the look that fits the subject and everything should co-ordinate. Some clothes do not flatter the look of a subject. Colours and patterns need to emphasize the positive features.

3. Guys, pay attention to make-up.

Both guys and women wear make-up when in front of the television camera, so the same should be true for important portraits.

Zits and various other minor skin blemishes certainly do not flatter the face of a woman and she certainly would not go to a major function without covering them with make-up. Why have I seen these on a number of portraits here?

4. Look carefully at the hair and face..the objective is flattery

Make sure that the hair is combed, brushed and in place. Stray hair does not fit well with most shots.

Consider the shape of the face and light appropriately. The direction and angle of the face is also important. A narrow face for example would be best with a 3/4 shot: diagonal to the camera. With a heavy person you would use lighting and shadows to de-emphasize width.

5. The eyes are MOST IMPORTANT.

What I should NOT have seen in portraits on the web: half the face in total black shadow, blood shot eyes, red rims, eyes hidden by hair and cut by the bridge of the nose, eyes in the dark around the sockets, eyes made up to look like those of a racoon (unintentionally).

Light the eyes properly. Use makeup correctly. Consider eye drops to clear blood shot or red vein problems.

AVOID emphasizing the sacks under the eyes of subjects.

6. POSTPROCESS

All portraits require postprocessing. Skin colour is off in many of the portraits I have seen here. It needs to be corrected.

Skin blemishes that were not corrected earlier need to be de-emphasized at this stage using whatever method works for you as in selective soft focus or cloning.

Sacks under the eyes need to be dealt with as well.

Eye problems that were not handled when shooting need to be corrected at this stage too.

There is a lot more but this is a start on some basics of standard portraiture and some of the problems I see.

skieur

 

[wxnut]

If taking a portrait that includes the family dog, do not whistle, or call the dogs name to try to get it to look at the camera. It will want to run to you. Instead, in a soft, excited voice, say "wheres the kitty" or "whos here". It may not look at the camera, but it will perk up and its ears will go upright, and get it to sit still for a couple shots.



Doug Raflik

 

[Leigh]

One thing I have recently learned the hard way . . .

KEEP THAT CHIN DOWN!!!

But be careful with this as can quite often create a double chin effect.
Keep it down but oush it forward slightly to get rid of any creases in the neck

 

[wildmaven]

I found this WONDERFUL posing chart!
http://polisphotography.com/Documents/Imagesforweb/posing.pdf

Though some poses are a bit strange (what's with the butt in the air poses??), a lot of them have given me some good ideas.

Marian

 

[Lisa B]

I think one of THE most important pieces of advice I could give would be to get used to your OWN equiptment and/or studio and learn what works best for you - everyone's equiptment varies ever so slightly but once you've spent the time testing and learning to get along in your own environment, you're halfway there.

I have my own studio and found that testing conditions using family members in exchange for some free portraits worked really well. When shooting my neices (who are 5 and 8) I found that the less I asked them to do, the better the shots - white backgrounds and a good strong set of lights always makes for stunning portraits too!

 

[Bthornton]

When I get a child in the 5-10 age that's does not want to get portraits taken I often make a deal with them that if they "help me out" by being good I will let them take a few portraits when we are all done. It tends to work like a charm. I just pull out a cheap point and shoot and let them take a few of whatever. So far the kids all love that idea. I often print a 4x6 of one of the photos and send it to the child with a thank you for being my helper card. After that I have a child who can't want to see me next time and parents who remember who takes all their portraits.