Elements to Consider in Portrait Photography

Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

Before you take your next portrait, consider the following.

Location

Where is the photo session going to take place? Is it indoors or outdoors? If it is indoors, is it a residential setup or a corporate office? How much light is available and what other types of lights should you consider: tungsten, fluorescent, or others?

“Peacock” captured by Daniel L (Click Image to See More From Daniel L)

Also, keep in mind that when you are required to travel outside your area, carrying additional equipment will be cumbersome and you may have to incur additional costs in transporting it.

Outdoor location photo shoots are more challenging as the local weather conditions may throw in some surprise elements.

Most of the professional photographers in my area shoot in locations that are popular, like beaches and in front of famous monuments.

Time of Day

What time of the day you will shoot depends on the subject or model’s comfort level, attire, and your own expertise in handling the situations.

In order to avoid excessive glare of the sun, many professionals shoot in the ‘golden hours’. The hour after sunrise and before sunset are considered good, as there are no hard shadows and the temperatures are also more soothing to the subject.

During noon time, with the sun blazing overhead, you can experiment with large diffusers available commercially or you can get them custom-made as per your requirements and specifications.

Light

Photography is all about light. Whether you are shooting indoors or outdoors, the light plays a crucial role in the final results. There is a limitation to the amount of post production manipulation that you can undertake in editing software like Photoshop. One of the best sources is the natural light: sun. The best portrait photographs are often taken in natural light with a couple of reflectors and maybe diffusers. How the reflectors and the diffusers are used, depends entirely on your creativity and the results expected from the photo shoot.

Artificial lights can be tungsten or fluorescent. You will have to transport the lights and may require assistance from your friend or hired helping hands.

Another manner in which portraits are shot is using a dedicated external flash unit, either mounted on the hot-shoe of the camera or off the camera using a trigger. The direction of the light will make lot of impact on the final result. In most of the cases, you can bounce the light from the white ceiling or in some cases, from a white sheet of plastic or board.

Subject

A lot depends on the subject who will be photographed. Are you creating formal photographs or informal ones? Are you shooting a man, woman, or a child? What mood are you trying to capture? There are many points and issues that have to be addressed before you can book a portrait photography session.

“Anyaman Nenek” captured by Kustiyah (Click Image to See More From Kustiyah)

Capturing the mood is the key to good portrait photography. One of the key points is to communicate openly with the model or person who is going to be photographed. There are entire books written on this subject and investing in some of them will be a good move.

Portrait photography is rewarding monetarily as well as creatively. You can explore the various styles of other renowned photographers and develop your own unique style to create visually arresting images, that are cherished by your subjects as well as you feel proud to add to your portfolio.

About the Author:
Pashminu Mansukhani is part of a Corporate Photographer website. With over 5 years of experience in corporate portrait photography for Managing Directors, CEO and Board of Directors, they offer professional service of corporate photography at a very affordable rates with best quality results.