The Importance of Researching Subjects for Portrait Sessions

Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

When taking a portrait, you want the photograph to accurately display the subject’s personality. A great way to do this is by taking the time to research or get to know the subject prior to the shoot. Consider it a trick of the trade when it comes to photographing celebrities; a good photographer always gets to know who they are photographing. Listen to the tale of Matthew Jordan Smith’s photo shoot with Gregory Hines. In Smith’s case, his forethought happened to saved the entire shoot:

“When I do a photo shoot, the first thing I do is start off by doing research. I do the research because it helps to find everything I can to relate to my subject.”