5 Tips for Shooting Amazing portraits

It’s no secret - I love shooting portraits. A quick browse on my Instagram shows that most of the work I display online are, no surprise, portraits.

Hence, I’m letting you in – into the secrets of the trade.  Here are some tips that I wish I knew when I first started shooting portraits.  

1. Get comfy

Richard Avedon once said that being a portrait photographer is more about being a psychologist and less about being a photographer. In many ways, I agree with that.

The key to portraiture is the ability to make the person you are photographing feel comfortable, and ultimately, to connect with you and share something authentic about them.  That’s why it is always a good idea to start practising with someone you know well. When you know the person you are photographing, or are engaging well with them, you learn to anticipate their behaviour, and when necessary, draw it out.

2. Find the perfect angle

In some way or another, how a man or a woman, or anyone, sees a person are quite different.   We look at the mirror every day and there are always different things that make us uncomfortable or insecure.

From a perspective of a female photographer, I feel at ease connecting with women and can often tell the difference in the gender of the photographer based on their work.  After all, beauty is quite subjective.  It’s essential to know what most people look for as they seek beauty in their features as well as their specific perks - what is their favourite part of their body, which side of their face do they like more - and to let them know that you care.

3. Lighting – is the Queen of Ambiance!

One of the questions that I always receive is how I build a soft and feminine ambiance/mood in my photographs.  Is it the lens?  Is it the filter?  The magic comes from a combination of all the tools used pre and post production, but the most important factor is: lighting.

For your next portrait shoot, think of lighting - the time of day (midday v.s. sunset), where the light hits, reflect and not shine on (outdoor v.s. window light, or directional v.s. back light).  I assure you, you’ll be surprised how much of a difference this would make to your photos, and the different moods each different lighting conveys.

Lighting in itself is a huge topic given its importance in photography. I will be sharing more specifically on the topic of lighting in different upcoming posts.

4. Planning makes a difference

Riding off the point of lighting, it’s great to plan the mood you are trying to achieve.  This makes a huge difference to the selection of colour scheme, backdrop, clothes, and of course, lighting. E.g. a dark background gives off a more intense mood whilst a light clean background gives a more airy feel.

Before each photoshoot, I always like to work together with and advise people on what to wear as it plays a big role in the final photos and contributes greatly to the mood I am aiming to achieve (this is also when my fashion design background helps a lot too!).

5. Move with a no-fuss lens

There is no right or wrong in choosing which lens to use for portraits.  While some people may prefer a wider angle lens for a more photojournalistic style, I personally love a 50 or 85mm prime lens with a wide aperture.

I like using a prime lens instead of a zoom lens, because it forces me to explore different angles and move around rather than just relying on the zoom. When you move around, you are able to see things from different perspectives (e.g. shooting from above and shooting from below makes a huge difference to the mood you wish to convey) and get better shots!

6. BONUS TIP: study old masters’ works

In short, learn how the best did it! Study their work and ask yourself why - what makes the photograph such a masterpiece.  What composition draws your eye?  Are there any leading lines?  What is the lighting like?  Where is it coming from?  How does it contribute to the mood being conveyed? What emotions/connections are being drawn out of you?
In a later post, I will be sharing more on a few photography masters whose work have really inspired me.

In the end, it’s all about practising, exploring and - more practising. It’s about training your eyes to see beauty, to see light, to see compositions through the viewfinder. It’s about learning to make someone feel comfortable, and creating connection with them.

So, shoot more, fail more, and grow more!