Portrait Photography : Ideas to shoot

Portrait photography says it all, not in words but through facial expressions and emotions of the person who is either entirely or partially part of the photograph. Considered to be one of the most famous genres of photography, portrait photography, if done correctly not just captures the subject but also invokes the same emotions into the viewer.

Portraits are considered to be taken on special occasions like weddings, school and college events, get togethers or any special event which has loads of emotions and expressions to it. Getting a perfect portrait can be a tedious task especially in busy areas. So what to do ? These portraits can be enhanced using professional photo enhancement services whether these portraits are used for personal use, commercial use or to simply added to a photographer's portfolio.

Travelling back to the time, portrait just meant a painting, drawing or sculpture of a person which was made to depict the mood of a person and this had a different level of popularity amongst people. Everyone wanted to get themselves a portrait. Even great artists including Picasso used to make portrait paintings. Times must have changed but the popularity for the portrait remains as intact as ever, it's just that painting has now turned into photographs.

With the convenience of technology in photography, photographers are able to create the magic of portraits through photography with ease that too in a shorter span of time. A good and talented portrait photographer not just captures the picture of a person but makes it more lively by capturing their soul into it.

Although photography does have some ground rules with respect to techniques, but undoubtedly as a creative field it does give a photographer liberty to think out of the box and produce unique photographs.

In order to get the best out of portraits here are some portrait photography ideas which will work wonders for beginners as well as professionals

Portrait photography Ideas

Preparation is the key : Along with the right gear, location, lighting and settings it is equally important for the photographer to prepare their subjects in a manner where they are confident and comfortable around the camera. Hence focus on the subject not just in photographs but generally as well. As a photographer strike a conversation with the subject twice or thrice before the final shoot in order to share your ideas.

Candid shots : As a portrait photographer set you subject free and let them pose as per their will. Candid shots work wonders as the subject is under no pressure, this brings out the best in them in terms of expressions and emotions as they are themselves without having to stick to some kind of rules or poses suggested by the photographer.

Select the perfect location : Lighting plays an important role in photography. Whether indoor or outdoor the selected location should have proper lighting because no matter how amazing your camera, subject or photography skills are, the end result will be nothing but dull pictures.

Capture emotions and expressions : Getting the right expressions and emotions of the subject is easier said than done. As the portrait photography demands the correct blend of emotions it is the duty of the photographer to help subjects bring out these raw emotions and expressions. Portrait photographers should give their subjects ample time and space to get into the comfort zone as rushing and forcing things will never bring out the desired portrait photographs.

Choose the Background : In portrait photography, all the focus is on the subject but apart from that having a great background adds volumes to the picture. It is an important decision to choose a background , for example a blur background would enhance the entire photograph and make the subject look more focused and evident.

Above are the few ideas which one can implement as a photographer while clicking others. But what if you are a pro photographer and are hardly satisfied with anyone clicking you ? well then what is stopping you from taking your self portraits.

Let us understand what exactly self portrait photography means.

Self Portrait Photography

Self portrait photography to be defined in simple terms means taking a photograph of yourself. A talented and a known portrait photographer, who has invested a lot of time and experience in mastering the art of portraits should have a shot of him/herself that makes people connect to them mainly through social media and other platforms.

Having a self portrait either on a social media page or on the portfolio tells the viewer about the photographer that they aren’t just perfect with clicking others but great at clicking themselves too. Self portrait photography is indeed a growing form of photography which is appreciated by the people who admire the work of the photographer.

Self Portrait of a Photographer conveys a strong message to the world that the photographers are also a part of the process and have the ability to think out of the box.

Portrait photography poses

One of the most important things about portrait photography is poses. The portrait photography market is competitive yet saturated when it comes to poses. A good pose can make everything look perfect even when it's not, yet a bad pose can make a perfect picture dull. Portrait photographers have to decide beforehand poses for their models and depending upon who their model is they can easily make changes which suit the best interest. Poses for males are different from poses for females.

The essence of portrait photography, as we know is to showcase the expressions and emotions of the subjects in the purest manners. While portrait shoot of couples, the photographer needs to make sure to depict their relationship through portrait photography where the photographers speak for themselves without actually speaking.

There are a few poses which are generally used by experienced portraits photographers for their subjects. To name a few these are :

• Standing poses
• Leaning on the wall
• Sitting on the staircase
• Use of props
• Lying on the floor poses for women
• Side shots
• Seated on sofa/ floor
• Hands crossed poses for men
• Focus on the face expression with blur background
• Movement shots which is common with both men and women
• Hand in hand shots for couple portrait shoot
• Having candies and ice creams for children

The most important aspect while choosing poses is to research well on who the subject is and what level of comfort they have with the poses the photographer desires to click them in.

The portrait photographers should also try to experiment with the posses if the subject is ready and comfortable as this will give the photographer a chance to explore new ideas along with it brings in new results and above all it will keep the photographer’s creative mind active.