How You Can Take Better Portraits in Just 9 Steps
When you think about it, portraiture is probably the most common type of photography.
After all, we all use our phones to take snapshots of our kids, our friends, and even ourselves.
And professional photographers often specialize in portraits, be that senior photos, family pictures, newborn and maternity, and so forth.
But just because portraiture is common doesn't mean that it's as simple as pointing your camera at a person and pressing the shutter button.
It doesn't have to be difficult, though, either.
In the video above, Jessica Kobeissi offers up nine simple, but impactful tips to help you take better portraits.
Give the video a look, and for a play-by-play of Jessica's tips, read on below.
By the end, you'll have nine great tips that will make your portraits shine!
Get to Know the Model
Whether you're working as a budding professional photographer or you're just taking a portrait of a friend, it's important to engage with the person you're photographing.
By talking to them, asking questions, and perhaps even cracking a few jokes, you can help lighten the mood and make your portrait subject more relaxed in front of the camera.
And having a relaxed subject is key to getting a better photo...
The more comfortable they are, the less rigid they will be, the more natural their smile, and the greater their ability to follow your instructions.
Shoot in RAW
YouTube Screenshot/Jessica Kobeissi
This is one of the most fundamental photography tips there is!
By shooting in RAW format, you give yourself a much greater ability to tweak the image in post-processing than you have if you shoot in JPEG.
In portraiture, having all the data captured by the sensor in RAW format means you can make pinpoint adjustments to everything from the exposure settings to the white balance to cropping the image, and more.
And when you crop an image - say, to turn a full body portrait into a headshot - RAW files have better resolution so you don't have to worry about the image becoming pixelated.
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Use Natural Light
YouTube Screenshot/Jessica Kobeissi
If you don't have a closet full of studio lighting (and even if you do!), using natural light can help you create better portraits.
In the image above, the model is simply seated in front of a window and looking toward the light.
As you can see, that results in soft, warm lighting that illuminates the model's face without there being harsh shadows or washing out her skin, which can occur when artificial lighting is used.
Another option is to take your model outside and find shade or shoot on an overcast day. That gives you nice, diffuse, even lighting to create compelling portraits as well.
Use a Plain and Non-Distracting Background
YouTube Screenshot/Jessica Kobeissi
When you take a portrait, you obviously want the model to be the star of the shot.
It's hard to do that if you've got them in front of a crazy-looking background!
Instead, opt for non-descript backgrounds that have some color and texture, but nothing that will distract the viewer's eye from the focus of the shot - the model.
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Err on the Side of Underexposure
YouTube Screenshot/Jessica Kobeissi
When taking portraits, it's advisable to underexpose your images.
Now, this doesn't mean that you underexpose by two or three stops...
Instead, go for a slight underexposure, as that will help preserve the details in the shot.
Even if you shoot in RAW, it's difficult to extract the details from areas of the image that have blown out highlights, thus the need to underexpose.
It's much easier to get the detail back in shadowed areas than out of highlighted areas!
Focus on the Eyes
As the saying goes, the eyes are the windows to the soul.
And as such, when you're taking a portrait, set your focus point on the model's eyes.
This is especially important if you're taking a close-up and have a smaller depth of field to deal with.
If the model's head is turned, focus on the eye nearest to the camera. If they're directly facing the camera, focus on the bridge of their nose.
That will keep their eyes nice and sharp and will give your portraits maximum impact.
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Use a Reflector
YouTube Screenshot/Jessica Kobeissi
Even if you use natural lighting for your portraits, your images will benefit from using a reflector as well.
Reflectors bounce light back towards the subject, helping to fill in some of the shadows that occur, particularly if the lighting is on the strong side.
Looking at the image above, you can see how much of a difference a white reflector makes - the shadows under the model's chin, in particular, have been all but negated.
The result is a much more even portrait that's also much more pleasing to the eye.
Watch Your Angles
The angle of the model's head and shoulders, in particular, can have a marked impact on how your images turn out.
For example, if the model's shoulders are turned too much, that will become the focal point of the shot rather than the model's face.
Likewise, the angle of their head will determine things like how deep any shadows are and where they're located and the presence (or absence) of a double chin.
This isn't to say that the model has to face the camera with their shoulders square. In fact, that might be a pretty boring look.
But just be careful of how much you have the model twist and turn. Otherwise, you could end up with a really distracting pose.
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Get on the Model's Level
YouTube Screenshot/Jessica Kobeissi
In an earlier tip, it was noted how important it is to focus on the portrait subject's eyes.
In addition to that, it's also important to take portraits from the eye level of the subject.
That might require some creativity if your model is much taller or shorter than you, but the extra effort is certainly worth it.
In the image above, notice how we get a full view of the model's face, and in particular, her eyes.
The result is an intimate, eye-catching portrait!
