My favorite portrait stuff (i.e., photography of live subjects, usually people) is that you never really run out of
subjects, and it helps you to slow down and really see regular beauty, like three of my lovely lambs below.
It doesn’t really matter whether you’re photographing your kids, your pets, your mates, or if you’re photographing farm animals, there’s always someone somewhere who can be a model for your portraits.
Concentrate on
the Eyes
One of my favorite trade tricks I like to share with burgeoning photographers is
that usually the emphasis of your portrait should be on the eyes of the subject. We have all learned that the eyes are the window to the soul, and you
have the perfect opportunity to fully capture your subject ‘s ethos by photographing them well. Someone staring directly at the camera produces a photograph of such a different feeling than when your client stares off into the distance
or even into another human being’s eyes, so one of the first choices you’ll have to make is where you want them to look.
Secondly, in their eyes, understand the message being communicated.
Secondly, in their eyes,
understand the message being communicated.
This might sound a little deep or metaphysical, but you need
to try to fit the feelings in the eyes that are expressed.
For example, you don’t want a bright sunny setting for
the portrait if the subject ‘s eyes are concentrated and mysterious.
Instead, pick a shoot in the shadows where the nuances
of the subject ‘s eyes can be seen much better.
Just take a moment to look at
the image below. Her eyes are hypnotic.
The best results are often obtained by learning to shoot portraits in which your subjects are free to behave naturally and comfortable.
That doesn’t mean that posed portraits do not have their place with people smiling at the camera, it’s just that posed images are sometimes not a true representation of the person you’re photographing.
In addition , taking far more pictures than required will help your client get used to the sound of the shutter, and they will finally start missing it.
In addition , taking far more pictures than required will help your client get used to the sound of the shutter, and they will finally start missing it.
