Portrait shooting is one of the difficult types of work. The fact is that the task of the photographer should include the transfer of not only the beautiful appearance of a person, but the main thing is to show the hidden, internal essence and versatility. Therefore, not every photo with smiling faces can be called a good portrait.
To create an artistic image, special and expensive equipment is not always needed. The main thing is the professionalism of the photographer, his intuition and compliance with a number of principles on which portraiture is based.
The first rule. Be sure to consider the fact that the model cannot be in the center. A snapshot will be most natural if you put the person a little to the right or left. Of course, there should not be much space, everything should be proportionate.
The second rule. Shooting a portrait turns out to be very interesting if you make a close-up shot of the face or part of it. Thanks to this approach, you can give emotionality to the image. For example, fatigue will be emphasized by the presence of unshaven, good mood - with glowing eyes and so on.
The third rule. Portrait shooting should not be carried out "in the forehead." The model may not even look at the camera. On the contrary, the most interesting photographs will be those if a person is engaged in something enthusiastically, looking thoughtfully to the side or just watching. At these moments, the model is natural.
The fourth rule. The minimum number of objects (furniture, other people, etc.) should fall into the frame. Leave only what relates to this plot.
The fifth rule. Very “animates” and conveys a special mood in the hands of a person of any object. It can be a flower, a toy, a phone, an umbrella, a leaf and more. The main thing is that it looks harmonious in the frame.
The sixth rule. Depth of field is important. It is only necessary to make a sharp portrait, and the background should be blurred. This is a basic principle when portraiture is taking place outdoors.
The seventh rule. When the focus is carried out, then there must be eyes in it, clear and distinct. If you are ready to turn, then the sharpness must be directed to the near eye.
The eighth rule. When shooting, be sure to observe a balanced composition. There cannot be a lot of nature on the frame (sky, forest, river, and so on), unless the plot requires it. It is necessary to make sure that nothing ugly (old walls, pipes, garbage bins, etc.) gets into the frame.
The ninth rule. Portrait shooting will become interesting if the models do not just smile tightly into the frame. Only naturalness is the key to success.
The tenth rule. When portrait shooting is done, you need to focus only on it. Even if there is a stunning beauty of the mountain in the background , the photographer should focus only on the model, so that it becomes the main center, and everything else is just the background.
The eleventh rule. Whenever possible, portrait shooting is only necessary with a tripod.
In conclusion, the following should be noted. The photographer is recommended to work only in the soft light: in the morning, or closer to evening. In addition, it is good to shoot in cloudy weather, because uniform lighting will contribute to the elaborate and soft portraits.
The most unfortunate time for work is noon, because the sun is high, the light is incredibly bright, and the shadows are deep and sharp. Therefore, faces in the shade can turn out almost black. To avoid this, you need to enable the "Fill-flash" mode.
Subject to the basic rules, portrait shooting will turn out amazing.