Once you enter the world of portrait photography, you will never want to leave 😉 Portraits are addictive and sooner or later, if you like photography, you will fall for it. My theory is that this happens for several reasons. Obviously we feel more empathy for a person than for any other living being or object, we are human, we cannot help it. Another reason is because they are very handy when it comes to practicing with a new camera and if you can’t find anyone willing to pose for you, you can always resort to self-portrait. These are some of the reasons why the portrait is attractive, but the most important is the ability of a portrait to move, to move. If you manage to capture the soul of that person, the essence of your model, you will conquer your viewer.
Before continuing, if you want to go beyond an introduction, do not miss this comprehensive guide to portrait photography where we tell you all the tricks, tips and inspiration, much more than you can imagine.
To move with a landscape, for example, you need a place that inspires you, the right light, the ideal lens, and a good composition. However, to move with a portrait, the most important thing is to know how to look inside that person, steal a little piece of soul. If you achieve this, and with some basic notions, you will be able to take impressive portraits. Today I am going to tell you these basic notions and some tricks so that you learn to “look inside” that person. Do you want to risk entering a world from which you will not be able to leave?
portrait types
The first thing you have to know is that there are different types of planes in the portrait and not only the first plane, which is the one that will surely come to mind, let’s see them:
- General plane: It is the farthest plane and in it the whole of the body appears, without any cutout.
- Plan Three Quarters/American: it is the one that cuts the person (in the photo, eh? don’t go thinking that we are talking about real cutting) by the thighs or the knees. As you can see, we are getting a little closer.
- Middle Plane: gathers approximately to the waist. As it enhances the beauty of the protagonist, it is widely used in fashion photography.
- Medium Short Shot: includes from the head to the middle of the chest, giving more prominence to the model.
- Foreground: a much more intimate shot that only encompasses the head and shoulders.
- Extreme Close-up: covers only the face (whole).
- Detail plan: As its name says, this plane collects a small part that can be of the face or the body. In this plane the distance is minimal and the maximum expressiveness.
You can also play with the camera angle to achieve other shots depending on the perspective.
What do you need to photograph a portrait?
Model
Of course this is basic. You can pull some relative and/or friends who cannot reject your offer because of how much they love you, find some aspiring model who wants to practice and also the photos for their “book” come in handy, try street robberies or if all this fails you… you can always self-portrait. I don’t think anyone has more patience than you with yourself.
Light
Without light there is no photo. You should already know that. In addition to being an essential element in the photo, it is an element that you can play with to obtain very different results. From drawing a silhouette using a backlight to enhancing your model’s aggressive personality using hard light. The subject of light would give for an entire article, but don’t be afraid, we are not going to make you wait, we already have it prepared for you: the complete guide to lighting your portraits. And as a bonus, you can discover the beauty of portraits taken with a Beauty Dish.
Goal
I personally would recommend the king of lenses (a 50mm 1.4), and I’m pretty sure Mario too (or the 50mm 1.8). However, here are 8 recommended lenses for portrait photography.
tripod and self-timer
This is not necessary unless it is a self-portrait, in which case it becomes essential. But it can come in handy if your model has a bit of a camera phobia. Plant the camera on the tripod and while you chat use the remote trigger.
Background
The wrong background can completely ruin a portrait or make it much more alive. If the environment does not tell anything about your protagonist, do not include it, opt for shorter shots and use wide openings that blur the background. If it counts a lot and can contribute to the story of your main character but there are elements that do not convince you, you can try black and white.
Flash
Although the ideal is to use natural light, due to its own beauty, it is very likely that you will find yourself in situations where it is not available and you have to use a flash. In that case, make sure that it is not the one that is incorporated if you want to obtain a good result. The flash will serve you indoors, as a fill flash (to eliminate shadows) or for night portraits (and watch out for red eyes 😉 ).
portrait composition
The composition is another element that we cannot forget in a portrait. There are two basic rules that you should only skip if you really have a specific reason, artistic, creative, emotional or whatever you want, the only reason that is not valid is ignorance. These two rules are:
The law of the gaze in portrait photography
According to this norm, the greatest space has to be left towards where the subject’s gaze is directed. Playing with the law of the gaze allows you to tell a lot about the moment or your protagonist. I tell you everything here.
The law of three thirds
Most likely, you already know this rule and I just have to remind you that the center of interest is usually the gaze, so in closer shots you have to place your eyes on the points of interest. In a general plane, it will be the subject or the face that is located in the intersection lines. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you should know that it is one of the first lessons you have to learn in photography, so I recommend that you take a walk around here before continuing.
(Bonuses: shhh… don’t tell anyone, but I’m going to “gift” you 13 other composition tricks to achieve amazing portraits. )
The soul in the portrait
Now comes the most difficult part, the crucial moment, the magical moment in which you decide to press the button because that look is precisely the one that undresses your model, because at that precise moment it is telling who he is. This is not easy at all, it requires training and sensitivity, but I am going to be like a GPS in your search for his soul, I leave you an itinerary so that you know where you have to drive and do not get lost along the way, here is the route faster 😉
- Take the Avenue of Body Language: body language counts much more than what it tries to hide or convey. It goes far beyond words. Do not ignore it.
- Stop at the Plaza de las Historias Personales: stop to chat with that person, discover what they hide, what they fear, what they brag about or what they dream of. When you get to know her a little, figure out what you want to say about her before you shoot.
- Tour Calle de la Mirada: the face is the mirror of the soul, or so they say. What is not said so much is that the gateway to that soul is the eyes. Focus on the eyes and their look, they will reveal all the secrets to you, and focus them well. If they are at different distances and you are using a shallow depth of field, focus on the closest eye.
- If you feel like it, you can stop for a coffee in High Key or Low Key.
- You have reached your destination: when you think the time is right, knock on the door (shoot).
This is not all, you can stay with the “classic” portraits or start practicing black and white portraits, night portraits or different portraits. You dare?
If the bug has bitten you (which I’m afraid it is) and you want to delve deeper into the subject, don’t think twice and get our ebook Guide to Mastering Portrait Photography. What you can not stop doing is practice. Portrait, portrait and portrait. If not, what you have read will not help you at all 😉
Thanks for getting here and sharing it on the networks if you find it useful. Until next time!