Why do photographs of people often turn out to be uninteresting, and the models themselves in the pictures do not look their best? There are certain rules of photography that, if followed, may not make you a great photographer, it will greatly improve the quality of your portrait.
Before releasing the shutter
Before you start shooting, think about what attracts you to this person. What traits of his character are most important to you and what in his appearance you would like to emphasize. Art photography is an art in which, in addition to the technique of shooting, the personality of the photographer plays a huge role. If you do not understand people and are not interested in them, then you will not be able to make a good portrait.
In order not to get a constrained pose and a forced smile in the photo, create a relaxed atmosphere. Take your attention away from the shoot, strike up an interesting conversation, or come up with a fun activity. And try to catch a good angle, an expressive look or gesture. Show in the picture how you see this person and your attitude towards him. Only then will the photo be really interesting.
Background selection
The choice of background must be taken very carefully. There should be no distractions in the background. Make sure that there are no pillars directly behind the model's head, no tree branches or wires sticking out. It is best to shoot in the morning or at sunset to avoid harsh and deep shadows. The sun should be behind your back and slightly to the side, soft oblique shadows will liven up the picture.
If you are shooting in an apartment, a simple white wall or sheet is the best choice for a classic portrait. Light wallpapers with a discreet pattern are also well suited. Great shots can be taken on a balcony or near a window, just don't position your subject against the sun - backlit photography requires experience and is more suitable for professional photographers. Interesting results can be obtained by shooting in a brightly lit room against a black background. With this kind of lighting, the person's face attracts special attention.
Correct angle
When shooting a portrait, the lens should be at eye level with the subject. Only in this case the person's face will maintain the correct proportions. Moving the lens down, you get a heavy massive chin in the picture. And if you shoot from above, the forehead will look too big. However, sometimes you can experiment to give the photo a certain mood or, for example, to emphasize the masculinity and aggressiveness of the hero.
If you want to take a portrait to the waist, then position the lens at the height of the subject's chin. Full-body shots are best taken when the shooting point is at waist level. Shooting from a height greatly distorts the proportions of the figure and is used only for creating special effects. Don't get too close to the model - perspective will be disturbed, better use magnification.
How to make a person look better?
A properly chosen angle will help smooth out the imperfections in the model's appearance. So, it is better to shoot a person with a large nose full face, with a raised chin. At the same time, the face looks flatter and the nose stands out less. In this case, you should not take close-up shots of the face, especially with a soap box. For people with a round face, a profile or three-quarter position is appropriate. Otherwise, the cheekbones in the photo will appear too wide. If at the same time ask the model to slightly stretch her neck and tilt her head down a little, then you can visually smooth out wrinkles and hide skin irregularities.
A person with an elongated face will look better if they lean slightly to the left or right and lower their head slightly when shooting. And so that the triangular face does not seem even sharper than in life - shoot from a lower angle. The same angle is suitable to visually enlarge the small chin. If you need to hide a double chin, ask the model to lean forward slightly and press her tongue to the palate. A position with a hand under the chin is suitable. The lens should be positioned slightly above eye level, but be extremely careful - if the angle is too high, the nasolabial folds protrude sharply.
To make the eyes appear larger and more expressive, have the model look slightly above the lens. The direction of sight should coincide with the turn of the head. If the sun is high, then it is better to raise the model's head so that the eyes are not in the shadow of the brow arches. If you are shooting a portrait, adjust the lighting so that the light falls on the face from the top and slightly to the left. Side lighting will accentuate wrinkles, highlight all imperfections and unevenness of the skin. Never use fluorescent lamps for illumination. They give the skin an unpleasant greenish tint.
Don't stop there
To make your photos really interesting, you need to constantly train. Shoot more and more often, experiment with unusual angles, lighting. Try to clearly and concisely convey to the viewer what you wanted to say with your shot. And, of course, read more. Learn the laws of perspective and composition. Learn to process your images in a photo editor - almost all pictures are corrected before publication. Look at the works of recognized artists and try to understand what attracts your attention. Over time, you will have your own style and your work will become truly unique.
