5 Portrait Photography Hacks You Should Know

While there are many different types of photography, portrait photography is certainly one of the most difficult. Not only do you have to capture the best photos possible that your subject likes, but there are a lot of moving parts in the process.

These are people’s head shots, graduation photos and wedding photos, so you need to be on your game. Thankfully, there are some hacks out there to improve your portrait photography skills, and this article is going to go over a few of them.

Don’t Forget to Edit

No matter how good a photographer you are, it’s always a good idea to edit your photos. As touched on earlier, these portrait photos are often incredibly important for people, and they want them coming out their best.

Whether you want to explore how to edit flyaway hair or want to change up the colors or shadows a bit, editing can help ensure each photo is spectacular. Of course, be sure to keep the editing tasteful and fairly basic. You want to make sure the photo is improved, but still looks natural.

Get the Lighting Right

In any photo, the lighting is one of the most important things to get right. Without good or proper lightning, your photo simply won’t look as good as it could. There are a lot of considerations when it comes to lighting. You need to think about the location, the type of portrait you are taking and the lighting equipment you may need.

In general, soft and flattering lighting is best, and it is preferable for that light to be natural. You want your subject's face to be bright enough, but not so bright it causes them to squint or impacts their facial features in the shot. Also early in the day or early evening are generally the best times when it comes to lightning. Midday is when the sun and the shadows are the most difficult to work with.

Build a Connection With the Subject

A good portrait is about more than a good camera, a nice setting and solid lighting. The subject themselves and how they take photos can be of major importance. If people are awkward or uncomfortable in front of the camera, it can often shine through the photos and hold them back from being their best.

As a result, a great hack for taking better portraits is to build a connection with your subject. The more you can connect with them and make them comfortable, the better that your shots will come out. You want to be able to give good advice, hold a conversation, give them positive affirmations and more.

The Eyes are Incredibly Crucial

While the entire face and/or body of your subject is important to consider, nothing is more crucial in a portrait than the eyes. Always try to place emphasis on their eyes. While the subject doesn’t always need to be looking straight ahead, the eyes should always be near the center of the portrait and look sharp.

The eyes are where people generally first look when observing someone, and that includes looking at a picture. If the eyes aren’t emphasized, the entire photo can suffer and not be as captivating as it could have been. Even if the rest of the photo is superb, the eyes being off in some way can be a dealbreaker.

Experiment With a Variety of Angles and Poses

When it comes to portrait photography, experimentation is very important. The more different angles, poses and distances you capture, the better your chances of coming out with great photos. This allows the whole process to be a lot more casual and allows both you and the subject to see a variety of options.

Through this process, you will generally find out which poses or angles work best with the subject and their goals out of the session. If you simply take all of your photos from straight ahead and at the same angle and level, you may miss out on some wonderful photos.

Portrait photography can be challenging, but these 5 hacks and tips should help you capture some truly stunning pictures.