"You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it the rest of your life" - Joan Miro, Artist
A great portrait is almost the very definition of great photography and when most of us think of photography, we often think of great portraits.
Images of friends and family. The selfies and self-portraits we've shot. Portraits of strangers. When done well, portraits reveal the complexion and diversity of the human condition and can provoke an emotional response in the viewer.
Portrait photography has the unique capacity to capture the essence of an individual in a single snapshot.
From a cultural standpoint, portraits are also largely responsible for elevating photography into a respected art.
Some of the greatest pieces of art in the 20th and 21st centuries have been the fabled perfect portrait - a mythical beast that provokes images by the likes of Peter Lindbergh, Steve McCurry, Annie Leibovitz or Richard Avedon.
Personally, I have a lot, with a capital L O T to learn about portrait photography. I don't consider myself the world's greatest portrait photographer and on the subject of technical or aesthetic abilities, I don't think I even come close to some of my peers.
That said, I'd like to pass on at least SOME insight into my personal challenges and experiences trying time and time again to shoot the perfect portrait. These are four portrait photography tips for beginners.
I'd hope that this information is at least a little bit useful for those of you who want to get a better handle on what makes a portrait great and gather some inspiration for your own shoots.
Tip 1: Portrait Photography and The Eyes
First of all, it's important to have your focus point be centered on the eyes - leaving them as the sharpest part of the image and allowing the rest of your subject's face to gradually fade away.
Although cliché, the eyes create an entry point for the viewer to get a better understanding of your subject.
Furthermore, utilizing a wider depth of field to keep your background blurred will help emphasize the eyes and provide a nicer overall experience for your viewer.
Tip 2: Don’t Hide The Face
I've found that most of the portraits I'd rate as successful have not tried to hide or diminish the subject's face or facial features in any way.
Masking or trying to embellish a face can take the viewer out of the human element that a portrait provides and creates a less authentic experience for both subject and viewer.
Tip 3: Balanced Lighting
Although they can be creative and artistically original, I would hazard a guess that the portraits you remember aren't the one's that are shot in hard light or place your subject against a bright background.
I'd say that typically, portraits have a much more balanced lighting setup - one where the subject's face isn't too dark and isn't too bright.
From a technical perspective, this would mean that your camera's histogram or the histogram that you see on Photoshop, resembles a plateau.
The darkest parts of the image are still visible while the lightest parts of the image aren't blown out. Having an even distribution of light will not only help make your portraits more pleasing to the eye but will allow your photo to reveal the subject in greater detail.
Having awkward shadows and sunspots can also create distractions from the eyes and face.
Tip 4: The Moments Between Moments
When it comes down to actually shooting a portrait and capturing the perfect image, don't discount the moments between the moments. In my experience, the best images are those that are taken between what we'd typically think of as posed photos or photos where you have a specific idea in mind for the subject to model.
Laughter, crying, anger, and surprise are all emotions that exhibit themselves at unexpected times. It's your job as a photographer to go in and capture those moments. The best images are not always planned, sometimes it's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
