If the eyes are the window to the soul, then it is the portrait photographer’s artistic task to capture the true personalities of her subjects. Doing so will infuse the photographs with life, feeling and meaning, and create keepsakes to be cherished, remembered and passed down. Moments in time captured purely, authentically—that is the art of photography.
Shooting from a place within you and following your artistic instincts as you make photographs is essential, and the only way to create a truly moving photo. To help you realize what your inner creative voice tells you, you must know how best to use your instrument. Here are some technical and practical tips to help you make stunning, authentic portraits.
Go for a clean background without extraneous elements.
Sometimes the unwanted elements can’t be helped (like the obtrusive tree stump in the grass), but you can use Photoshop (CS or Elements) to get rid of them. Options include (1) cropping them out with the Crop tool (be sure to keep the same standard printing size ratio if you plan on getting them professionally printed), (2) replacing unwanted pixels with other pixels from your photo using the Clone Stamp tool (like replacing the tree stump with pixels of the grass it stands on), or (3) removing them with the Spot Healing Brush tool (which is also great for eliminating unwanted blemishes and marks).
Adobe offers a free thirty-day trial for Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Creative Suite (CS) and Adobe Creative Cloud (CC), the last of which provides the latest versions/tools for Photoshop, Lightroom and more. If you don’t have experience with Photoshop, pixlr.com is a free online photo-editing program that I’m quite impressed with. Its regular editor component operates much like Photoshop Elements. The program has a Crop tool, Clone tool and Healing tool, as well as many other fun tools and features, some of which we explore in the e-companion to this book—available at CreateMixedMedia.com/artofeverydayphotography.
Pixlr has an iPhone app called Pixlr Express+ that contains components of its online version. (It does not contain the regular editor.)
For close-up portraits where your subject is still, I recommend using shallow depth of field. Your subject will be clear and in focus and isolated against a soft, blurred background. Keep in mind that the closer you are to your subject, the blurrier the background will be, whether you’re standing close or zooming in close. As you move farther back or zoom out, the background becomes more in focus, even if you have chosen a wide aperture. Don’t overdo the shallow DOF, as you’ll lose clarity of facial features. I generally don’t go below f/2.8 for that reason, unless I want some creative facial blur. Ideal ranges: Use roughly f/4 or wider to create portraits with shallow DOF. Use f/5.6 to f/11 to create portraits with greater DOF.
For close-up portraits it is important that the camera be aware of your artistic goal to create a soft, blurred background via shallow DOF. The Portrait Scene mode will automatically choose a wider aperture to do just this. If you are working in P mode at this point in your learning, know that you can override your camera’s choices at any time using the program shift feature. With a flip of the dial, you can increase or decrease shutter speed and your camera will adjust aperture accordingly. As you increase shutter speed, it makes the aperture wider, and conversely, as you decrease shutter speed, it makes the aperture smaller. Consult your camera’s instruction manual for specifics.
I recommend going into Aperture Priority mode for close-up portraits and locking down a wider aperture setting like f/4, which will yield a shallow DOF. If you are taking a portrait of a wiggly baby or toddler, especially in a low-light situation, you will need to maintain a shutter speed of at least 1⁄250 sec. to avoid subject blur. In Aperture Priority mode you can indirectly increase shutter speed if need be by choosing a wider aperture or by bumping up ISO. If using Manual mode, dial in your wide aperture, set the ISO according to the available light (stay as low as possible) and dial in a shutter speed, bringing the light meter marker to the center. If shutter speed is too slow, you can gain a stop or two of shutter speed by making a trade-off with a stop or two of ISO, aperture or a combination of the two.
Your smartphone has a fixed aperture—either f/2.4 or f/2.8 depending on the model. The only way to affect DOF is by controlling your distance from the subject. The closer you get to your subject, the more blurry the background will be, and conversely, the farther away you get from your subject, the more clarity you will have throughout. You can apply faux shallow DOF to your mobile photos with apps like LiveDOF, BlurFX, AfterFocus and FocalLab. SynthCam is an app that allows you to simulate shallow DOF while you take your photo.
Soft, natural light makes for beautiful portrait photography, whether at the edge of a shady outdoor spot, under the canopy of overcast skies or outdoors during the golden hours with either even front lighting, backlighting (which can give hair that glowing, angelic effect) or side lighting (which gives more dimension). If you are indoors, north-facing windows offer flattering indirect light ideal for portraits. Avoid direct light, as it can cause squinting in your subject and harsh contrasts.
Your DSLR’s Portrait Scene mode will work best in soft, diffused natural lighting situations where the subject is evenly lit with either front lighting or overcast light. It can also be used if the subject is at the edge of shade.
Shooting in natural light can come with challenges. What to do with those shadows that darken your subject? You can place a reflector on the opposite side of the light source and bounce the light onto these areas. Or you can place a reflective surface underneath the face to brighten and soften it, especially with top lighting on bright and overcast days.
Shallow DOF Portrait- Create a soft background for a close-up portrait by using a wide aperture to yield shallow DOF. This little one was focused on his fudge popsicle, allowing me the fantastic opportunity to photograph him in a natural pose. 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, ISO 200, f/2.8 for 1⁄250 sec.
Soft, natural light makes for beautiful portrait photography, whether at the edge of a shady outdoor spot, under the canopy of overcast skies or outdoors during the golden hours with either even front lighting, backlighting (which can give hair that glowing, angelic effect) or side lighting (which gives more dimension). If you are indoors, north-facing windows offer flattering indirect light ideal for portraits. Avoid direct light, as it can cause squinting in your subject and harsh contrasts.
Your DSLR’s Portrait Scene mode will work best in soft, diffused natural lighting situations where the subject is evenly lit with either front lighting or overcast light. It can also be used if the subject is at the edge of shade.
Shooting in natural light can come with challenges. What to do with those shadows that darken your subject? You can place a reflector on the opposite side of the light source and bounce the light onto these areas. Or you can place a reflective surface underneath the face to brighten and soften it, especially with top lighting on bright and overcast days.
If your subject is turning out underexposed due to a bright backlight, you can use your camera’s exposure compensation feature to increase exposure by one to two stops, or use Spot Metering mode, which will also brighten the face. Keep in mind that exposure compensation works in P mode, Aperture Priority mode and Shutter Priority mode. In Manual mode, you would increase exposure by dialing in new settings, using the camera’s internal light meter as your guide.
Fill flash is a great option for brightening faces outdoors, especially when the sun is behind your subject, not to mention it adds a nice catchlight to the eyes. If you decide to use a flash (indoors or out), I recommend using an external flash unit, powered down for a more natural look. Alternative sources of light to experiment with include candlelight, light from your laptop screen or water (an amazing natural reflector).
You can either bounce the flash off a white ceiling or reflector, or remove it from the camera, attach it to a flash sync cord (or use remote capability if you have it) and direct the flash onto areas cast in shadow. Your flash has the same color temperature as the sun; that’s why it looks natural when used outdoors as a subtle fill flash. In some lighting conditions, the flash can appear too cool (when used outdoors in warmer evening light, for example). You can counteract that by choosing a cloudy white balance setting or by attaching a warming flash gel strip to your flash head. Want to know some more photography lingo? Attaching a gel to your flash is often referred to as “gelling your flash.”
Using One Shot focus mode, place the center autofocus point on your subject’s eyes. If they are at an angle, focus on the eye nearest you. Depress the shutter release button halfway to lock focus, then recompose your composition if you desire. Recomposing the shot with a very shallow DOF can cause subject blur, so use the AF point that is closest to your subject’s eyes instead.
You can use 1⁄60 sec. with subjects who are very still. You might need a tripod if this pushes you over your handheld limit. To be on the safer side and for subjects who are relatively still, a range of 1⁄125 sec. to 1⁄250 sec. is plenty fast. If you have a wiggly youngster, make sure your shutter speed is set to at least 1⁄250 sec. to ensure a crisp shot. For faster action shots with people, you shouldn’t need any faster than 1⁄500 sec.
Use the Portrait Scene mode for portraits where your subject is relatively still. Switch to Sports mode if there is a lot of movement.
If you are taking the portrait in Aperture Priority mode, keep an eye on the shutter speed if there is movement. If you need to increase shutter speed, bump up the ISO or open up the aperture, or you can always switch to Shutter Priority mode and dial in the faster shutter speed.
Manual mode is another option, especially if managing both aperture and shutter speed is important. Try dialing in your desired aperture, choose an ISO appropriate for the ambient light (trying to keep it low), and then see what shutter speed is needed to bring the marker on the light meter to proper exposure. If the shutter speed is too slow, you can always make a swap, e.g., increase shutter speed by two stops and increase ISO by two stops. Balance that exposure triangle!
A comfortable focal length range for portraits is roughly 85–100mm, although I have used shorter focal lengths for close-up shots and longer focal lengths where I zoom in on my subject from a distance. Wide-angle focal lengths (35mm or shorter) can distort facial features, making them look larger than they are, but if you get in very close to your subject, it’s not so much of an issue. Medium telephoto lenses, generally 85–135mm, make great portrait lenses because they compress the background (called lens compression), which makes facial features appear smaller. Another plus is that they allow you to physically step back from your subject and zoom in close, avoiding the awkward and uncomfortable feeling that comes with sticking your camera in their face. Telephoto lenses are also great for photographing toddlers because you can keep your camera at a safe distance from curious wee-one fingers.
There is sometimes a drawback to using a longer focal length, and that is it can make your photos slightly less sharp. There is a fix for this up to a point: Use the Sharpening tool or sharpening function in Photoshop CS or Elements, or in the free Pixlr program (available at Pixlr.com). Tip: You can use a dedicated macro lens as a portrait lens. I sometimes use my 100mm f/2.8 macro lens for taking portraits, as I can achieve a nice blurry, dreamy background with a wide aperture.
I have a special affinity for photographing the subject doing what he loves. This type of authentic portraiture is all about capturing the moment, which holds far more depth and meaning than a posed shot ever could. This style of portraiture will help your subject relax because he is focusing on what he loves as opposed to a poking lens. You will capture personal qualities that infuse the photos with authenticity, passion and life. If your subject is moving around a lot, use Continuous Focus mode.
Black and White - Converting your photos to black and white gives them a classic, timeless feel and enhances their emotional content. 15–85mm f/3.5–5.6 lens at 85mm, ISO 200, f/7.1 for 1⁄125 sec.
Shoulders at a Slight Angle - Straight-on shots with square shoulders can look stiff, even a bit antagonistic. Make sure your subject’s shoulders are at a slight angle, with their head turned towards the camera. If your subject wears glasses, be careful to avoid reflections/glare in the glass. 15–85mm f/3.5–5.6 lens at 46mm, ISO 200, f/5.6 for 1⁄80 sec.
Profile - Profile shots with side lighting can be tricky, as they accentuate every line, curve, pore and blemish. This subject’s strong chin, masculine appearance and the texture of his beard scruff make for a successful profile shot. This photo was taken indoors in low light without flash and with a zoom lens that has a variable maximum aperture. To get the shot I opened the aperture as wide as possible, increased ISO, which in turn increased shutter speed, turned on image stabilization, placed my elbows on the table for camera support and had my subject hold very still to accommodate the slower shutter speed. 15–85mm f/3.5–5.6 lens at 76mm, ISO 800, f/5.6 for 1⁄25 sec.
I find everyone beautiful. If I could take a photograph of everyone I meet, just one, I would be a happy person. I hope to show people their inner beauty.
— Erin Little
Erin and her clients were on the windy coast and she decided to shoot through some tree leaves that were blowing around. She steadied the leaves with her hand in order to frame her subjects.