Portrait photographs help you to get connected to the image you are looking at. It captures both the person and her/his personality, presenting something amazing. But portrait photography is not everyone’s cup of tea. There are certain techniques that you have to learn if you are a newbie. Let’s take a look at it.

Focus on the subject’s eyes

A subject’s eyes can change the entire mood of the picture. Emphasize on the eyes, but do not stop at it. It is true that eyes help in enhancing the subject’s expressions. But in photography, light source plays a big role, whether it is coming from outside or is being emitted from the studio lights. In order to add sparkle to the subject’s eyes, you can choose a small softbox or a low-powered flash having a diffusion panel. Natural light can also do the same, but you need to make sure that the source emits dim light.

Experiment with posing

Many of your subjects will ask for your directions as they will not prefer to stand awkwardly before the camera. They can keep posing ordinarily during the initial pictures. You can incorporate a few changes in their poses as the session proceeds. Start with basic concepts like, realize what looks larger before the camera and significantly ask your subject to change position. Prevent them from bending a knee or putting a foot outward. Ensure that the subject’s arms or legs are not pointed towards the lens as it will make the limbs appear shorter. This technique is commonly referred to as foreshortening. Lean poses make good portraits and further help people to feel confident.

Make your subject comfortable

Many a time, photographers crack jokes when they click pictures. Often, he/she asks couples to say something funny to each other. This is how a professional tries to make people comfortable before the lens. This can be quite challenging as well because you are going to get awkward smiles from your subject. A professional photographer asks random questions or compliments the subject or starts a conversation. This is how you can make the individuals relax in front of the camera.

Use of light

If you don’t have a clear understanding of light, your photography will be dull and boring. Lights add creativity and contrast in the click. For a novice, it is advised that you start working on a cloudy day because the surrounding is easy to work with. You can use a flash with a diffuser to add a pop in the shot. Or, you can also choose an hour before sunset to click pictures. Known as Golden Hour, this is absolutely a favorite time to shoot a portrait. Lighting is tricky, but once you grasp a strong foothold, you will take an outstanding picture.

Like any other art form, photography too takes a lot of practice. Start with one area and check for its tutorials on the Internet. Once you get the idea, start your hands-on practice with basic photo-shoot. By concentrating on one area at a time, you can actually develop your skills, keeping other novice competitors behind.