{"id":1874,"date":"2024-11-02T20:00:06","date_gmt":"2024-11-02T09:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital-photography-school.com\/10-ways-to-take-stunning-portraits\/"},"modified":"2024-11-06T04:00:21","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T17:00:21","slug":"10-ways-to-take-stunning-portraits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digital-photography-school.com\/10-ways-to-take-stunning-portraits\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits (Portrait Photography Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/span>\"tips<\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

How do you do portrait photography that has the wow <\/em>factor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capturing stunning portraits often seems difficult, but it’s actually pretty easy once you know a few tips and tricks. Below, I share my 10 absolute favorite <\/em>techniques for shooting portraits, including tips for lighting<\/a>, composition<\/a>, perspective, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve also included plenty of portrait photography examples (to get you inspired as we go along). Hopefully, by the time you’re done, you’ll be a more confident portrait photographer – and you’ll be excited to get out your camera and take some beautiful images of your own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s dive right in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Alter your perspective<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most portraits are taken on a level with your subject, where the camera lens aligns perfectly with the subject’s eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while this is a good idea in most <\/em>situations, if you want to spice things up, I recommend completely changing the angle you shoot from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, you can get up high and shoot down on your subject from above:<\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/span>\"stunning<\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Here, you have several different options. You can ask your subject to lie down on the ground and then simply point your camera downward (this works well when shooting in the studio or on clean ground, but it’s not something you can try when photographing in a lake!). You can also find a nice vantage point, like a balcony or even a roof, then ask your subject to look up. And if you’re really <\/em>focused on getting that overhead shot, you can bring a step stool or ladder with you out into the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another great angle for portrait photography:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get down low and shoot up. You’ll make your subject appear strong and powerful (and you’ll make the viewer feel small):<\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/span>\"stunning<\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Obviously, different angles are more appropriate for certain image types; business executives will appreciate the power of a low-angle portrait, but they probably won’t want to be shot lying in the grass. So pay careful attention to your subject and surroundings, then pick angles that complement the scene. Make sense?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Play with eye contact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It’s amazing <\/em>how much the direction of your subject’s eyes can impact an image. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, when you’re just starting out with portraits, I highly recommend you work on attaining perfect eye contact (with the eye in sharp focus). This looks great, and it can create a real sense of connection between a subject and those viewing the image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you become a more advanced portrait shooter, however, there are a few more techniques worth trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking off-camera<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ask your subject to focus on something outside the frame (a tree off to the left, a house off to the right, etc.). This can create a feeling of candidness, plus it can create a little intrigue and interest; the viewer of the shot will wonder what the subject is looking at, which will cause them to engage further with the image.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/span>\"subject<\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This intrigue is particularly strong when the subject is showing some kind of emotion. The viewer will ask, “What’s making them laugh?” and “What’s making them look surprised?” which can lead to interesting narratives and emotional connections.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But be careful; when you have a subject looking out of the frame, you’ll push the eye of the viewer to the edge of the image, and unless you’ve composed your shot carefully, you may take away from the main point of interest: your subject.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking within the frame <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You might also ask your subject to look at something within the frame. A child looking at a ball, a woman looking at her new baby, or a man looking hungrily at a big plate of pasta; it can all work!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

See, this technique creates a second point of interest, as well as a relationship between your subject and another key element in the scene, which in turn helps create a story.<\/span><\/strong> (And in photography, stories are pretty much always <\/em>a good thing!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, the mother is looking at her child, which highlights their relationship and emphasizes their emotional connection:<\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/span>\"woman<\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

3. Use the rules of portrait composition, then break them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of portrait photography composition rules (guidelines, really) out there, and I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with them. On the one hand, the rules are great for beginners; on the other hand, as you progress, the rules will start to hold you back. So in this section, I’ll start by offering a few useful rules, and then I’ll explain simple ways to break them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here are a few compositional guidelines that’ll help you as you compose your portrait shots:<\/p>\n\n\n\n