Many photographers view portraiture as one of the most challenging styles of photography. The intricate art of capturing people and their personalities requires years of study and practical experience. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t take your portraiture to the next level. Here are a few hints on how to create striking portraits with minimal experience and no fancy equipment.

Go Candid

There are lots of pictures that show a smiling subject looking directly at the camera. Pictures like this have their place, but they don’t let the subject express the personality. Candid photography is the art of capturing your subject when they aren’t paying attention. This method is becoming very popular at weddings and special events, and will give your portraiture stunning honesty. What’s more captivating – a picture of a mother and baby staring at a camera or a mother singing to her child

Hide Your Subject?

A very easy (and cheap) way to make your next round of portraits visually compelling is to try partially obscuring your subject. This will allow you to draw more attention to certain features (hands, eyes, mouth) while forcing the viewer to imagine what’s missing. Additionally, this is a great opportunity to play with color. Try giving your subject a brightly colored scarf and see how one prop can open up a world of creativity.

Get Out of the Studio

Instead of taking those boring “sitting in a chair” or “looking out the window” portraits we’ve all seen before, bring your subject into strange and fun environments and work with them to use what’s around you. A great example here would be engagement photographs that feature the couple engaging in a fun activity together, like sitting on a playground see-saw. At every opportunity try to think outside the box to get an image that will truly stand out.

Use Light to Your Advantage

Even lighting is usually best for portraiture if you’re trying to make the subject look natural. However, this in no way means there is no other way to light a subject. Try playing with darkness and only lighting part of your subject, or casting shadow patterns over them. Simple things like this can go a long way towards creating memorable portraits, and you can usually accomplish them with a couple of desk lamps and a little ingenuity.

Show Their True Colors

Talk with your subject beforehand and try to strike up a conversation so you know a little more about them. A portrait should tell a story about what a person is on the inside as well as the outside, and these little clues can help you formulate ideas for bringing the internal person out. Once you know some things your subject likes, try picking up a couple of related props and letting the subject incorporate them into the shoot.

Your first responsibility in portraiture is to always create photographs that show “who” a person is as well as what they look like. This can be challenging at first, but if you apply a few of the tips from this article you’ll be well on your way towards taking incredibly honest and beautiful photographs of people. And don’t forget to always clearly understand the expectations for the photo shoot so both you and your subject will be happy with the final images. As always, keep it fun and be creative with how you take your portraits and you’ll always be successful.

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of pink picture frames and other colorful frames. Visit our website and see our decorative pink picture frames and unique green picture frames or call 800-780-0699.

Article Source: Portrait Photography Tips – Five Tips to Know