Portrait Photography, How to Photograph People.

Portrait photography has got to be my favourite. Being a travel photographer gives me a great opportunity to photograph people of different cultures.

When you travel remember to not only take photos of the amazing scenery but also the people of the country. Getting photographs of people can give so much information about a place and really capture the countries culture.

I have put together 10 tips to help you get those amazing travel portraits. The tips can also be used when photographing people in your own country, wherever that be friends or family.

1.Try different angles.

To get a interesting photograph of a person it really pays to do a bit of leg work! Try photographing people from different angles and perspectives. Here are a few ways in which to do this:

Photograph people from below. Get down on you knees and point the camera up towards them. If you are photographing a short person or a child then this perspective will work really well.

To maximise the effect of photographing from below get the person to stand on a chair or table. Take the photograph with the persons feet at the bottom of the image. This will totally change the perspective by making the person look taller.

Photograph people from above. Take the photograph from the top of the stairs with the subject standing at the bottom. Stand on a chair and get the person to look up at you. Try moving about a bit so the you are able to get the whole body in, feet to head. Photographing people from above is quite easy to do when travelling. Most people stay in hotel rooms giving the opportunity to photograph people from above by shooting out of the window.

The really great thing about photographing people from above is its so flattering. The face will look slimmer and the eyes bigger. Your model will love it and you will get a very interesting shoot.

Man on Bus, Vietnam. Photograph people close up. Either use a zoom lens or get close to the person you are photographing. Photographing people up close is great for getting all the detail of a persons face and that's great for the travel photographer trying to tell a story of culture.

Get the person to stare right into the lens for a really dramatic portrait. Its a good idea when photographing really close up to get at least the eyes and nose very sharp, this will make the photograph much more interesting.

Photograph people from afar. Taking photographs of people from a distance can really help tell a story in an image. You are able to get so much of the background and surroundings that it will really help show the culture of the country, and the person with in their own surroundings.

Remember to think about composition when shooting people from a distance as the photograph may look slightly dull. Try using the rule of thirds to get more interesting distant portraits.

2.Style.

There are different styles that you can use when photographing people. The style that you choose will have a big impact on the final image. Here are a few styles, experiment with them all and you will get interesting and exciting portraits.

The posed portrait. Get the person your photographing to pose.
The Action portrait. Taking a person doing something can make for a very interesting photograph. The key is to get the person to look natural and the best way to do this is photograph them when they don't realise.
The fun portrait. Photograph people when they are doing something they enjoy. Playing on the beach for example.Make your portraits more 'fun' by making your subject laugh.
The full body portrait. Photograph your subject from head to toe. For maximum effect try and fill the whole frame with the persons body.

3.Lighting.

Lighting is really important in getting a great portrait. The good new is that you don't have to have to be in a studio with expensive light equipment and you don't even really need anything more that your inbuilt camera flash to get the perfect lighting. You just need to experiment a bit.

Thing to remember which lighting and portrait photography.

The shutter speed. If your working in low light and you don't want to use a flash its important to remember the shutter speed in automatic camera settings will be slower. When photographing a person its important to remember that they will move and even if its just a little bit with a slow shutter speed you will get a blurry out come. Use something to steady your camera, this doesn't have to be a tripod, but a table or wall will do, use something sturdy and and the correct hight. Get the person to pose, when they pose they will automatically hold more still.

If your still getting a blurry image add a little more light to the setting, this may include subtle lights like candles or even a light behind you. Adding a little more light will speed up the shutter speed. If adding light is not an option increase the ISO, but remember this may lead to a grainy image.

Lighting for skin tone. Its important to know the lights that will flatter skin tones. Soft natural lights will help give skin a golden glow. Try and avoid mid day sun or fluorescent lighting such as strip lights as they will give skin a washed out look.

Here is a list of flattering light that will enhance your image and flatter skin tone;

Candle light, try light the whole scene with just candles.

Morning and evening sun light. These 'golden' hours will do wonders for your portraits. Giving the person a soft golden glow. Try photographing them with the sun to the side of them so the sun washes across their face, this will also give you interesting shadows.

After noon shadows. Light that filters though windows in the after noon can make very interesting portraits. Photograph people with beams of light coming though widows or doors. The light falling across them can be very flattering.

4.Story telling.

As a travel photographer your job is to tell the story of another countries life and culture. Photographing people is a great way of telling the story of a country. Here are a few questions to ask your self when photographing people to tell their story;

Where. Where are they? What country and what part of the country are they. Where are they at the point of photograph, working, playing, busy, relaxing? Is it important in the story to know where the person is?
What. What part of there life are you photographing, what are they doing? At what stage of their life are they at? Objects and surroundings will help tell the story of what the person is dong.
Personal experience. What is the person wearing? This can tell a lot about a person and country so think carefully about your subjects personal experience.
Importance. How important is the person in your photograph in telling the countries story? Or how important is the country in your photograph about tell the persons story?
Emotions. The emotions of the person will help tell the story. Are they happy sad ect.
Mood. The mood of your photograph is very important in telling the story. Lighting, atmosphere, surroundings will give the photograph mood, not only the person being photographed.

5.Help your model to relax.

A relaxed person will be much more photogenic than some one who feels nervous. You will also get much for natural results with your subject being relaxed.

Get them to laugh. When asked to smile people usually concentrate on their mouth, forcing a 'fake' smile. Making someone laugh is the best way to bring out a natural smile. If your not a naturally funny person this may take some practising to make your subjects laugh. Tell jokes, make faces, ask your subject to tell a joke, see what works for you. Your portraits will real come alive and your subject will feel very relaxed if you can get them to laugh.

Talk to them. As I'm sure you know on of the ways that hairdressers help their client to relax is by talking to them and asking questions. This may sound obvious but it really works. Ask your subject interesting questions so they will give you a longer answer than just yes or no. Whilst they are answering your question you can snap away, your subject may even forget your taking their photo.

6.Be a snappy snapper!

Be quick. Depending on who your photographing and how patient they are people can get inpatient when your taking their photo. Make them laugh, chat to them and snap away. A good way to take a lot of photos quickly is to put your camera on continuous shoot mode.(Some cameras may not have this setting, depending on the model and make of your camera.) By using the continuous mode you can take lots of photos very quickly and then choose the best one later.

7.Speak their language.

Firstly when travelling it important to at least know how to ask some one in their own language if you can take their photo. You want to be as respectful as possible when your photographing people in their own country and by asking some one in their own language to take their photo will build a good rapport with them.

Everyone, what ever their culture, will understand a big smile. Smile lots at them, smiles are infectious. Gesture to them what you want them to do. Always be polite and you will get the best result.

8.Photographing people in the sun.

Its a well known that the best time of day is to photograph people is in the early morning and late evening sun. But what about the mid day sun?

Photographing people in the harsh bright mid day sun can lead to a few problems. With a bit of planning and thought these problems are easy to over come.

Problems;

Harsh dark shadows caused by the mid day sun can be unflattering to facial features.
The bright light will wash out faces and colours. Making skin tones flat and dull.
Imperfections on skin will become more visible.
With the sun behind the subject they will be very dark or even blacked out.
People in bright sun will squint their eyes, not very flattering.

Here are a few tips and ideas to help you get the best portrait photographs you can from the mid day sun. These tips will help you eliminate the problems caused by the mid day sun.

Move into the shade. This is simple to do and very effective! Move your subject in to the shade. Think about the shade that your using, will it totally block out the sun or will it let though small amounts? Both are great, if you allow small amounts of the mid day sun to fall on your subject this can give a very interesting effect. Trees are get shade as they can cast very soft flattering shadows on your subject.

Make your own shade. If your somewhere where there is no available shade make your own. A great way to make your own shade is to get your subject to hold an umbrella. Umbrellas are fantastic as they can bring your photograph to life adding interesting colours. Other things you can use include, big pieces of card, a swimming towel, tables or chairs, big sun hats, use your imagination and be creative finding different things to shade your subject.

Use a flash. When photographing in bright sun light people don't think to use a flash but this can be very effective. If the subject has their back to the sun they will often be in shadow or blacked out completely. By using a flash you will light them up.

Change the angle. If you choose not to use shade for your portrait try changing the angle that you photographing your subject. Try photographing them from below or above and use the flash. By moving around the subject you will be changing the angle that the sun is hitting them, giving different effects.

9.Shoot silhouettes.

To get a really dramatic and interesting portrait try photographing your subject so that they are in complete darkness. Get the sun behind them and don't use a flash. If your shooting with the sun directly above you then shoot your subject from below. Get them to stand on a chair or table, or if that is not possible get on the floor and shoot up wards.(remember not to use a flash.)

10.Filters.

Think about using a filter when photographing in the mid day sun. A polarizing filter will help cut down on glare caused by the sun, cut down on reflections and also enhance colours and saturation.

Summary.

Remember to have fun when your photographing people. Here are a summary of thing to remember when photographing people.

Photograph people from different angles.
Think about the style of portrait that you want to take. Use different styles.
Think about how your portrait will be lit. Remember that you want your subject to have lighting that will be flattering.
Try and tell a story in your photograph.
Relax when your taking the photograph and your subject will feel relaxed. Talk to them and try to make them laugh.
Think about your photograph before you take it. Don't spend too long on one photo.
Learn how to say 'may I take your photo' in the language of the country your in.
Try different techniques to get the most from your 'mid day sun' portraits.
Take lots of photos of the person and choose the best one later.

Have fun taking great portrait photographs!

Abby x

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