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5 Steps For Better Portraits
Posted by Shuttercraft • 5/27/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: portraits
Most of the striking portraits I have seen break all the rules. I am just so board with the old "classic" portrait look. I decided to put together a list of 5 awesome portrait tips. It is time to break out of the box and take a look into the world of possibilities with portrait photography!
1. Break the rule of thirds!
Photograph by fogke
The rule of thirds is a great rule to follow when doing something like landscape photography. When it comes to portrait photography forget this rule! Get creative with the Composition and find some cool angles. take a look at the shot above. Only half of the subjects face is in the frame, yet you still get a feeling for the subject's personality. If you limit yourself to the rule of thirds you will be throwing so many possibilities out the window!
2. Motion
Photo by scarabuss
If you introduce motion into the scene things will get interesting. I love the picture above because it is just so full of energy. You can slow the shutter speed down and get all kinds of cool effects. Motion in the background is a cool effect too! What will create the motion? Possible ideas include falling leaves, rain or snow; water from a sprinkler, passing cars or people on a busy street, ect. Just make sure none of this detracts from the subject! Remember that He/She is the main focus of the picture.
3. Candid
photo by Rubarb
Candid photography is best described as un-posed and unplanned, immediate and unobtrusive. Posed photographs are great but sometimes the best portrait is a Spontaneous one. I love to photographing people doing the things they love. I shoot a lot of weddings and most of the time I am off in the corner with a long lens getting lots of Candid shots. Un-posed shots just feel so much more real to me.
4. Creative Lighting
photo by mumbojumbo89
Lighting is the key element of photography. It is fun to get creative with lighting. There are so many ways you can light your subject!
- on/off camera Flash
- Lamps
- Window Light
- Candles
- Street Lights
- Flashlights
- Moonlight
- Sunlight
The list could go on forever! Just have fun!
5. POSING
photo by frozeninstants
Get crazy with the pose and positioning. Interesting poses make a portrait well, interesting. I love the picture above of the young girl break dancing. It just looks so natural for her to be doing that!
Practice And Enjoy!
User Comments
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I think this deserves a spot on my blog...
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I wish bc had a visual editor. I had to do all that in html....
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Well Yah!!!
How ya doin?
These are nice ---- BUT... Where ARE YOUR examples of these picture rules?
Hmmmm?
Show your stuff!-
I shoot weddings, most of the images do not have releases. I will be opening up my main site as soon as my server is back up. I am going to host my site because the last hosting service I was using went down...
You will see some of my work on that site.
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oK - but I know you take photos of the outside.... Right?
I wanna see your stuff.-
Most of my good stuff is on my drive in the office. but if it will make you happy I will upload some of my personal work...
Give me a sec
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Yes, a great post. I love photography theme in BC for a long time. Excellent to see fellow photog bloggers
Rules are made to break. Without rules, there is no breach of rules.
My personal understanding about the rule of third is really applicable to landscape style photography.
Creative lighting is in deed a fun in photography. But it can be a tremendous headache
Motion images require excellent pre-focusing technique plus minus excellent autofocus speed and accuracy... -
Excellent and creative tips! The rules are made to be broken... as long as the result is good to see. And in your case, it is just awesome!
Richard
www.filmhaiti.com-
Richard - this video is adorable:
filmhaiti.com/video/commercials/toto-sel-lavi-commercial-toto-pub-sel-lavi-...
I thought they were saying FRENCH C'est la vie
So that was so cute.
Anyhow - your videos are all cool - but do you have any of your own photography on there?
I would love to see some good photos from Haiti.
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Oh hey - you guys - this young man is 17 and he teaches photography --- He's AMAZING!
I think you guys should all group together and make a photoblogging group...
Unless there already is one... LOL!-
there is, no one is active...
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I am uploading a few shots of my personal work. Give me like 5 min.
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I wish we could have this kind of teacher around here. They are often too technical and missed the whole point of being artistic.
Keep on young man. As amazing as you are, like good wine you will improve with the years.
Richard
www.filmhaiti.com -
Thank you!
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@wagerwitch
Thanks for watching at some videos.
Before entering the video/film making business I used to be an amateur photographer. That was a loooong time ago and I have some old stock photos that I never dared to scan. So I'm afraid I have nothing to show up here.
But if you want to see some pictures of Haiti I would suggest a friend's blog:
www.blogcatalog.com/blogs/haiti-through-my-lens.html
Richard
www.filmhaiti.com -
Well now... METHINKS you need to start digging 'em out - and making some more!
LOL!
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Here is my motion picture of a portrait
My gallery for motion theme
www.themesoftime.com/Gallery.aspx?ID=31-
Wow, your photography is amazing!
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Here is a few of my personal work..
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Thank you to everyone for your nice comments!
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Great Photos. I love good photography, more than any other type of art. Although I am horrible at taking pictures. I just don't have a steady hand I guess. I seem to blur everything.
My favorite is the man sitting down under candid. I wonder what he is thinking. -
VERY VERY nice.... MORE....
MORE...
And you and ROE could make it busy or start ONE between yourselves - have a Question and answer point... Or something - you guys are VERY good.-
Thank you!
what do you mean "make it busy?" -
Make the group busy. Start posting in it! -
There are quite a number of photo bloggers in BC here. At least 30 easily. If we all start posting images of portraits here, the thread would be overwhelmed...
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I'm not much of a photographer but, I really like this one I took.
it's too big to put here, and I also don't know how to embed images ;p
img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/jokerz07/snowboard2.png-
That's a cool board dude.
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I will start a group!
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Rock on - I'll just come and look. I'm not a photographer - BUT - I DO LOVE ART...
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very nice picture!! I love picture 4. -
I am posting portrait now
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This one is interesting in the color - almost abstract surreal feel... Sexy - yet a hint of sleaze - with the schoolgirl style sweetness. Cold and cloudy - yet hot.
A mixture of values and contradictions.
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Oh where is he James?
Can you package him up and send him to me?
He's a hottie - and has the most penetrating stare that you've managed to capture that is sexy but also very innocent at the same time. How did you manage to find this one?
He's practically making love to the camera. LOL!
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OK you have to explain why this guy looks like a Major Network Sport FANATIC who is crushing a watermelon over his head --- and has painted himself blue.
You just have to explain this one.
It's a VERY cool shot - but I need to know why... LOL! -
Awesome
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Is that your kid? He's got the cutest face - I just wanna walk up to him and pinch his cheekies... He's so cute!
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He is indeed. Got all the genes from his mother -
LMAO - that's awesome!
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That is a lovely picture.
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Wow, so cute and adorable in deed! Amazing smiles there.
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Ignore the snot and ice cream
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As a mom, the snot and ice cream are what makes it real. (Okay, maybe I would've photoshopped out the snot.)
They're too cute.
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I think black and white, for portraits, is better.
Nice picture Crpitt. -
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That looks innocent there.
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It was totally innocent
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH baby baby....
Says the spider to the fly. -
Its my sister and blow up Rob, after our friends hen party
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To reply to the OP, great tips, shuttercraft. I am usually photographing nature, and I find that a breezy day gives my backgrounds that beautiful motion you're talking about. So does precipitation. It's a trick to keep the camera dry in the rain, but it does make for some pretty great photos.
Thanks for starting the group.
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