Here are 10 tips to make photos for portraiting.
Get down on their level – hold your camera at the subject’s eye level. For kids and pets this means getting down on their level. If the angle is too high, the size of the head will the exaggerated to the rest of the body. The eye level angle will create personal feeling.
Use plain background – before taking the picture check the background. Look out for trees or poles sprouting from the subject’s head. A cluttered background will be distracting.
Use flash – Even outdoors use a flash. To lighten dark shadows under eyes and nose. And on cloudy days the subject will stand out more from background by using flash.
Move in close – To create powerful pictures move in close and fill up the picture with the subject. Eliminate background distractions with zoom. Use the camera’s macro or flower mode to get sharp close-ups.
Lock the focus to get sharp pictures: center subject, press shutter button halfway, re-frame picture, shoot
For portraits it is ofter better to take the picture at a little angle. Subjects do not have to look directly into the camera. You will bring in depth by taking the picture at an angle. Also, if a subject is looking off to the side, it's best to place the subject a litte off-centre.and leave more space in the direction that the subject is looking.
Move it from the middle. Bring pictures to life by placing subject off-centre. Especially pictures of moving subjects. You can capture te movement better by leaving open space in the direction in which the subject is headed.
Take pictures within your flash range. Subjects further than 10 feet away will be too dark.
Study the effects of light. Avoid harsh shadows. Cloudy days and early and late daylights are best.
Try to take vertical pictures when making a full length portrait or a facial close-up. Horizontal pictures are good for group pictures, but do not make an impact as portrait.