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5 Tips for Portrait Photography - Portrait Photographer Monmouth
There are vast components that go into taking the perfect picture, from aperture and shutter speed to lens choices and lighting.
5 Tips for Portrait Photography
Are you a portrait photographer or training to become one? Then you already know what a big difference there is between amateur and professional portraits. There are vast components that go into taking the perfect picture, from aperture and shutter speed to lens choices and lighting.
Check out these five tips to help you out:
- Choosing the Right Lens: Lenses are vital when it comes to ensuring quality portrait photos. For visual impact, go with a wide-angle lens. If you want to trick the eye and change perspective, shoot from a low angle to make your subject look taller. Don’t get too up close and personal or distortion will occur. The quality of the background also comes into play for an added visual point of interest, using a medium telephoto lens such as 85mm or 105mm. Telephoto lenses can offer a more dramatic result, where you can zoom in for closer focus.
- Aperture Use: Set a wide aperture for shallow depths of field to blur out the background and ensure your subject stands out better. Get more control over the depth of field by shooting in Aperture Priority mode.
- Shutter Speeds: You could experience blurring or shaking, so consider the lens’ focal length when determining your shutter speeds. They should be higher than your effective focal length. Use slower shutter speeds with a wide-angle lens. Set your camera to anti-shake for crystal clear results during action shots.
- Increase ISO: Blinking and blurring is common. To prevent this, use a faster shutter speed for sharper shots without those ill effects. Increase your ISO, especially in areas of low light, when in Aperture Priority mode.
- Exposure Compensation: The metering system on your camera is necessary in taking quality portraits because it determines the amount of light that should enter the camera to achieve the right exposure. It typically takes an average reading, which is OK in most cases because it goes with a safe midtone -- halfway between white and black. However, this isn’t always accurate. It can be off, such as when the frame is subject to areas of extreme darkness or brightness. The worst thing you can do is underexpose the shot, which can happen, for example, with light skin tones, in full-face photos or when a lot of white is involved, as in the case of bridal photos. Correct this by tweaking the exposure compensationcontrols, dialing to +1 stop of positive exposure compensation, increasing until you hit on the one you want.
AJK Photography - Portrait Photographer Monmouth County strives to create the most beautiful portrait photos for you and your family by staying updated on all the latest tips and tricks. Call us today to book your session at 732-618-3813 or email at AJKPHOTOGRAPHYNJ@gmail.com.
