Title: READ: Portrait Tips
Course: Digital Photography

Portrait Tips

There is a long history behind portraits starting before cameras were even invented. The painting below is by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528).
Can you see similarities in the painting compared with photograph of Alex on the right? Both show a traditional pose with the subject's shoulders angled and face in the top third of the frame.
Portrait Tips: Use the wide angle and tele-photo "zoom" features of your camera.
Camera lens set to telephoto mode produces a flat, compressed face. Don't take this to the extreme and you'll find it flattering for most portrait shots. Notice that by using a compressed or flat picture the nose doesn't look as big as the on one the right? | Camera lens set to wide-angle mode produces a distorted view. This is usually not used for portraits but can be used to produce interesting results. This kind of picture will make what ever is the closest to the camera look bigger then what is further away.
This portrait of Sean used an extreme wide-angle lens. The computer lab setting becomes part of the portrait. Including the background to say something about the subject is typical of an environmental portrait. | This portrait of Alex is a traditional portrait. Only moderate telephoto zoom was used and the background is not distracting. The only flaw is the leaf attacking from the right side of the image. ;-)
Lighting is another important factor in portraits. Three of the photographs used soft, diffused lighting and one used lighting in a more aggressive way. Experiment with light in your portraits. Diffused light comes from all directions. You'll find this when your subject is in a shaded area or outside on an overcast day. The image of Slater (at right) used harsh light from a single source to help define the image.

Don't forget to experiment. Get in close for your portrait and try shooting from different angles and by all means have fun! ;-)