Beginners guide to portrait photography- Top 5 tips to help you create distinctive portrait images

Portrait photography is one of the most creative and unique forms of photography.

Of all the genres of photography, portrait photography can pose challenges in your way as it’s all about describing the personality of the subject through visual images. With so many factors to consider it can get confusing especially if you have just begun. However, just because it can get confusing doesn’t mean you should stop it right there. If you have a relentless determination, you can become one of the most sought-after professional portrait photographers in Dallas, Texas, New York and anywhere you want to be.

As a beginner, you will need to develop your photography skills eventually. But before that, it’s important to know the tips, tricks, factors and everything related to portrait photography.

Here are some important factors you should know about portrait photography:

1) It’s about capturing the personality

As a photographer, you should be aware of the primary objective of portrait photography which is to capture the personality of the subject creatively. As along you cannot capture the essence of your subject, your portrait is not going to a good one or at least something that worth appreciation. A good portrait image is capable of narrating the story of the image brilliantly, which by the way depends on your style of photography.

2) Focus on the face

The face is what you should focus on especially when shooting portrait shots because that’s where lies the personality of the subject. You can see most of the famous photographers use a blurred background to highlight the face. One of the famous examples of iconic portrait image is the “Afghan girl” by Steve McCurry, the evergreen legend. If you already have come across this iconic image, you know how brilliantly the face and personality of the subject were executed.

3) Using appropriate lightings

One of the important things about portrait photography you should know is knowing how to manipulate lighting setups to adjust the quality, quantity, and direction of light. Besides knowing how to manipulate lights, other things you should know is; the fundamental lighting patterns, how and when to use natural lights. Learn how to emphasize the physical features of the subject by using natural and artificial light. Where you are an editorial photographer in Dallas or a fashion photographer in Texas, the rule of using appropriate lighting applies to all.

4) Choosing the right camera and other equipment

The camera alone plays a key role in producing quality portrait images. Therefore, it’s important to use the right camera gear and other photography tools suitable for capturing portrait images. Thus, when buying your dream camera and other equipment, make sure to buy the best and right one based on your needs.

5) Get creative

It’s imperative to get creative as much as you can in order to produce quality images. Whether it’s bringing out the best expression, using appropriate light, or editing, execute everything brilliantly by being creative in every step.