Award-winning professional photographer Alex Lagarejos is giving us his best portrait tips in his article over at Digital Photography School.
Try some of these techniques on your next photoshoot and you’ll notice a big difference in your images, as well as in how your client sees them. This first tip is definitely my favorite and I intend to use it from now on!
See images of your subject beforehand
It can be handy to see images of your subject ahead of shoot day. I like to ask clients to send me a picture of themselves which they really like. This is useful in several ways.
You can get a good idea of their skin tone and the planes of their face, which helps you to consider your lighting set up and any adjustments you will need to make. You also get a good idea of how the client wants to be perceived, and what they want an image to say about themselves.
This will not always balance with what you see in them, but herein lies the magic. As a photographer, you are seeing the subject in a new light. When you add that into the process, alongside trying to capture what they like about themselves, you make a unique portrait.
Take charge
When you lift that camera, you must take charge of your set. This is a collaborative process, but you are definitely in the driver’s seat. It’s up to you to be vocal with your subject, to keep their energy levels up, and to make sure they feel good about themselves. It’s no good just shouting out stage directions, “left a bit, chin down,”. You must encourage them, and keep them having fun, because tension is not your friend! No matter how many times your subject has been in front of a camera, each one is a new performance and needs to be directed as such.
Wherever your shoot is taking place, you are in charge of that space. Define the space in your mind, and remove as many distractions as possible. Obviously if you are shooting in a public place, a park for example, you can’t remove everything. But if you can choose an area away from the main pathways, that will make life easier.
Learn to read people
Learning to read people is a skill you absolutely must acquire in order to progress as a people photographer. Try to connect with your subject and chat to them, tell stories – humanizing the experience is vital. The more they relax, the more you will get out of them, and the more authentic the photograph will be.
You must learn to pick up on signs and signals: Are they losing focus? Change up the setting. Are they uncomfortable? Try standing or sitting instead. You don’t want to waste shots on unusable images, where the subject is not present or is clearly not in the zone.
Another way in which you can learn to read people has to do with their personality. Determining early on that they are nervous, might mean you tell some jokes, or explain the setup to put them at ease. A giggly, happy person definitely needs to be represented as such, but there is always room for a more serious look, which will be up to you to direct them towards.
Read the full article with even more tips over at Digital Photography School.
Source: Digital Photography School
