Photography for Beginners: Portraits

Hi Steemians

Portrait photography can be challenging, especially when you are starting out in photography. It is way easier to take pictures of trees and rocks than people. Adults are by far the worst as many of us seem to have rather a lot of hang ups about how we look :) But that is a whole other blog post!!

Let's dive into some tips that have helped me to get better photos.

1. Take the very best photo that you can
   Look at the background, focus and lighting - if you get the "bones" of your photo right you have a lot to work with in post production. You can then edit the pictures to your liking instead of trying to fix up a bad picture.

2. Include context
   Some portraits are gorgeous when they focus just on the face, but I have found that pictures that include context help people to relate to the photo and they tell a story.

1. Shoot in Black and White
   I read somewhere that shooting in B&W really helps you to focus on your subject or subjects - some of the big names in photography think that this helps you to focus on your message and the ideas that you are trying to convey with your photography. In my experience it really forces you to think about your photo as it can change the mood and context of your pictures.

1. Take both formal and informal portraits
   While I personally love informal portraits, sometimes you are required to take formal photos - whether you have been lucky enough to land a wedding gig or your mother in law wants some photos for the family Christmas card. It helps to be able to take both and to find beauty and sincerity on both.

1. Be patient, with yourself and your subject
   Taking photos of children can be frustrating because they don't want to pose the way you want them to or you are not fast enough to "get the perfect shot" - relax! Spend some time getting to know your subject and trying various techniques to get them to relax (like playing peek-a-boo with little children). You can get some wonderful shots if you are patient ;)

1. The best photos happen on the fringes of the action
   This is something that many of the top photographers know instinctively, that the best photos are to be had not in the middle of the action but where no one is looking. Look out for those special moments outside of the main event.

Hopefully this will add some color to your photography life too - I would love to hear your top tips for portraits as well!

Of course I am no expert, I simply love photography and struggled myself with portrait photography. I was super hard on myself because I thought that my pictures weren't good enough - I have since learned to take a risk and go with my passion because it makes me happy.

Love and light
Anthea