Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Portrait Photography: Some Useful Suggestions

By Mary Wilson

A lot of times, individuals have been the subject of a lot of prize-winning photos. Still, portrait photography isn't only about taking a picture of a face. It is more about making a person or a group of persons become "alive" within a photo, by showing them in their grandeur.

A well done portrait image doesn't adhere to convention, and displays the subject in a mental state that makes the image exceptional. However, portraits of one person or of entire families are also taken by photographers, and these are usually preserved in family albums.

A proper close shot bringing the individual's face into prominence distinguishes a truly expert portrait photograph from an amateur one. This can be done by tuning camera settings to obscure the person's background so that his or her face gets optimum focus. This task of focussing the face becomes easier with a camera having a larger aperture. However, in some portraits where the person needs to be seen along with the background, particularly in photographs taken outdoors, a standard aperture serves the purpose better.

Photography is all about falling of light into the photographic medium; thus insufficient light has always been a photographer's cause of concern. But a good portrait photograph is simpler to take if certain basic rules are followed. If the subject is made to sit near a window in a posture in which the sun's rays fall only to some extent on the face, then the photograph normally ends up looking wonderful. A reflective surface can be used to highlight the other side of the individual's face. However, Studio lighting can also be modulated to suit the light needs for high quality portrait photographs, and thus several photographers prefer to take such photographs inside studios.

Another important factor that determines a good portrait photograph is the ease of the subject when he or she poses for the photograph. Technical sophistication in photography will work only when the person being photographed is comfortable and relaxed, and displays his or her natural self before the camera.

Some Advice On Portrait Photography

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment