Portrait Photography

Portraits, People Photography

Practical tips, adjustments and techniques to succeed his portraits.

Contents of this page:

 1 )  Generalities and characteristics of the portrait

 2 )  Settings and techniques for portrait

1. Generalities and characteristics of the portrait

Portrait is a demanding discipline, but exciting! Difficult because you have to master your material (although you can also get away with the automatic portrait mode of a good modern reflex camera), but also because the portrait is not only about photo technique; It is primarily the contact with the model that is important.

Indeed, whether we take natural photos, type reportage or photos put in the studio, the goal is to capture a moment, a gesture, an expression, which are often very fleeting! The most important thing is to be ready at the technical level (make your adjustments in advance), in order to be the most invested and concentrated on the human dimension.

In the case of photos taken, discuss the whole session with the person photographed to avoid losing contact with it. Try also to relax your model, make it laugh, ask him to make faces, close his eyes then reopen them, look elsewhere (the sky, far, an object, etc.), so that He forgets the camera a little.

In case of tiredness or tense, do not hesitate to take breaks, and also take pictures during these breaks (you can usually capture very natural and beautiful expressions in those moments).

2. Portrait Settings and Techniques

(See specific pages, clicking on the keywords in bold, to learn more about each setting and technique.)

Equipment :

   Box: a reflex camera is highly recommended for portraits, because it is very difficult to get a nice background blur with a compact camera.

    Focal length: rather long (between 50 and 200 mm), possibly shorter for the overall planes (20-35 mm) For close-up portraits, avoid very short focal lengths, which tend to deform the face (unless it is a deliberate choice - you have to say a close-up of 15 mm, it's still funny ...).

    Accessories: a flash can be useful, see below section "light management"; If you have control of this aspect, otherwise beware of unflattering reflections, especially if the light source is small (typically direct flash).

Exposure and light measurement :

    White Balance: White Balance Auto is perfect for outdoor shots; Indoors, test with the auto white balance and, if the result is inconclusive, set the white balance to a preset mode corresponding to the ambient light: neon, bulb (tungsten), flash, etc.

    Exposure metering mode: use spot or center-weighted metering to maximize exposure to your subject (possibly initially measuring the light on the subject and then pressing the memory button on the subject) Exposure of your camera and reframe the image according to your taste).

Speed :

 be sure to use a fast enough speed to make your photo sharp, to choose according to the focal length and movements of your subject. A speed of 1/100 s. Is a comfortable base, to be adjusted according to the lighting constraints. Below 1/20 s, it is really necessary that the subject is static and the photographer is stable. If you want to blur, go for it frankly and use a slow enough speed to properly represent the motion blur. If necessary, place the camera on something (tripod, table, shelf, etc.) so that the parts that are not moving are sharp.

Opening :

 prefer a large opening (~ f / 2.8) to have a nice background blur - a tip to adapt of course according to the depth of field you want for your composition, ex. For an overall plan or everything is clear (see paragraph "composition" below).

Sensitivity : 

use low sensitivity (ISO 100 or 200) for better picture quality, mount ISO if you lack light, if you do not want to use flash or if you want to get grain / noise to give A raw rendering to your image.

Light management :

    Natural light: if you are shooting outdoors, prefer the evening or morning light, generally avoid the full sun in the middle of the day, unless you want strong contrasts (if you shoot at noon and want a softer light, Place your model rather in the shade or wait for the passage of a cloud to diffuse the light); If you are shooting indoors, try to bring your subject closer to a window and possibly diffuse the light with a curtain or white or translucent curtains (attention to the colors that will inevitably tint the light, in which case it will take May change the white balance).

    Artificial light: indoors without a natural light source, set the sensitivity to 400 or 800 iso, or more if your camera allows it or if conditions require it (see photo page indoors and low light ); You may also use a flash, preferably an indirect flash (which is thrown on a white surface near the model) and / or a flash unit equipped with a diffuser or other lighting accessory; Other possible alternatives: use the flash by decreasing its power to preserve the natural light environment, or use the slow sync mode to obtain a blend of net (at the flash triggering) and blur (rest of the exposure time ) (See the Advanced Flash Lights page).

Composition : 

decide whether you want to show the environment around your model; If so, frame rather wide by decentring the subject and leaving enough space in front of his gaze, also use a depth of field long enough (high value f /) so that the background is clear; If not, frame tighter and use a shorter depth of field (small value f /), so as to highlight a part of the model (eyes, hands, etc.). Of course, you can divert these rules to get more original effects.

Area of ​​sharpness :

    Focusing method: prefer a "semi-auto" mode of the selective focus area type, which allows you to choose a predefined area where to focus; You can use the automatic face detection mode.

    Focus area (MAP): Focus on the eye (focus on the nose or on the wall in the background!); If you are using a very short PDC, be sure to focus your focus, especially if the subject is moving (use "3D subject tracking" or "Continuous focus" if your camera has one).

    Depth-of-field (PDC) management: a small or very small PDC is generally preferred; With a relatively long focal length (~ 100mm), a fairly large aperture (f / 2.8 or f / 4) and a distance of 2-3 meters between you and the subject, you will get a very short PDC. To make the background blurry, make it as far away from your model as possible. For overall shots with a greater depth of field, do the opposite (short focal length, small aperture, subject close to the background). 

Simple photo retouching :

    Brightness, contrast : adjust the brightness of your image according to the ambience you want to translate, catch any minor exposure defects (slight over or underexposure)

    Colors : avoid over saturating the colors (makes the skin often too red)

    Sharpness, blur : avoid sharpening too much (highlights the imperfections of the skin)

    Erase, correct : use these tools to alleviate some skin imperfections

Advanced retouching :

    Selections : make more precise adjustments using selections (eg increase the saturation of the environment but not the skin, increase the sharpness and brightness of the eyes but not the rest of the face, etc.)