TIPS IN TAKING PORTRAITS

What if someone, be it your friend or some stranger out there, handed you his/her/their phone or camera and ask you to take pictures of him/her/them, what would you do?

It's just a simple request and it does not require us to exert more effort; just point the cam and press the shutter. But before pressing the shutter, we have to remember why he/she/they want to be photographed at that moment, at that place, and at that time. He/she/they want to treasure memories. So it is our responsibility to capture their moment/s, if not perfectly, pleasantly. 

One photographer told me, he took good photos (he was not bragging about his skills) of his friends but he never had good photos together with his friends. Those moments with his friends were not captured because the photos were not really good. Some photos were dark, some were blurred, some were off the frame. This is true. I observed and experienced it too.

Do we really need to be a photographer to take good photos? I am no pro, so I will just say to the person who asked me to take picture of him,/her "Sorry, I can't. I am not a photographer."? These people who ask favor from us do not need a photographer, they just need someone to capture their moment/s.

Learning how to take photos of people is the reason why I am sharing my little knowledge in portrait photography, but, this post is not about how to meter light or how your camera works or how to set up lights or some techniques pro-photog does, this is about The basic framing of taking portraits in our day to day journey because most people around us always have their camera phones with them, not DSLR or Mirrorless cameras.

So, here are some easy tips to remember in taking photos of people:

Rule #1: Make sure you know how the camera/phone works. If you do not know how, be honest and ask.

Rule #2: Make sure you know how to focus to avoid blurry images

Rule #2: For taking portraits, remember these tips:

THE DO NOT DO THESE PLEASE!

I learned these tips from my favorite portrait photographers, Marc Wallace and Gavin Hoey's works and from my humble experiences.

3.1: It’s okay to do head shot but never chop off head when doing full body shot.

3.2: Never cut below the elbows (Crop above the elbows or include the entire arm)

3.3: Never cut the knees on ¾ shot (Crop above the knees)

3.4: Never cut too tightly on face: Don’t crop on the eyebrow or near the eyebrow

3.5: Never cut off an ear in the frame

3.6: Never shoot straight to the nose of your subject.

3.7: Never shoot with only one arm visible.

Rule #4: Solo or Group Portrait Photography: DON’T MAIM HIM/HER/THEM IN YOUR SHOTS

Rule #5: Do include backgrounds. Background are important for memories...

and background can set the mood of your image. . . 

Rule #6: Have Fun

Rule #7: Be Friendly

Gears used: 

My buddy Cams & my humble SM-UPVision

Photos used:

From 2011-2016

It does not matter what type of camera you use, it's how you capture what you see and feel that matters most!!!

-MK

For More related articles:

- Head turner: How to be a selfie expert

- 5 Common Photo Editing Mistakes We Do

~THANK YOU~