3 tips for taking great portraits
As a full-time photographer who shoots more than 30 weddings a year, we have to admit that it's easy to get caught up in a stylized cycle when shooting portraits. Even when the model is in a new pose, similar composition and Angle can still make the photo look tacky. Over the years, we've been challenging ourselves to win the game with a few tricks. Here are some of the most useful tips to help you get new results with each shot.
1.Use a longer focal length lens
Photographic Lighting Supplier shares that many photographers claim that the 50mm is a "must-have" portrait lens, but this standard lens always produces a picture very similar to what the human eye can see. For more interesting photos, we should avoid using standard lenses because the images are too generic.
Many of my portraits are taken at 200mm or 85mm, which is a "compression" of a 50mm lens. Not only does this compression reduce the distortion of the subject, but the telephoto lens creates a very appealing background blur effect and also "Narrows" the distance between the subject and the background. Shooting with a 200mm lens may be a little difficult to communicate with the model, but the results are worth it.
2. Avoid shooting at eye level
Many times we are used to shooting from the "right" Angle, after all, this is the simplest. Challenge yourself to find a different Angle -- above or below the eye -- that brings a fresh perspective to the picture. This technique can also be used to highlight different shapes and heights. In the image below, I sat the bride on the floor, focusing on her face and hair accessories, and blurring out the rest of her body. This is much better than a normal image of a homo erectus.
3. Use off-camera flash
During the wedding shoot, our flash was never on the camera. The point-blank flash doesn't highlight the face and can cause the image to lose its depth. Lighting the character from the side creates shadow transitions, highlights the character's features, and gives the photo a contrast of highlights and shadows. Another benefit is that the background detail can be reduced to create a great portrait of the landscape.
That's all for the sharing,and we supply Photographic Lighting China for sale, if you have any demand for our products,just feel free to contact us.
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