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Portrait Photography is one type of fashion photography. It is very vigorous because it reflects the personality of the subject. To shoot gorgeous portraits it is very important for a photographer to develop an understanding of the subject so that his/her true personality comes out in Portraiture. Portrait photography is one of the most popular varieties of photography in part because it allows the photographer to be diverse, creative, and tell a story. So here are four things which can be avoided when shooting portraits.
Distracting the viewer
It might come as a surprise how many fashion photographers try to incorporate too much external detail and forgot to pay attention to the background when taking a portrait shots. One of the biggest faults in this area is a ‘busy’ setting. While there are different ways to incorporate a subject into a lively environment and still make them the focal point of the shot, it’s far from easy. A couple quick ways to fix this would be to adjust the depth of field so the distractions blur away naturally, or simply move in close to your subject and fill the frame with them, eliminating the background altogether. Alternatively, you may even focus the frame of the shot exclusively on the subject and omit the wider setting.
Not drawing focus where it should be
Every professional fashion photographer should be aware of how important a subject’s eyes are within a portrait photo. In most occurrences you want your viewers looking directly into the subject’s eyes as this is where they are likely to connect with the subject. As humans, we can tell a lot about a person just by looking at their eyes which are why the eyes are always our focal point when we are engaging with another person. As noted, there are some exceptions, particularly in portraits that seek to respect the privacy of the subject. For such type of examples, you may choose to focus on a pose or posture of the subject, their hands, or another gesture that draws emotion. From time to time creativity can afford photographers some scope to focus elsewhere than the eyes, but approach with care and precaution.
Relying on the one lens
Wide angle lenses are better saved for explicit frameworks where the environment is also being incorporated into the shot. It will distort the subject features in an unflattering manner. For example, facial features will be stretched out, thus throwing out the respective proportions. But too long of a focal length will create odd looking distortions. Further, when your subject takes note of this, they may well become self-conscious and restrictive in their expressions during subsequent shots. Longer lenses also need to be selected with caution since they may lead to distortion.
Making your subject uncomfortable
During the portrait session, your role is to encourage and direct your subject. You want them to feel at ease and relaxed enough in your presence to strike the right poses. Avoid being critical or regulatory. You won’t always be able to direct the subject’s particular positioning or their body, so take it upon yourself at times to find the right angles and conditions that enhance the subject. This includes shooting from an appropriate height, which may depend on such things like whether you’re working with children, or trying to create a sense of emotion such as empowerment.
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