An outstanding portrait is always a combination of subject’s characteristics and photographer’s impact. A portrait could be black-and-white and colored. The colored portraits are great, but black-and-white portraits are quite popular, as they allow the photographer to show deep emotions. However, each type has its own importance and meaning, like a colored image can shoot a fashion picture better than a b&w.

Your portrait might become amazing just by following some simple tips and tweaks to your camera settings. Although, most of the users upgrade their DSLR model to get more control over the photos, but still clicking a great portrait of a family or a friend is always a challenge.

Here are some powerful tips to break out of the mold and take striking portraits by breaking (or at least bending) the rules and adding a little randomness into your portrait photography. Let’s look at below mentioned points in order to take a perfect portrait.

Aperture in Priority mode

This gives you direct control over the aperture and result the depth of field (DOF). That provides smooth backgrounds, and also gives a professional quality to your. Fast prime lenses, like 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.2 allow you to select very large apertures for a shallow depth of field.

Use a longer lens:

If you want a creative portrait, then try to avoid shooting portraits with mid-range lenses as they result ordinary images. It’s better to shot portraits with 200mm or 85mm lenses, as they give you beautiful image compression than a 50mm lens. The compression flatters your subject with less feature distortion, and a longer focal length provides you more dramatic background blur and brings the background closer to your subject.

Change your view and prospective

Normally people take portraits from the eye level or around of the subject. This  is actually very common and results an normal portrait. While you can convert this normal portrait to an amazing picture by changing the angle completely of your shot, which can give your portrait a real WOW factor. You can also try to take a single shot from different angles.

Portraits in original environment

It is very important for the subject to be comfortable with the environment, that adds high expressions on your portrait. For example, if your family is not comfortable with studio, then there is no point to take them to the studio for a good portrait. It is always better to use the environment what you actually have. Make the subject comfortable and talk to them at times, as a simple interaction can give a wonderful pose.

Avoid camera view

Consider to placing the subject on one side of the picture and have them look into space (somewhere else from the camera) towards the other side of the frame.

Natural light:

Try to utilize natural or available light instead of flash light, as it produces more beautiful and flattering portraits. Professional photographers always prefer available light, as it provides them the best results. Do not take pictures directly in sunlight, as it can leave hard shadows on faces. If you are in an open area with open shade, you can use a reflector to bounce light onto your subject. It will give a professional look to your portraits. You can manufacture your own reflector by using a piece of kitchen foil.

Use Flash:

Flash also plays an important part to take a great portrait. It is good for those areas where the light is harsh, you can use a feature called ‘Fill Flash’ while shooting. Else you can also use off camera flash, this is a very creative thought and will give you excellent results. Try to take your portraits off the camera. You can do it by using a special cable or remote trigger, and light the subject from any other side. This light could be from any side, you have to experiment it. It will surely give your portrait an expensive studio set-up look.

Additionally, the ring flash is also a good option. This type of flash is attached to the end of your lens. It was actually developed to for medical, forensic and macro photographers. But, nowadays this type of flash is also used for portrait photographers, to get a modern look.

Studio lights:

Studio lights are specially designed for professional photographers, you can arrange it in case you want. Here you will get maximum control on your portrait as it includes strobe lights with accessories such as umbrellas, soft-boxes, snoots and barn doors and allows you to create different moods and styles to for a perfect portrait.

Common type of Portraits

Baby portraits

If you are going to take portrait of a baby then you have to be quite alert. Natural light is the best choice to lighting baby portraits. Flash will not at all work with them. It is advisable that while taking baby portraits try and position the best quality portraits.

 Usually the best time to photograph a baby is when they have woken up in the morning, as this will be more active and alert at that time.

Group portraits

While taking a group portrait the first thing you should arrange is the height of the people of the group. Always put taller one at the back and shorter at the front.

 However, you should also consider their cloths, as the clashing colors will also be noticeable in the final picture.

 This is the best time to use  an aperture. For a perfect group portrait, try to use least f/8 with a wide-angle lens. However, for indoor group portrait, you can also use a high ISO to get sharp pictures.

 For more shape image try to arrange every group member in a line along the same focal plane.

A Family Portrait:

Always consider people arrangement in family group portrait. Your photo should reflect on the relationship between the family members.

 You can simply show it by placing rightly patriarch or matriarch of the family, and also the newest arrival, and then group the rest of the family around them. A right placing will allow you to create a clear focal point.

 

In case you have large family then the furniture will surely help you a lot. You can either use a sofa for indoor shots or a gate for outdoor pictures. Always place the children in front of the furniture and have the adults behind.

A Candlelight portrait

While clicking pictures in a candlelight, the ISO should be high like 1600 and over with large apertures.

 Do not use your camera flash and try to utilize the natural light. Switch off all the lights and make a meter distance from your subject’s face and let the rest of the room into darkness.

 Try to use more than one candle while shooting candlelit portrait. It is to increase the amount of light and also allow you to spread the illumination for shadows.

A good portrait shows the talent of a photographer and reveals the subject’s personality. A portrait should force its viewer to think that what device the photographer has used to interact with the subject’s character. To create a perfect portrait shoot as many as pictures as you can, using all possible the angles, poses, and expressions. Try to shoot both inside and outside, while walking around, sitting, in different outfits & makeup. Apply all the creativity you can think.