Out Door Portraits Page 3

Posing

No matter how beautiful your location and how perfect your light, if your sitter adopts an unflattering pose you can be pretty sure that they won’t be happy with the result. Models will always look better with a well-chosen shooting angle and good posed stance.

Assuming you have enough memory cards, you can shoot an unlimited number of images, editing them down to the ones you really want in post-production. Also, if shooting Raw, the control you will have over the images will greatly increase.

People often struggle to know what to do with their hands and arms in a photo. The result is that they usually look and feel uncomfortable. Rather than just letting them dangle try to incorporate them into the pose, or rest them on a horizontal surface.

A dramatic shooting angle can add real energy and intensity to a portrait. If you want dynamic shots, you need to be constantly changing your camera angles and viewpoint, looking for the best shot. Don’t be afraid to try different poses and have fun – if the subject responds well, this will come across in the images.

It’s all well to plan exactly what you expect, but don’t discount the apparent chaos of a snapshot. Many photographers thrive on this, shooting faster and capturing emotions and events as they unfold. Anticipate reactions and scenarios, and when shooting fast moving people switch the camera to a continuous shooting mode so you’re not re-focusing all the time. A zoom lens can make composition much easier, as well as sparing your legs.

Top Tip! Don't be afraid to change your camera angles.

Putting your subject at their ease
This is often something that is easily overlooked and yet in good portraiture it is one of the keys to a successful shoot.
First impressions count, so relax the subject, even if you are nervous yourself or thinking about the technical aspects of the shoot. Getting on with the subject means they will be more patient with your requirements. Simple things like being on time, smiling, greeting, making a joke or showing an interest in your subject can help this process. You can win or lose your subject before you actually shoot a frame. Having a rough plan, writing down requirements or a sketch of the shot you are trying to achieve can all help. Take along a picture that might be an inspiration for the shot, as this can be a good reference point.

Appearing in command, even if you don’t feel confident, and stating what you want to achieve early on will help you work together as a team and also involve your subject in the process. They may have good suggestions too.
Portrait shooters often find the first 15 to 30 minutes are purely a period of getting to know the subject, and the work produced within this time is usually written off. Allocate enough time to become comfortable with the subject.

Some photographers will sit down with a drink and just chat to the subject for half an hour, so that they can allow them to relax. Physically showing them what position you want them in can also simplify explanations, speed things up and help you empathise with the subject’s point of view.

Props
Props can be useful if they have a relevance to the subject, as they can make the subject feel less self-conscious and encourage them to interact more with their surroundings. Be careful though, as there is a danger that the shoot becomes more about these items and not the subject so it’s best not to use a prop that is too much of a feature in its own right. Also, bear in mind that props can also date the shoot, which is not always good, so choose carefully.