Tips For Taking Perfect Portrait Photos – Beginner Lesson
Digital cameras have evolved over time and they have greatly changed the way we take photos. They are used by photography enthusiasts and professionals alike. However, if you want to get the best results with portrait photography you need to use some techniques from the repertoire of the professional photographers. We will present in this article five expert tips for taking perfect portrait photos in any circumstances.
1: Camera settings for outdoor portrait photography
In order to achieve the best results with your portrait photos you need to set your camera with the right settings for the indoor, outdoor or moving subjects.For classic portrait photos the background should be blurred, in order to focus the attention on the main subject of your photo shot. For blurring effects use standard zoom lens and set your camera to Aperture Priority and a focal length between 50 and 100 mm. The Aperture Priority should be the largest available on your camera lens, such as f/4 or even f/5.6. The depth of the field and the aperture are two key components of a perfect portrait photo. Another important factor of success is setting the right shutter speed. That should be at least 1/125sec in order to compensate for any subject movement or camera shake. The Autofocus mode should be set on one shot or single shot. The focus point should be selected in such a way that is over the eye of your portrait subject.
Digital Camera Settings For Outdoor Portraits
Exposure mode should be set on Aperture Priority in order to take control over the depth of the field. Also select the largest aperture available for your camera lens.
Autofocus point should be set on a single point and the AF point should be selected close to the subject’s eye. In order to focus the AF point on the eye half press the shutter release.
Shutter speed can be set automatically by camera.
Aperture should be set at least at f/4.
ISO should be set at 100 for outdoor portraits.
Lens can be set between 50 and 100mm.
Focus mode should be set on single or one shot.
Drive mode should be set on single shot.
White balance can be set using the preset values that better suit the light source.
2: Camera settings for indoor portrait photography
Indoors the light levels are usually much lower than outdoors, so make sure to select the shutter speed fast enough in order to get sharp portrait photos. At shutter speeds below 1/60sec you may keep the same aperture and increase the ISO in order to compensate. The ideal option of perfect indoor portraits is the wide maximum aperture with lens set at 50mm f/1.8 and ISO 400.
Here are the recommended expert settings for indoor portraits in low light environments:
ISO should be set at 400 or higher and use shutter speeds of 1/60sec or faster in order to avoid camera shake in low light.
Aperture should be set on Aperture Priority mode, at a value of f/2 and lens at 50 mm.
Exposure mode should be set on Aperture Priority A or Av.
Focus mode should be set on single or one shot.
Drive mode should be set on single shot.
White balance should be set on Auto mode.
3: Create texture
Instead of trying to eliminate a distracting background you can try to use it to your advantage and create more texture. Pull the subject of your portrait photo away from the background and set the Aperture priority on f4. This way you will create more depth of field in order to blur the background and create some artistic texture.
4: Hold your camera in a vertical position
For portrait photos it is best to hold your camera vertically instead of horizontally, in order to avoid ulterior editing the photo by cropping large amounts of space.
5: Don’t take pictures up against a wall
For perfect portraits it is best to not choose walls as your background. The digital cameras have great depth of field and they keep a lot in focus, while for a portrait you need to direct the attention on the subject not on the background. If the subject stays close to a wall in the background the camera will sharp focus on the wall too
These tips should help beginner photographers. For more advanced techniques I will be publishing a separate article.
Thanks for reading and all the best with your portrait photos!