For Sunday Stills this week we were asked to share a Portrait Session and some tips to improve Portraits. This is a Lifestyle Session done with my Sisterella and her beautiful children.
Tip 1... Location. It's super to have the location either be the choice of your subject or relevant to their life in some way. This location was chosen because the children's father is an Engineer on the railroad.
Tip 2 ... Photos from behind. I love the above photo. Colin setting off and Anna following. A priceless narrative to where they are in their life right now.
Tip 3 ... Not all photo need a constrained crop. Frame for the subject/story NOT for the 'picture frame'.
Tip 4 ... If your subject is low to the ground. Then get down on the ground and shoot from their perspective. Alternately you can shoot from up high...I love my 3 step ladder (I always have it with me now).
Tip 5 ... Background. Before you press the shutter make sure that your background is clean.
Tip 6 ... Wait. Let your subjects breathe. Let things happen. I like this photo better then the one above it. And in a few years when Colin is all grown up, Sisterella will like this one better too.
Tip 7 ... Shoot the funny stuff. Mum with the 'props' makes a fun Facebook profile photo.
Tip 8 ... Be on the look out for the sweet stuff. It wasn't hard to see what was going to happen once Anna Sophia picked a couple of flowers and headed back towards Mum. My camera is to my eye the majority of the shoot.
Tip 9 ... Let the treasures be in the shoot. Colin had a Railroad spike and Anna had given Mum the flowers. They were equally proud of these found 'treasures' from our morning out. No use in asking to put them down and tempt a hissy-fit.
Tip 10 ... Move those Focus Points. Moving the Focus Points on the camera is now second nature to me. It wasn't always. But once I got used to doing it ... it stepped up my composition game. Yes you can focus and recompose, which I do frequently for my still subject. But for moving subjects or my fast moving Polo photography moving those Focus Points gets me a shaper better composed picture every time. It's second nature to me now...like adjusting Aperture and Shutter Speed.
Tip 11 ... Get a variety of lighting scenarios. Front light, back light, side light. Opportunities for flare or a silhouette shot add some drama to the Gallery that you present to your subject. And allow your artistic side to come through.
And finally...
Tip 12 ... When you are looking for a location. Scanning for the next place to move your subjects...your camera needs to be up to your eye. You need to be looking through your lens so that you can see what will be in the shot. See the environment from your lenses perspective.
Happy shooting!
