Many photographers will say that portrait photography is one of the most challenging types. When doing portrait photography it can be difficult to capture the subject’s personality and essence, however, choosing the right angle can help you to do exactly that.
A portrait gives the photographer the opportunity to freeze a moment in time, capturing the subject exactly as they are at that moment. The camera angle can make or break an image, changing it from an ordinary portrait to a photograph that will be cherished for years to come.
One of the trickiest parts of portrait photography is trying to avoid capturing the features of a person that they dislike. If Mary doesn’t like her larger nose, she definitely won’t want to purchase a photo that emphasizes this – and tiny Tim definitely doesn’t want a portrait that makes him seem even shorter! Instead you want to emphasize the individual’s best features and take away from what they feel are their flaws.
Facing the Facts
The most important feature in portraits is generally the subjects face – though when each and every person has different shape face, it’s important to know the best way to flatter the individual.
For thin faces: Have your subject look directly into the lens to make their face appear fuller. For fuller faces:Have your subject look up at the lens, or have them turn their face at an angle to be sure that you do not make them appear larger.
As a general rule, zooming in will flatter your subjects face, however, it really depends on how you plan on composing your image and what the subject would like to feature in the image.
The Tall and Short of it
When shooting portraits, it is important to be mindful of height in order to capture the perfect image.
For tall people: Photograph your subject from above so that they do not seem elongated and their height is not the focus of the image. For short people: Photograph your subject from below to give them the illusion of height and an elongated body.
The Size of It
Whilst it’s never nice to judge people on their features, it is important to pay attention to size when doing portrait work in order to create the best possible image of the person.
For thin or underweight people: Photograph your subject straight on to make them appeared toned and to emphasize any curves they may have. For overweight or large builds: Photograph your subject at a slanted angle to minimize their body shape
Lighting the Way
As with all other forms of photography, lighting is very important when shooting portraits. Paying attention to the direction and angle of your lighting and the reflections it makes is vital.
To highlight the subject’s features: Angle the light to the side of the subject To light the subject as a whole:Distribute the light evenly towards your subject If your subject wears glasses: Shoot slightly above your subject or at a slight angle in order to avoid glare from the glasses. Use this same technique when shooting your subject in front of a window or any other glare-prone surface.
Don’t use overhead lighting. When shooting portraits, overhead lighting is almost always unflattering, regardless of the shape or size of your subject.
Practice Makes Perfect!
Play around with different angles, lighting and composition techniques until you find what works. You’ll never know what features your subject will prefer and what they despise, so be sure to play around with different angles to ensure they will at least have some shots that they’ll love.
Don’t feel discouraged if your first couple of images don’t come out the way you want – keep on trying and you will keep on learning. Also know that most photographers take hundreds of shots at each shoot in order to capture the perfect one.
