Top Tips to start capturing portraits of people
Asking a stranger to capture their portrait may be one of the most intimidating things that a photographer can do.
How do you even start? What do you say to your subject? What do you need to keep in mind? What camera settings are best?
I learned a long time ago that the worst thing someone can say is no. Once I got over this fear of asking, I was off to the races. Nothing could stop me. How can you get over the worries associated with asking someone?
- Start with someone you know. I don’t mean a family member. I mean someone who you have met before and may see once in a while. Maybe it is someone who works at a stall at the market that you sometimes buy something from. Maybe it is someone you often see who is out walking their dog. Maybe it is a waiter/waitress at your favourite restaurant or your hairdresser. It is helpful if the person isn’t moving around because you won’t be stopping them from getting to where they are going.
- Make sure that your camera is ready before you ask to take someone’s photo. There is nothing worse than getting over the fear of asking only to have to spend a few minutes trying to get your camera ready before you actually take an image. I usually use aperture mode and select a large aperture (I set my Nikon 105mm F1.4 to 1.4) to give me a blurry background. I want to make sure I have a fast enough shutter speed with my chosen aperture so I will either look through the camera and point in the general direction of the subject (but not at the subject) and see what shutter speed I get. The other option would be to turn on auto ISO so that your shutter speed won’t go below a set speed.
- Think about the background. You were drawn to this subject for a reason but the thing that will make the photo infinitely better is the background. Which side could you approach your subject that would give you the cleanest background with the fewest distractions?
Check out my portrait photography challenge
Other tips
Get camera to their eye level – If you really want your viewer to connect with the subject, capture the image at the same level as your subject’s eyes.
Work quickly but don’t rush. This isn’t a formal photo shoot where you spend 30 minutes with someone. People can get self conscious as they probably aren’t used to being photographed. So work efficiently and only check your exposure on your camera LCD if you have to.
Keep talking while capturing image. It can help to keep your subject at ease if you talk to them as you photograph them. Reassure them and don’t be afraid to ask them to move a bit or change something to make your image better.
Show your subject the images. Then capture more. I usually get the best expressions after I have captured a couple of images and then show them to my subject. They often smile and that is when I quickly capture a few more images.
Take advantage of technology. My camera allows me to send images directly to an app on my phone. From there, I can easily email or airdrop them to the person I photographed.
Give it a shot.
Thanks for all your support. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
