Written by Sanne
Edited on
15 February 2023
·
16:09
Tips for taking the best portrait photo
You like to take nice portrait photos of your partner, best friend, or grandma. But you have no idea how you can do this best. With the right lighting, composition, and photo colors, you'll get a long way. You can find 5 tips on how to take the best portrait photo below.
Tip 1: use the portrait mode
Does your camera have a special portrait mode? Use this mode when you take a portrait photo. You can often recognize the portrait mode by the icon of a person. In this mode, the camera makes sure it focuses on the face automatically. You can also create a blurry background and sharp foreground. This way, your subject stands out from the background. This helps to pull the attention to the model in the photo.
Tip 2: provide soft lighting
If you want to take a photo outside, don't put your model in the bright sunlight. It's uncomfortable to look right into it. In addition, the face of your model will get bland. It's better to take photos at the start or end of the day. This often results in nice photos. Do you prefer to take photos inside? Make sure there is enough natural light. A flash makes faces very flat. A flash also results in unwanted reflections on the skin.
Tip 3: create an interesting composition
The composition determines a large part of the success of your portrait photo. a photo where your subject is exactly in the middle gets boring quickly. Try the rule of thirds. Use 2 lines to divide the image into 6 equal parts. Place the eyes of the person on 1 of the 4 points where the lines intersect. For some reason, we're naturally attracted by this composition.
Tip 4: make your model look in the right direction
In addition to composition, the direction of the gaze of your model is also very important for portrait photos. Your eyes automatically follow the gaze of the model in a photo. Because we read texts from left to right, we want to view a photo in the same direction. Place the person in the left corner of the image and let them look right. This way, we feel like the person is looking forward. That gives the photo a positive vibe.
Tip 5: take black and white photos
Black and white photography is very suitable for portrait photos. You can easily create a nice ambiance. That's because a black and white photo enhances the light and dark contrasts. This way, the skin of your model often lights up a bit, and it pulls the attention towards the face. In addition, faces in black and white photos are more striking. This makes the photo nicer to look at.
