How to take better portraits
We show you the techniques and equipment you'll need for the best portrait shots
CONTROL THE LIGHT
For complete control, invest in an off-camera flash system. That might sound complex and expensive, but it needn’t be. Back in Multimedia Expert, Shopper 269, we put together a system for less than £150, using a pair of Yongnuo YN460 flashguns and an iShoot PT-04C wireless trigger. It’s not the highest-quality kit, but two years on, our set still working well.
Bouncing flashlight off a wall or ceiling produces a diffused light source for soft shadows, while a second flash is useful for rim light. Having precise control over the position and strength of the flashes opens up all sorts of possibilities, and the instantaneous nature of flash light means you can eliminate motion blur and keep the ISO speed low for best image quality.
USE A PROP
Props have various practical benefits. They might be the only way to keep young children in one place long enough to get the shot you want. For others, a prop can be useful to give them something to do if they feel self-conscious in front of the camera. Just be sure to use something that relates to the individual and adds to the photo – car keys and mobile phones will keep babies engrossed but don’t make for the most enchanting portraits.
Props have lots of creative uses, too, but we won’t try to condense it all into a few sentences. Google is your friend for finding sources of wisdom and inspiration. The Reel Photo blog (http://reelfoto.blogspot.co.uk) is worth checking out too – click the Portraiture tab.
FINISHING TOUCHES
With the shoot complete and the photos uploaded to your PC, there’s still lots more than can be done to improve your shots. If you’re yet to discover the joys of Adobe Lightroom, give the trial version a whirl. The various controls in its Develop module are optimised for improving colours and details in photos, and are particularly effective if you’ve captured in raw mode.
A simple Contrast boost can bring flat colours to life, and the Highlights, Shadows, Whites and Blacks controls are extremely useful for keeping the brighter and darker parts of the image in check. Subtle adjustment with the white balance controls will let you get those skin tones just right.
A few simple tweaks in Lightroom can help bring out the colour and definition of photos (the original is shown at the top-left).
The Spot Removal tool is handy for removing blemishes, but we recommend against ironing all the character out of portraits. You might want to remove the odd pimple, but wrinkles and moles should be embraced as part of your subject’s features. You might even want to celebrate wrinkles and contours – the Clarity control can help with this, boosting the contrast of nearby pixels relative to each other to exaggerate details. If the background is a little distracting, try making it darker or reducing its saturation with the Adjustment Brush. You could also use this brush to adjust the brightness, contrast or clarity of parts of the subject to help him or her stand out.
Lightroom presents all sorts of creative opportunities too, but once again, it’s over to you to flex your artistic flair.