12 Portrait Photography Tips with Artifact Uprising
12 Photography Tips and Techniques
When we take a portrait, we don't just take a photo — we tell a unique story, capturing personality and emotion in meaningful ways that give color to the life in front of the lens. It is an artform, an exercise in human connection, and a tangible recreation of the human experience, all in one. But behind it all is a process that is so much more than point and snap.
Here, in collaboration with Artifact Uprising, our favorite print shop, we take a closer look at that process — starting with 12 portrait photography tips and techniques that every photographer can employ in their own shoots.
Tip 01
Portrait Photography Deserves a Story
With most portrait photography, there's a story waiting to be told. Developing that story before the photo shoot is one of my favorite steps — looking to sources like literature, history, travel, and song for inspiration. Sometimes, the story can be as simple as the emotions of the person you're photographing, told through their expression.
Once the idea starts to come to fruition, making a sketch or mood board can be helpful. While this isn’t always necessary (because sometimes the inspiration comes from the shoot itself), it can make things easier when working with someone new and outline some clear direction before the photoshoot begins.
*In the example here, I created a series of self-portraits based off of ceiling frescoes I saw in Versailles. The paintings were of the four seasons which I recreated with the props and color palette.
Tip 03
Clothing, Props, Style Should Add to the Image
Work with your model or subject and ask them to bring clothing or props that they love. Photographing people is all about making them feel comfortable, and they tend to be more comfortable in front of the camera if they're wearing something they feel good in. Props can also add to the story you're telling and give your model something to play with, making them look more natural and less nervous.
*The use of props helps distract your subject while they are getting comfortable in front of the camera. This prevents the question of, “what should I do with my hands?”
Tip 05
Use Angles for Interest
Explore different model headshot poses by having your subject play with different angles and tilt their head in multiple directions to give their face a more dynamic shape. When someone faces directly forward it can flatten their features and feel like a corporate headshot.
Make sure their eyes are pointing towards the camera or looking in the same direction as their nose for the most natural effect. Having them face a corner behind you is often a great way to get some beautiful angles from the side of their face. Plus, they might not feel as intimidated if they aren’t required to look directly at the camera.
Tip 07
Self- Portraits are Good Practice
I shoot self-portraits all the time because if I have a particular concept in mind, it is often easier to create it myself rather than try to explain it to someone else. It's also a great way to practice your skills without the pressure of having someone else in front of the camera. You can play with lighting setups, camera settings, color schemes, etc., while experimenting to see which poses and positions look best.
If you're able to learn the hand positions and poses yourself, you'll be better equipped to direct someone else when you're photographing their portrait. This also gives you more flexibility to shoot at any time without waiting to coordinate with a model or scout a location.
Tip 09
Talk with Your Subject
If the person you are photographing is feeling camera shy or is inexperienced, it helps to talk to distract them a bit with conversation so that you can continue shooting. Ask them about things they love or are excited about to achieve the most authentic emotion in your images. Depending on the emotion you're hoping to convey, you can ask them about different things. The in-between moments — when they are thinking of an answer or have just laughed at a funny thought — are often the most beautiful expressions that show a subject's true character.
Tip 11
Find Ways to Play With the Light Outside
One of my favorite outdoor portrait photography tips is to find ways to manipulate sunlight with your surroundings. If there's a doorway or corner on the street, place your subject in the shadow and only reveal part of their face to the light for a moody look. You can also look for interesting walls (or even use the subject's head) to block part of the sun, creating a backlit portrait with some delicate sun flares.
Tip 02
Choose a Solid or Non-Distracting Background
This might go without saying, but if you want to draw the attention of your image to the person, having a solid background is one of the most simple portrait photography techniques to make it happen. It helps create more emotion from your subject thanks to less distraction. It also makes the editing process much easier since you don’t have to remove anything that might be drawing attention away from the portrait.
*You don’t need a studio and a bunch of fancy backdrops to achieve this. This image was taken outside of an apartment building against a solid color wall.
Tip 04
Natural Light is Key
Every photographer has their own personal style and preference when it comes to lighting. I tend to be a bit of a purist when it comes to photography and don’t like to use a lot of fancy gear or lights. Nature has already given us all the tools we need and sometimes the variability is a fun added challenge to the creative vision.
Natural light isn't just for the outdoors, it's also the best lighting for indoor photography. It brings out beautiful, natural skin tones, has a vast range (depending on where you place the subject), and, best of all, it's absolutely free!
Tip 06
Portraits Don’t Always Have to Be Centered
An excellent portrait photography tip for when you are behind the lens is that you don’t always have to put your subject in the center of the frame. Play with the rule of thirds, or create your own rules to place them elsewhere. The negative space around them can add more context to the image and keep the viewer's eye moving around the frame.
Tip 08
Take Time for Set-up
Take a few extra minutes before you start photographing to really hone in on your lighting, camera settings, and frame before you begin. You'll feel more prepared before the subject sits down and you can get creative without worrying about setup. It’s a significant timesaver that makes images look close to final in-camera, rather than spending hours in Photoshop tweaking exposure and color temperature.
Tip 10
Explore Creative Portrait Photography Ideas
You don’t need a lot of fancy gear, money, or tools to create a beautiful image. If you want a special effect with lighting or atmosphere, think of ways to use things you already have. For example, I once used the steam after a shower to create a foggy look in some self-portraits. I've also played around with basic home lamps to make interesting light. Even just shooting through windows or a sheer curtain can lend a dreamy look to your portraits.
If you want to bring some beautiful light flares into your image, use the natural oil on your fingers to create a filter on part of your camera lens. While I would recommend cleaning your lens afterwards, it's a completely free and simple way to add some atmosphere to your images.
Tip 12
Use a Shallow F-Stop for Smooth Skin
I'm always looking for ways to avoid too much time editing images and spending more time being creative. To make my subject's skin look smooth and beautiful, I tend to shoot with a shallow F-stop or a low number such as 2.8 or 3.4. This also gives the background a blurred effect, drawing more attention to the portrait.
Depending on the lighting situation, I will need to use a fast shutter speed or a lower ISO so that I don’t have too much light coming in. By shooting a bit darker or underexposed, you can pull out more details in post-production if need be. An image that's too bright makes it impossible to get that information lost in post production.
Bonus Tip
There Are No Rules
There's no hard rule for which settings to use for portraits. It all depends on the kind of look you want to achieve and what your personal style is. If you like to have some motion blur in your images, use a tripod and a slower shutter speed. Or, if you like sharp details and crisp clear lines, shoot with a higher f-stop, a moderate ISO, and a quick shutter. You can keep the grain of your image low (ie. a low ISO) but still get sharp details (a high f-stop), by having your subject stay as still as possible while shooting with a tripod and a faster shutter speed.
Shooting self-portraits lets you play around with these settings and new portrait photography techniques in different lighting conditions without someone else waiting on you.
A Note About Gear
I shoot with a Nikon D610 or the Nikon D750. I love the low-light capability of the Nikons and the way they capture color. My favorite lens for portraits is the Nikon 60mm 1.2 because it has a beautiful natural vignette and I love the way it captures details. The 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lens are also great for portrait photography.
If you employ any of these tips, I would love to see what you create. Tag your images on Instagram with #bangbangportraittips and I will re-post your work!
For artists, self-portraits are an excellent way to practice their craft. Self-portraits also allow people to embody different archetypes to understand what it would be like if they were to become that archetype. With this in mind, I created a 7-day self-portrait challenge to practice my art form and become an archetype.