16 Inspirational Portrait Photography Techniques
I'm learning that portrait photography can be tough in more than one way thanks to my participation in the December Challenge. I'm already getting bored with taking the standard cookie-cutter portrait, so I started digging around Flickr for some inspiration. Here's what I turned up:
And yes, I realize that the accompanying text is much shorter than I would usually supply, but the idea of this post isn't to teach these techniques — it's to introduce you to them and hopefully give you some inspiration with your own photography. I feel that these photos are strong enough to stand on their own without lengthy descriptions.
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1. PHOTOSHOP
If you're good with post-processing and manipulations, use it to your advantage. Get crazy with the adjustments, try some new Photoshop techniques, and maybe even a composite image.
Photo by Paul Moody [CC by-nc]
2. TEXTURE
If texture is a big part of your subject, make it stand out and make it obvious. Match up the textures between your subject and your background. You might even try texturizing the entire photo for additional impact.
3. OVEREXPOSE
Blowing out the highlights or making a high-key image makes a nice soft portrait with kind of a light airy feeling. Another advantage of high-key photos is that the smaller details and defects are blown away, making the image look much smoother.
Photo by sam_samantha [CC by-nc-sa]
4. UNDEREXPOSE
A dominantly dark or low-key image will naturally draw your eyes to the lighter parts. These tend to have a grittier and harder look to them than the high-key images.
5. BACK-LIGHT
Hair lights up like crazy when it's back-lit, so if hair is a big part of your subject make it stand out by placing your subject between you and a light source. You could also take this a little further and push the image to a silhouette.
Photo by Caleb Sconosciuto [CC by-nc-nd]
6. POSING
Get crazy with the pose and positioning — extra points if it looks uncomfortable. Not only with the poses, but also with your own positioning — shoot from different angles to achieve different impacts.
7. CULTURE
Capture the local culture — what's mundane to you is exotic to us. Culture is everywhere, even in your own town. Just image you're visiting from a different country — what things would then seem more interesting to you?
8. REFLECTIONS
Make use of different surfaces to add that extra dimension — windows, mirrors, and water are all very good reflective surfaces that give a different result and texture.
9. SHADOWS
Make the shadow an important part of the image. Sometimes the shadow can even be more prominent than the actual subject casting the shadow.
10. GET CLOSE
There's no rule against cropping out most of the subject's face. This draws more attention to the parts that are left in the frame.
11. (UN)FOCUS
Out-of-focus subjects can be more interesting than the in-focus subjects. It kind of adds some mystery to the image because you can't quite make out who that person is.
Photo by a bout de souffle [CC by-nc-nd]
12. MOVEMENT
Use movement to show action, even if it blurs out the subject entirely. In cases like this, think of the person as a means of creating the subject rather than being the actual subject.
Photo by ArtWerk [CC by-nc-nd]
13. CAPTURE THE MOMENT
Catch somebody doing something they love, even if it's not staged. Street photography is one of my favorite genres because it captures life as it happens — unstaged and unposed.
Photo by Mireia [CC by-nc-nd]
14. COLORS
Use vibrant and contrasting colors to draw attention to parts of your subject. This could be makeup, clothing, accessories, or whatever else you can get your hands on.
15. GET SERIOUS
Not all portraits need to have a smile, capture the serious emotions too. Some of my favorite portraits have no hint of a smile in them, and they're highly emotional.
Photo by Saad Akhtar [CC by]
16. PROPS
Use the props and tools around you to make the setting more interesting. Find things to place your subject in, on, under, around, etc.
Skedonk
December 10, 2007Great post!
Here is one I really liked:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/camil_t/70879947/
Brian Auer
December 10, 2007That’s awesome — the photos on the wall in the background are a nice touch.
libeco
December 10, 2007You mentioned over and under exposing, but how about taking that even a step further and going for high and low key pictures? Following are not the best examples, just quick searches.
High:
-> https://www.flickr.com/photos/inkyfingerz/1090569329/
-> https://www.flickr.com/photos/phiggys/580482700/
Low:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pblock74/311907879/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gsquare/473640742/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bradi/1394758606/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lallisig/1131608054/
Brian Auer
December 10, 2007Wow, great examples you’ve chosen! Thanks for adding those.
Antoine Khater
December 10, 2007What can I say ??? those are just …. (sorry can’t find the words)
Brian Auer
December 10, 2007… is that a good thing or a bad thing? I only ask because I’ve encountered a few people who really don’t like my taste in photos.
Neil Galloway
December 10, 2007Great set of photos. Always a good reminder of what you can be thinking of when taking a photo.
inspirationbit
December 10, 2007I definitely don’t belong to that group of people who don’t share your taste in photos, Brian.
These are AMAZING 2 bytes of portrait photo inspiration. How do you feel today – motivated again to try new portrait techniques?
Brian Auer
December 10, 2007Thanks Vivien! (hahaha, two bytes — that’s funny). I’m feeling a little more up to it — I put this post together to help give myself a little inspiration. I can’t say that I’ll be going all out with these techniques on today’s portrait, but I’m feeling a lot better about picking up the camera and trying some things out.
Denis
December 10, 2007great themes, a very inspired and inspiring gallery ! Thanks for sharing it.
Bryan Villarin
December 10, 2007Wicked awesome post, Brian.
I’m sure I’ll need to change things up, especially since there’s 21 more days left for this challenge! =/
Brian Auer
December 10, 2007Thanks Bryan — I figured a lot of us would start getting tapped out on ideas since we’re not professional portrait photographers.
Antoine Khater
December 10, 2007No Brian it is not good it is GREAT 🙂
Brian Auer
December 10, 2007phew… you had me worried there for a second. Sometimes I tend to be pulled toward images like #11 and #12, and some people don’t appreciate those types of photos the same way I do. Anyways, I’m glad you like the selections — if you like them as much as I do, visit the artists and add their photos to your favorites or leave them a comment.
jim
December 10, 2007excellent tips & great pix.
https://www.golfnorwich.com/
Antoine Khater
December 10, 2007#11 and #12 are more “artistic” blurred and grainy IMHO it takes time and maturity for someone to start appreciate this kind of pictures.
Nathan Ketsdever
December 10, 2007Great shots & great blog post!
spencer
December 10, 2007Some examples from a friend who is one of my favorite local portraitists:
high-key: https://flickr.com/photos/murn/1260992264/
overexposed: https://flickr.com/photos/murn/1204268455/ or https://flickr.com/photos/murn/820098680/
posed: https://flickr.com/photos/murn/1204376448/ or https://flickr.com/photos/murn/530934820/
movement (sort of): https://flickr.com/photos/murn/997144223/
jp
December 10, 2007Outstanding ideas and photos………thanks for sharing some good ideas that I will follow up on.
Ben
December 10, 2007Some really cool tricks and techniques here. Gave me some inspiration for some portrait pics I want to take.
Tony Landis
December 11, 2007Wow those are great tips!
Daniel Hellerman
December 11, 2007Great work of compiling those images! I got some great inspiration from them!
Gelay
December 11, 2007Eye opening!!! Thanks.
art (bob)
December 11, 2007Wow; great illustration of the techniques you’ve employed. Thanks!
Josiah Friberg
December 11, 2007Thanks so much for the great tips. Those will be very useful.
https://fineartinspirationalphotography.blogspot.com
Also, check out my photography articles on Ezine@articles by Josiah Friberg.
Paul Indigo
December 11, 2007What a superb collection to illustrate the different techniques and styles. As usual your text is thoroughly entertaining and informative too.
Cheers,
Paul
josh
December 11, 2007really good and sound advice for those who are interested in photography or just looking at striking photos. don’t forget to drop by at: https://lemme.be
Blogerko
December 11, 2007Ouuu, beautiful images
Stef
December 12, 2007Wow, great pictures and ideas. Very clear writing style as well.
mania
December 12, 2007sure someone else already pointed out:
low key is not underexposed, high key is not overexposed…
all in all some pretty pictures but you better erase your own text…
FishedzL
December 12, 2007Thanks for sharing this article.
here’s for me to share. im just a newbie in photography.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/akinito/sets/72157602624577065/
Fotografo ritratto
December 13, 2007Thanks Abolutely interesting and inspiring.
Tanja Short
December 16, 2007The technique of overexposing is very great, if you have to take pictures of people who have a lot of blemish on their skin.
Blue
December 16, 2007Great list, but one is flawed.
For #8 reflections the example at first glance looks like the reflection in a window, but its really just a exact copy flipped with the opacity dropped. A real reflection would not be identical, but would be a slightly different angle. If the camera was on the exact same plane as the reflective surface then the reflection would be very nearly the same but still not quite. In this image a real reflection would be at an angle showing more of her face from the front. Test it for yourself if you think otherwise.
Brian Auer
December 16, 2007hmmm… you’re totally right. At a glance it looks like a reflection, but it is just a copy. Good eye!
Skedonk
December 16, 2007Following this post, I finally managed to get a portrait I’m happy with:
https://flickr.com/photos/skedonk/2114595000/
Thanks!
Sarahbear.
December 18, 2007The first Photo by Paul, I know him. ^_^ He’s an amazing friend.
Audrey
December 18, 2007that is very cool.
JohnD
December 20, 2007Great Photos Thank You
Clif
December 20, 2007All pretty obvious to even the beginner…
Aakash Vakil
January 2, 2008Great tips…..I look forward to reading your blogs on regular basis.
yeroldyeti
January 3, 2008Thumps Up!
This is a “best of the best” site for the occasional lay photographer who need to make documentaries and representative pictures for their community of viewers!
Pele Odiase
January 8, 2008very good tips. would be helpful in my next wedding. https://www.rhemastudio.com
willi
January 11, 2008very informative! thanks thanks!
may i use the texts and the photos you used here in one of my discussions on portrait photography with my class (high schol boys)?
yur tips are easy to follow.
Brian Auer
January 12, 2008Yes, please do!
JimmyW
January 12, 2008Great Article
very Helpful
I am actually a young ameture photographer (I’m 14)
Do you have any specific tips on how to get a better photo?
Anna S
January 12, 2008This article is very informative and helpful. It is a great post! I am starting up a site for amateur photographers. Its just getting started, but any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Again, great post!
That Guy
January 13, 2008In response to these tips: thank you Captain Obvious.
This is the most obvious list of “tips” I have ever beheld.
Wait, wait, wait………………………… a person doesn’t HAVE to smile?! Who KNEW? You have revolutionized my career! Thank God I read this!!
olecanoli
January 14, 2008okay “that Guy” maybe this was intended for beginers like me, it may come as a surprise to you but most people in the world arent professional photographers
Brian Auer
January 14, 2008Good point olecanoli. I can see that you have a better grasp on the intent of this article than That Guy does.
That Guy — it would be great if you could point us to the stellar article that you’ve written on portrait photography so that our more advanced readers (such as yourself) can actually learn something beyond this obvious garbage.