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.
azadeh
January 23, 2008there art brilliant !
David reed
February 4, 2008Great diversified group of images. Really nice.
Armando Velazquez
February 6, 2008I like very much your page , I think you are a interesting person, I can think you feel the air around the people in the photographs. Have a nice day
Philippe Roy
February 11, 2008Thanks for putting all of the into words and pictures. I’ve started giving photo-lessons and it was difficult to put into words what my brain seems to do automatically! This list is absolutely great!
By-the-way, I would even go one step further than “get close” and add “fill-the-frame”!
Thanks again!
The Dino
February 11, 2008These are realy good examples of several techniques. I like the last one… sometimes it will be hard to arrange this 🙂
alwizbme
March 16, 2008Very inspiring, I always come back to remind me of how to do a certain type of photography..
Jo
March 21, 2008very cool, keeping this for reference. Thanks!
Bob Walton
March 23, 2008Amazing illustrastions of the technique discussed. Art is so expressive; I love it.
Cassandra
April 10, 2008Thank you for putting this together… You’re very talented and those are some great tips. I think it’s great that you want to help people with the knowledge that you have gained. I am an aspiring photographer.. currently it is a hobby, but I’m on my way to school for it. I’m very excited! I’ve been working on my skill for the past couple of years, and have realised that I am very passionate about it!
jenny
April 19, 2008i must say im astonished by your work:)amazing and the tips are really usefull for us:)i would love if you could take a look at my pics and tell me your opinion:)keep up the grat work:)
mad lady's ru
April 20, 2008Great work of compiling those images! I got some great inspiration from them!
You had me worried there for a few minute and… I belong to that of people who share your taste in photos, really good and advice for those who are interested in photography and not just looking your striking photos
khalid
May 3, 2008whats the effect of lenses in a portrait photography.. i mean,, can we use all kind of lenses, wide to tele?
realy great pics.
Joel
May 22, 20081. Digital Photography
2. Nikon
Alan
May 22, 2008Just found this post, inspiring, thank you for the article especially reminding me how powerful the unfocus technique can be.
Ritwik
May 26, 2008Thanks for putting these together. I’m an amateur photographer, and it helps to see different styles together to label what I do with my camera 🙂
Nate
June 24, 2008I saw this a while ago but just came across it again on digg. Really amazing stuff. Nice post Brian!
Nate
lin_eijer
June 24, 2008exellent
wan
July 7, 2008wow,it’s great images and thanks with your tips and makes me wants to be a professional photographer…
Kristian Severin Skeie
August 3, 2008That was an educational and good article with fine illustrations. I will google some of those to find more inspiration for my own productions. Thanks.
Neo
August 5, 2008Great post,
Love the work and advice
Neo
Larry Gluck
August 18, 2008brilliant ideas, a lot of these concepts would lend to other mediums of art as well. brilliant post!
Stefan Tell
September 24, 2008Great list and very well illustrated. What would we do without Flickr?
Thank you.
prakash
October 1, 2008thanks for the list.. very helpfull..
Angel
October 20, 2008Great advices:) thanks
Cesar
October 20, 2008Beautiful images and excellent work.
Thank you..
Unas imagenes geniales y un buen trabajo..
Gracias!
LUMEND13
October 20, 2008rules were made to be broken, in fotography u can do wherever u want, its my favorite part of art, thanks for the tips great photos, very good job
buenisimo el trabajo que hiciste…
lum
Kyle
October 21, 2008Wow, great list of tips. The photographs really do an outstanding job illustrating each point. I’m going to link to this article on my forum: Glamour Photography Forums. Hopefully it will help them out there too.
Kyle
Fidel Castro
October 22, 2008Very good post. Just a little bit of text to illustrate those powerful images.
Thanks,
Fidel.
Air Jordans
October 29, 2008Wow, just wow. You seem to be able to ‘capture the moment’ with each photo selection.
Raquel
November 6, 2008As usual, great ideas! Thank you!
Amigo
November 10, 2008Really nice site. i liked the tipps. so i bookmakred your page ;=
Rashida (:
November 18, 2008These are all pretty awesome! ^^
Tim
November 18, 2008There really is something to be said about keeping things fresh and fun and yes, when you don’t do such a think portraits can become a bit mundane… So stop the mundane’ness and make it rock with those tips and more!!!
Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Ct. TAB Photographic
isti
November 21, 2008man i love this articles. its really awesome. Thanx mate.
the_wolf_brigade
November 21, 2008I suspect this was where I learnt about backlighting – unlike “That Guy” I don’t automatically know the basics just because I wield a camera – and yesterday I finally got some results with the kids that I’m happy with!
Thanks Brian. Love your work.
Christmas present coming soon 😀
Brian Auer
November 21, 2008Kick-ass dude! I’ll be sending some goodies you way too.
Burun EstetiÄŸi
December 3, 2008Beautiful images and excellent work.
Thank you..
jetboy
December 13, 2008sure 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…
Eric
December 15, 2008Great pictures you selected as examples. Good job, guy!
indir
December 17, 2008What a superb collection to illustrate the different techniques and styles. As usual your text is thoroughly entertaining and informative too.
the_wolf_brigade
December 27, 2008I think it would be fantastic to have a Vol.2 of this post 🙂
Aamir
December 28, 2008I loved the texturizing (second example). I should pay more attention to this feature of PS.
Thanks for inspiration!
Mike log splitter
January 7, 2009There are definitely some great pictures here.
surgeon
January 10, 2009Thanks Brian, It’s a lovely post. I am interested in photography & with your kinda brilliant work, I think it would be gr8 to follow your blog to learn more.
todoslot
January 11, 2009The post is great…
tedavi
January 12, 2009oh is very very beautyfull images is a perfecet cong.
Frank
January 14, 2009Wow! Thanks for not only providing details of the various ways to change the dynamics of portrait photography but then you also provided picture examples as well. As an aspiring photographer your post gave me several ideas on how to spice up some of my pre-existing photography! Thanks alot.
jayden t
February 6, 2009these are amazing i wish i could take pictures that good. wow keep up the good work, you’ve got sheer talent.
Robert
February 8, 2009These are simply amazing. If I only had the time and the skill to pull some of these off.
San Bernardino
February 10, 2009These are amazing photographs! thanks for sharing them.