Some tricks to taking great portraits

by Bartholomew Pettigrew on November 25, 2009

One of the most common ways to take a picture is a portrait.Portraits are those photos with the subject pretty much in a pose.Since it is such a regular way of doing it people are used to seeing variety.  But if you can be a little creative you can take some shots that make them different.This article’s goal is to have you learn some ways that you can make an average photo better.

First thing you want to do is change the perspective.What I am talking about is to not take the photograph from where you would normally take it.You can have the picture’s direction changed and coming from a different angle.  This is helpful in my San Diego photographer business.People are so familiar with all the standard photos and poses that when you do something different by changing it up a little bit it makes a world of difference.Take some photos you take from a higher angle.  Or you can take a common photo and get low to the ground and shoot up.  It really makes the photo look different.

Another good tip to do with photographs is to play with the eyes.In general all pictures are taken by having the subject look directly at the camera.But where you direct the subject’s eye can really make a dramatic difference in the photo.What you might want to do is getting the subject to look away from the camera.This really changes the look of the photograph and how it feels. Doing a lot of event photography San Diego I have my subjects do this all the time.

Another great tip you can implement is having your subject look at an object within the picture.  This works great if you are trying to advertise something.You can have the product you are promoting be the thing the subject is looking at.  This is a trick that I do a lot as a San Diego commercial photographer.  It really helps focus the attention on the product.

So those were some ways that you can take a photo that people are used to one way and changing it for the better.