- Aim for a shallow depth of field. when shooting portraits you usually want to focus on your subjects face and not anything else. You want their face to be in sharp focus, but the background should be softer. You would need a wide aperture will help create a shallow depth of field.
- Always shoot in RAW. when going into post processing you want to have a lot of material to work with. In digital photography that means shooting in raw. Raw formats introduce larger file sizes and greater and greater complexity. They also give you the greatest control over your images.
- Shoot at your subjects eye level. For example when shooting children you should place yourself at their level. Get creative but keep in mind that shooting above can diminish your subject.
- Use indirect Light Nothing ruins a portrait more than sun beaming in someone’s eyes. when shooting you should chose a light source that is bright but not direct.
- Focus on eyes. there are some simple ways to accelerate your skill development in portrait photography. Focus on the eyes, eyes are evocative and powerful.
- Focus on one body part. use a lens with a long focal length or get up close so you can get the shot of the one part you want.
- Find the right location. The location chosen will play a huge factor in the final result. shooting outdoors gives wonderful results but you face many challenges.
- using a longer zoom lens to step out of the immediate proximity of your subjects can make them lose the shyness or stiffness.