3 Tips to Improve Your Portraiture Without Spending on Expensive Gear
Photographers love accumulating gear and so it's easy to assume that the only way to capture good portraits is with a state of the art expensive camera and the best portrait lens. Good lenses, a decent camera and proper lighting gear definitely make it easier to create good portraiture, however here are some tips to help you improve your portraiture that can be applied with any camera (even a phone camera!)
Shoot in the Shade
Portraits taken in direct sunlight will have harsh shadows which are usually unwanted. Simply moving your subject into the shade will make your portrait look much better due to the diffused soft lighting which the shade provides.
Take Advantage of Window Light
Great painters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer often posed their subjects near windows in order to achieve natural looking lighting which was very appealing for their paintings. Windows help diffuse the incoming light, making it softer and appropriate for portraiture. This technique can be used in photography too. Soft light means that the shift between the bright areas and the shadowy areas in the portrait are gradual. Here is an example of a portrait using soft window light:
You can see that the light compliments the portrait and that there are no harsh shadows. The window in this case is on the camera's left (model's right) and lights the model's right side brightly, while gradually fading on the model's left side.
Find a Good Background
Although the subject is the most important component of a portrait, the background is the second most important element. A good background doesn't distract the viewer from the portrait. Such a background will usually be a relatively solid colour, or a blurry background that doesn't compete with the subject for the viewer's attention. Ask your subject to move to a location with a better background. A good background is usually only a few steps away, but can mean all the difference.
Feel free to share any images you may have taken using the above tips, in the comments section.
Keep up the good light!
Yehonathan