200 TIPS TO TRANSFORM YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
THE PROS
JULIA WIMMERLIN
Julia is a portrait photographer and offers advice for working with clients. juliawimmerlin.com
MARK BAUER
Mark Bauer gives advice based on vast experience in the field. markbauer photography.com
TINA EISEN
Tina Eisen discusses advice for portrait creativity in her tips. tinaeisen.com
SCOTT JOHNSON
Wedding shooter Scott explores essential tips for the big day. theedge photography .co.uk
CHARLIE WAITE
Charlie is used to giving advice on his workshops with Light & Land. lightandland.co.uk
HOLLY WREN
Holly provides her tips for shooting better portraits on location. hollywren.com
PETER EASTWAY
Peter offers his practical tips for getting better results in the great outdoors. petereastway.com
ADRIAN MUELLER
Product and commercial photographer Adrian reveals his studio tips. fabrik-studios.com
PORTRAITS
1 Discuss the lighting Lighting can make or break the portrait. Discuss the lighting with the model. Explain the principles to non-professional models to avoid a badly lit face (especially if moving), and guide the professional to get the best result.
2 MAKE TIME FOR CREATIVITY Running a portrait business is 90 per cent regular good shots and 10 per cent creativity. Always have a creative idea for a shoot after you’ve done the ‘regular’ portrait. These are the shots that become viral and are picked up by social media, and will help to promote you without any extra effort.
3 ASK BEFORE SHARING IMAGES Always ask clients’ permission before sharing their portraits on social media – even if you are legally allowed to share your work. Be especially careful sharing kids’ portraits.
4 ADAPT TO FACE SHAPE Narrow or broad faces can be portrayed in an exaggerated or flattering way. Choose optics wisely: use a longer focal length from further away to widen the narrow face, and use a shorter focal length shot closer to the face to narrow it down. Use shadows to sculpt or create accents.
5 USE SLIGHT DISTORTION Create unusual portraits by using distortion to your advantage. Using a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera from a distance of around 1m from the model’s face will create an intense portrait through slight distortion, as well as a particular tension from invading the model’s private space.
6 HOLD A PRE-PRODUCTION MEETING For larger commercial shoots directly with a client (with no external art direction) it’s important that a photographer holds a thorough PPM meeting to discuss all the shoot details – including overall shoot goal, number of setups, mood board, style and light references, styling and make-up.
7 MOOD IS EVERYTHING The photographer is the conductor of the shoot, so it’s the photographer’s job to create the atmosphere where everybody can be most productive. The photographer’s own mood, inspiration, dynamism, jokes and music during the shoot help to keep the stress down and unify the team.
8 ALWAYS TRY TO GROW No matter how much success you currently enjoy, repeating the same thing over and over stops your growth as a photographer. Always try to improve your qualifications with classes, experimentation, or by learning a new technique.
9 USE PROVEN BUSINESS MODELS Grow your business using the proven Ansoff Matrix. Start with market penetration (same product, same clients – repeat business with birthdays, anniversaries). Continue with product development (new product, same clients – new segments of business portraits, editorial, family). Advance with market development (same product, new clients – referrals, new geographies). Consider diversification (new product, new clients – video).
10 DO YOUR OWN POST-PRODUCTION It becomes common to outsource portrait retouching, and while it may save you time, it will dilute your personal style. Create your own workflow of editing basics and add more value through personalised photo styling and colouring.
11 GO BEYOND THE FACE Portraits are not just about the face, it’s also an overall idea of a person. Portraits with no face can be much more powerful, as they trigger imagination and make the viewer concentrate on body language.
12 DON’T LIMIT CLIENT TIME Private clients aren’t professional models. My job is to show their character in a flattering way. Most photographers charge per hour. I don’t limit time and I charge per final photo that I’ll edit. This turns the session into a self-learning experience, brings fantastic portraits, and increases referral rate.
13 USE GESTURES TO DIRECT “Your left, my right” as directions can be confusing. Use palm inclinations and rotation to position the model’s head and body, and show directions with your hand instead of telling. Discuss this before the shoot.
14 PERFECTION IS BORING We all laugh at plastic faces over the internet but we all went through [phases of] overdoing it. Perfection does not exist so over-editing creates boring portraits. Life and character are the essence of a good portrait.
15 KEEP CLIENT FILES FOREVER Clients may ask you for the shots even years after the job. It may pay back with more work/referrals if you can provide them.
16 FEED THE MODELS During long shoots, despite the possible desire to finish the project in one go, it’s best to take a break, let everybody eat, and restart.
Capturing real and interesting faces becomes easier when models move
