25 PRO WAYS TO SHOOT BETTER PORTRAITS

Are you a photographer who struggles to capture professional-looking portraits? While creating stunning portraits is harder than it looks, to some extent there’s a basic recipe for success: if you match a decent portrait lens with an intriguing subject and the right background, you’ll get some great shots. However, for the best results, you also need to add your own ingredients. Find your own eye and way of shooting – an element that makes your portraits unique, such as an angle, editing treatment or use of props – and you’ll soon be on your way to pleasing clients and shooting professional, individual results.

There’s no better way to learn how to shoot like a pro than by learning from one, so we asked five portrait photographers to share their kit, tips and techniques. For portraits, you need to nail the camera handling and settings at the same time as creating a rapport with your subject. Your job is to make your subjects feel comfortable, and to direct them in order to get the results that both you and they are looking for.

Over the next few pages you’ll discover 25 ways to take your portrait photography to the next level. You’ll learn how to choose your kit, how to select focal lengths for maximum impact, how to set the scene indoors and out, and the optimum camera settings to use. Read on, and you’ll be shooting stunning portraits in no time.

HOLLY WREN

A commercial advertising photographer specialising in portraits