How To Take Better Portraits

By Anna Packham posted 07/12/07

"The most difficult thing for me is a portrait. You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt."

Henri Cartier-Bresson

A great portrait always communicates something interesting about its subject. But how do you use the camera to reveal it? Here we look at tactics used by photographers to create portraits that capture a person's true essence.

Take your time

The camera cannot magically get under someone's skin, only the photographer can do that. So take the time to talk. Figure out what makes your subject tick, what puts light in their eyes, absorb their facial expressions, body language and movements.

Giving your time and attention will not only help you find the right shot but will put the other person at ease. Often the trick of taking a great portrait is making someone so relaxed, they forget all about the camera completely.

In the same way you wouldn’t trust an electrician, plumber or brain surgeon who didn’t seem 100% sure of what they were doing, your subject needs to trust you in order to open up. Act with confidence.

Plan

Go into a shoot with a good idea of what you want, so you everyone involved knows what you’re trying to achieve and what you want from them. Get all your equipment sorted and any props ready. Having the practical aspects tied down will allow spontaneity and creativity to take over.

Seduce, amuse, entertain

"To seduce, amuse and entertain" is how Vogue portrait photographer Helmut Newton described his job. Depending on the kind of shot you want to get, flattery and humour can be invaluable.

If you get a laugh, snap a few photos in the seconds the laughter fades. The fleeting transitions between facial expressions are often the most unguarded and revealing of all.

About the Author

Anna Packham is a writer and mother of "the most photographed boy in Brighton".

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  • 25387993@N00

    Ed Thompson said...

    Agreed, don't use people like barbie dolls. Let them express themselves not try and pin some conceptual idea you've cooked up to make the shoot more interesting. You don't need props, you don't need anything, you just need an engagment with your subject. People are amazing, fact, you don't have to "sex it up" just "keep it real".

    Posted on 11/12/2007 18:06

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  • 21664290@N02

    Parageiss said...

    I have love taking portraits of children as they are more relaxed and a lot more expressive, I let them do there own thing, the first time I photographed a 6 year old her mother and brother sat either side of her out of shot and all 4 of us just chatted, laughed and giggled, while unknown to the subject I just kept pressing the cable release, what came out was some magical shots which I am still proud of and is something I always use with children......and some adults (The difficult ones)

    Posted on 12/12/2007 20:27

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  • 9383382@N05

    *Zo said...

    Good tips. I agree completely with Ed. People have different views on how to do things, but for me, shots with the least artifice are the best. It's good to get in close, and not to be afraid of photographing details you wouldn't normally think of (hands etc.). Try different angles and different ways of framing the shot. Slap bang in the middle of the frame can work, but it can also look very boring. Explore ways of using negative space.

    Posted on 06/01/2008 22:57

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  • 22546806@N02

    timemaker said...

    When I am summoned to take portraits of people and groups, I like to have a selection of 'amusing comments' that I can use to get people to smile (like 'It's your Sisters's Birthday, try to look happy'). The trouble is a smile is over so quickly, you have to be fast to capture it, so I try to get any camera 'fiddling' out the way prior to making them laugh. Whilst I prefer the natural shot, if you are quick, you can take shots of people getting themselves organised. I have a lovely shot of a family in the background in an obvious staged shot and in the foreground a mother with outstretched hands as her year old runs off to play. Love the shot above, the lines on the man's face tell a story of their own.

    Posted on 07/01/2008 09:43

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    david.stockman said...

    On a technical note, for natural looking portraits, it is generally better to use a fairly long lens so you can fill the frame without making your subject feel uncomfortable by getting the camera their face. Also on-camera flash is best avoided as it can make faces appear flat, but used at low power, in fill mode, can be used to add sparkle to the eyes.

    Posted on 10/01/2008 10:52

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  • 33252899@N00

    Peter Meade said...

    The one thing that worries me about portraiture is photographing someone who has already been photographed by the best in the business.

    Posted on 10/01/2008 15:59

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  • 22183863@N08

    Paulm0bsw said...

    Many interesting points to think about, I like to stand back,take a while to watch what's going on, I don't like staged shots,so I stand back use a long range lens. I get lots of natural shots this way. Paul

    Posted on 10/01/2008 17:49

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    hunthobart said...

    I agree with Paul Collins, i like to take natural shots as they happen, then facial features tell the whole story.

    Posted on 21/01/2008 16:12

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  • 7904861@N08

    squiddyface [v busy with work :( more photos soon] said...

    when it comes to portraiture, my view is that composition, lighting and other structural considerations are key, i agree that spontenaiety gives great results, but even when being spontaneous it is important to think about the angle from which you are shooting etc. colours, skin tone, blur etc can all be edited in postprocessing with a little time and patience, but if you start off with a mediocre or bad photo, no amount of retouching will make it better. start off with an interesting photo though, and you can either leave it as shot if it is good enough, or tweak it minimally to make the occasional detail pop. in my opinion its what you start with that counts. (i am just a beginner though so i'm not claiming to have achieved it just uet ;) )

    Posted on 23/01/2008 03:27

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  • 14422651@N08

    garchie05 said...

    nice portrait.i'm inspired, how i wish i could make the same in the future.

    Posted on 27/01/2008 22:30

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