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Portrait photos are very impressive. A good portrait can project so much emotions and feelings and captivate the viewer. Taking high quality portrait photos is an art that takes time to master. This article will give you a few guidelines that can help you achieve high quality portrait photos in a short time and without being a professional photographer.

When taking portraits photos try to follow the following guidelines:

Choose the right background: A portrait photo is all about the object’s face. The most important part of the photo is the face. Choosing the right background can make sure the viewer is focused on the face. Pick a neutral background that does not attract attention. For example a soft solid color background is better than a busy street background. Avoid having people or moving objects in the background.

Blur the background: In addition to choosing a neutral background you should further blur it. This will put even more emphasis on the object instead of its surroundings. Blurring the background is best achieved by taking a photo using a shallow depth of field. This can be accomplished by using a zoom lens and shooting from a short distance or with a wide aperture manual setting. If your camera does not allow you to blur the photo by setting a shallow depth of field (for example it is hard to achieve such a depth of field with simple pocket cameras) you can always blur the background later using photo processing software on your computer.

Focus on the eyes: The center of a good portrait should be the object’s eyes. Before taking the photo look at the object eyes and try to figure out what story they tell. Depending on what you would like to capture in the portrait guide the object to look straight to the camera or maybe sideways focusing on some object. Adding a smile is also recommended unless you specifically want a face that does not smile in order to send some message to the viewer.

Use natural lighting: Natural lighting is necessary in order to capture the full color range and warmth of the skin. It is best to take portrait photos outdoors during the day. When shooting outdoors position the object in a way that the sun light hits it from the side. Never take a photo with the sun behind the object - results in shading - or right in front of the object - results in over exposing the face and distorting its natural colors. If some shades appear on the face use a soft fill-in flash to get rid of them. If you have to shoot indoors and use artificial lighting always use indirect light sources such as bounce flash or lights that illuminate the room instead of directly shining on the object.

Take many photos and experiment: I can not over emphasize this. In the digital era the cost of taking another photo is zero. One of the best ways to shoot a great photo is simply by shooting many photos. In fact all professional photographers do that they keep on shooting more and more photos so don’t be shy about it. Experiment with different settings - lighting, object position, white balancing settings to get different color temperatures, exposures, depth of field and more. When you are done sit down and sort the photos until you choose the one that you like the best. It is common sense that the chances of finding that one great photo are much higher if you tried 500 photos than if you just shot a few.

In conclusion if you have a good camera and the willingness to experiment portrait photo shooting you will quickly achieve the skills needed in order to shoot great portraits and impress your friends with portraits photos that look impressive and professional.

Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on http://www.printrates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing.

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What is posing and how it can help you obtain that memorable portrait from your photo?

Posing is appealingly rendering the three dimensional human form in a two dimensional medium. There are two very important elements to consider in posing; the pose must appear natural, and the features of the individual be undistorted.

So, if the pose is natural and the features are rendered normally, in proper perspective, then you will have achieved a major goal, and the portrait will be considered pleasing.

Some very basic guidelines to follow in obtaining your memorable portrait photo now follows:

Head and Shoulders

- The subject’s shoulders should be turned at an angle to the camera - you decide on the angle that most pleases you. If the subject faces the camera, the person will look heavier and wider than actual.
- One shoulder should be higher than the other - the line of the shoulders should not be parallel to the ground.

Feet

- Feet should not be together - one foot should be brought forward. The weight of the subject should be on the back leg. If seated, have the subject lean forward from the waist to create a slopping line to the shoulders.

Head Tilt

- With the shoulders turned at an angle to the camera, the head is then turned or tilted, usually at a different angle than the shoulders. This causes a slant to the natural line of the subject’s eyes. With men, the head is frequently tilted toward the low shoulder - aggressiveness and strength. With women, it is tilted toward the high shoulder - creates the impression of mystery and vulnerability.

Body at an angle to the camera

- As with the face, this will create a more dynamic effect and will enhance the curves and planes of the body. Also, turn the body away from the main source of light and help maximize body definitions.

Posture

- Do not let your subject slouch.

This is the first of various articles on how to obtain a memorable portrait from your photo. If you would like to see and enjoy portraits from photos, please visit American Oil Portraits at www.americanoilportraits.com. Here we have a FREE download called Portrait Photography Tips & Techniques.

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