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Tips For Portrait Photography

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Photographing a portrait is both very easy and very difficult. Anybody can shoot a portrait. The photographs we take of our children, friends, parents, teachers are all portraits. But, we are also aware that some are better than the others. Let us analyze the factors that make a portrait better than the others.

A successful portrait has always the quality of making an impression on the viewer. The impression left may be because of some physical aspect of the photograph's subject, or it may be of some subtle characteristic getting underscored. The portrait makes a dramatic statement about the subject. It is very individual. A simple photograph of a person that does not leave any imprint on our mind cannot be called a portrait. The portrait always reveals something about the person. It may be some mood, some attitude or some mannerism which constitutes the personality of the person.

A photographer who is able to bring out these features in his portraits is a successful photographer. Now, how does one do that? It depends mostly on the personality of the photographer, but it can also be learned.

The photographer should always be in command of the situation. He is the 'boss' of the moment. He should be able to strike a rapport with his subjects. This can be achieved by starting a small conversation with the person. It can be small talk about the currently popular topics, or the photographer can try and find a subject which strikes a chord in the person being photographed. This will put the subject at ease; make him animated and more alive, bringing out some interesting aspects of the personality of the person.

But this is not a rule. Many great photographers used to remain very serious and focused on their work, but still took great portraits. It is all in the personality of the photographer. Something in the photographer must evoke respect in the subject, so that he or she cooperates and does what the photographer wants. A good portrait photographer should have a real interest in people. He should be a keen observer of the human nature. He should be quickly able to make out the outstanding traits or habits of the person and make them appear in the portraits.

The photographer can take his photograph in the natural surroundings of the subject. This definitely is advantageous, since it puts the other person at ease. However, this is not always possible, in which case the photographer can make use of his studio. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. In natural surroundings of the subject the lighting may not be proper and even, or surroundings not so appealing for a good photograph. In studio, everything can be controlled, while the natural ease of the other setting will be missing.

The natural light is always better but in many cases this light is uneven and is not good for photography. In that case, one has to think of taking pictures indoors. The surroundings can be used to emphasize certain aspects of the personality of the subject. The background can be made to reflect or enhance certain attitude or mannerism of the person. For this, certain props can be used. It can be a hat, a cigar, a fan or a toy in the case of toddlers. Sometimes, photographer also uses a completely black or white background. In these cases, the focus is entirely on the subject of the photograph. Some very beautiful portraits can be seen with such stark backgrounds.

In the end, it is mainly the personality and maturity of the photographer that plays a major role in bringing out a good portrait. No rules can be defined for taking a great shot. One has to experiment and use one's own imagination and sensitivity to find one's unique individual style.

Tips For Portrait Photography

The portrait photography business is a competitive industry filled with a wide variety of portrait photographers with skill levels of all ranges. Unfortunately, being a quality portrait photographer doesn’t always mean that your business will be booming. There are hundreds if not thousands of talented professional portrait photographers in the United States who are not getting the results they want or the business they need to meet their financial goals.

Please consider the following marketing and promotional tips for your portrait photography website. The fact of the matter is that marketing is the most important aspect of having a successful portrait photography business. If you want to make succeed as a portrait photographer, the following tips should be very helpful.

Tip #1: Website!

Since the dawn of the Internet age, websites have become the most powerful and effective strategy for photographers to showcase their respective portfolios. If you don’t have a website by now then you might as well forget about increasing your business. Even for the photographers who have been in business for 30 plus years, a website is an essential thing to have. Not having one is akin to not having a telephone number: it’s that important!

Tip #2: Your website must be impressive!

Your website is you. That is, your website is a virtual you. When potential clients visit your website, they are looking at something that is an extension of who you are. It is imperative that they are impressed with the look and feel of your website as well as the presentation of your images and content. It never ceases to amaze me at how many portrait photographers have websites that look sloppy, unprofessional and downright ugly! If you want to gain business as a result of your presence on the Internet, you absolutely must have a professionally designed, easily navigable and aesthetically pleasing website. If your website is missing any of these elements, I would advise you to remove it from the Internet. It’s better to leave no impression at all rather than a poor impression!

Tip #3: Finding a qualified web designer

Be sure to do your homework before plunking down thousands of dollars for your new website. Be sure to carefully review your prospective web designer’s portfolio. Find out whether the website they will build for you is a custom, one of a kind website or a template website. Although custom websites cost more, they are usually worth the money as they will set you apart from the competition. It’s never a good thing for a photographer to have an identical website as another photographer in the industry.

Be sure to find out exactly what is included in the price they quote you for the new website and review the contract carefully to ensure there are no surprises.

Tip #4: Marketing your website

Just having a good looking website isn’t enough these days. Getting found on the search engines for high value keywords is one of the most effective ways in increasing your portrait inquiries. A well-known portrait photographer in Denver, Colorado – Julie Harris—estimates that 80 – 90% of her portrait inquiries can be directly attributed to her high search engine rankings on Google, Yahoo and MSN. “Without the traffic to my website, I don’t know where my business would be," says Ms. Harris.

The effectiveness Search Engine Optimization and Search Marketing cannot be overstated. The Internet is full of free articles that will help you figure out how to go about implementing a successful website marketing and promotion campaign. You may also want to consider hiring a professional SEO consultant to help you with your website marketing strategies.

Tip #5: Maintaining and updating your website

Keeping your website up do date and fresh is extremely important. Try to get into the habit of uploading new work to your portfolio on a monthly or bimonthly basis. If you have a great portrait session, replace some of your older stuff with the new images. This will ensure that you’re always showing off your best work and it will encourage people to keep visiting your website to see your new work.

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About Author

Both Michael Russell & Jesse Chatham are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Michael Russell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Celebrities, Dieting and Diabetes Treatment. Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Photography. Michael Russell's top article generates over 2240000 views. Bookmark Michael Russell to your Favourites.

Jesse Chatham has sinced written about articles on various topics from Wedding Photography, Portrait Painting. Jesse Chatham is the founder of photographik and encourages you to visit the site to find the best. Jesse Chatham's top article generates over 720 views. Bookmark Jesse Chatham to your Favourites.

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