Better Portraits Require Mastery of Lenses, Light and Composition

It’s easy to teach someone how to take better portraits. All you have to do is put in the time and effort needed to go from happy snapper to photographer.

And that, of course, is the catch.

The most important factors are lens selection, composition, lighting and making your subject feel comfortable. It may help to improve one of these areas, but it’s the mastery of all four that gives you the best picture.

To select the proper lens, you must determine your objective. If you’re shooting an environmental portrait, where the background is as important as the subject, a 28- to 50-millimeter lens is perfect. If you go to a wider lens, 20- or 24-mm., you must take into consideration the distortion factor.

A 35-mm. lens is ideal, giving you just enough wide-angle perspective to take in the background with just enough depth-of-field. Even though you are using a wide-angle lens, move in close enough to make your subject the main subject in the view finder. However, don’t move in too close, because you don’t want your subject to be distorted.

If all you want is a head-and-shoulders picture, otherwise known as a mug, use a lens in the focal range from 85- to 200-mm. This will give you a comfortable working distance from your subject and very little distortion. Remember, the longer the focal length of the lens the less depth of field you get, making focus critical. Always focus on the eyes because this will give you a sharper image regardless of the f-stop.

Composition should be considered even before you look in the view finder. Keep your subject’s face out of the middle of the frame. This is probably the most elementary rule in photography and the most abused. You also might want to try shooting your picture vertically. Taking the same picture in both a vertical and horizontal format will really change the look of your work.

Check the background when composing your shot. Is there a telephone pole or a picture frame growing out of your subject’s head? Is there any contrast difference between the color of his or her hair and the background? These are simple questions, but important ones to answer before pushing the button.

Lighting may be the most important factor in making your effort successful. Nobody wants to see a photograph of someone squinting in the harsh sunlight. Lighting creates the mood. Using window light or taking the picture in the shade is the best place to start. By moving your subject different distances from the window, you will create different effects. Include the window in a few of your shots.

Use a commercial reflector or a white piece of cardboard to add fill-in light on your subject’s face on the side away from the window. If you want to change the look, remember to alter your distance. The time of day is also important. If you’re shooting in the late afternoon your photographs will take on a warm orange look; in the morning they will have a more normal color cast.

In short, stay away from front-lit sun. If you must shoot in bright sunlight, shoot your subject back-lit. Move in close enough to get the proper exposure on the face. If you use a wide-angle lens, your subject will be a silhouette unless you compensate and increase your exposure.

Finding a nice shady spot will produce a pleasing image. The even lighting may not be dramatic, but it will allow you to concentrate on your subject’s expressions and composition without having to worry about the changing or harsh light.

If your camera has a built-in flash, use the feature for fill-in flash. A well-exposed outdoor photograph with fill-in flash makes for a great portrait. This allows you to have the background properly exposed and gives you detail within your picture.

A talent for working with the subject is what makes the top-name portrait photographers so successful. Gregory Heisler, Francesco Scavullo, Mario Cassili or Yousuf Karch made their reputations because they can draw a mood out of their subjects.

It’s intimidating to be in front of the camera--trade places and see how it feels--so making your subject comfortable is paramount. Most of the people you take pictures of will not be professional models, so learn to pose your subject. Are the hands in the proper place? Is the person standing straight? You must shoot, think and keep a rapport with your subject.

The formula for success is simple--it’s execution that takes work.