A guide: how to take portraits of someone

Be clear, be confident, and don’t overthink it. The beauty of portraiture is capturing your visions and telling a story. Experiment and see what happens!

Self-doubt ruins creativity

It all begins with an idea. What emotions are you trying to convey, are you aiming to tell a story or capture a moment?

As you’d expect, every person you work with will be different. Whether it’s their ability to pose, the level of confidence in front of the lens and their self love. It’s about making that connection with you and the model, find what works for you both.

What feels the most natural? Do the photos seem staged and do they feel ‘right’?

At the end of the day, it comes with practice and as a creative, you’ll find what works for you. Working from behind the lens, it’s key to stay confident and optimistic with your ability. Self-doubt can eat you up and drive down your success.

Things to bare in mind whilst shooting would include, the framing of each shot; are you following the rule or thirds or a different rule, is the shot ‘balanced’ and so on. Is the lighting even, are the shadows harsh, is there meaning behind your creative choices?

There are endless considerations, but it comes down to enjoying the process, capturing those ‘moments’ and remembering the learning process is never-ending.

Enjoy shooting and consider using my hashtag so I can see your progress!

Below are some portraits I’ve captured, that you can use as inspiration for your own!