One of the things we work hard on is capturing our subjects and clients in as natural and authentic a way as possible. Professional models can make un-natural poses look, well...natural, but most of our clients are not models, and we still need them to look great! So we thought we'd share some ideas on both what you as our client can do to prepare, and some of the things we do on our end to get the result we're looking for - which is great, natural looking portraits! Whether for your corporate headshot, a lifestyle photo session, or just a nice portrait to have or to give, the following tips for a better portrait should help.
1. Clothing
The best outfit for a portrait is one you like already, and that exemplifies how you want to be seen, by your future self, or your target market. It’s tempting to purchase something new to wear for a shoot, but often that new item is not comfortable and it shows. Find something in your wardrobe that represents your style and brand, and that you feel comfortable and confident in. Bright colours are ok, but stay away from anything with strong patterns, a logo or a graphic on it as they are distracting.
2. Hair and make-up
While there's a time and place for over-the-top hair and makeup, for a natural shot, a good hair and makeup tip for your portrait is to...keep it natural! It’s best to look (and feel) like yourself. If you don’t wear a lot of makeup on a daily basis, don't go overboard. You do however want to be camera ready, so taming loose hairs and removing shine is always advised. A good photographer can supply a hair and makeup artist for touch ups.
3. Body language, especially what to do with your hands
A lot of people don’t think about this, but knowing what to do with your hands will help your photo shoot. I like to think about how I stand when I’m chatting with someone in a professional setting. Where do my hands go? What posture do I take on when I am trying to get to know someone? Body language plays a huge part in how we portray ourselves. Think about the message you want to send.
4. Choose Natural Poses
We are always looking for poses that people just do on their own. Non-models do not really know how to make un-natural poses real, so keeping an eye out for things they do naturally and using those always helps make the shoot more authentic.
5. Lighting
We very carefully choose our lighting so that the subject's face, hair, and outfit look great. On location using existing light that means paying close attention the light sources, and positioning, orienting, and posing our subjects just right. In studio, we use carefully designed lighting setups that look good on most people, but every face is different so that we also fine tune the setup each time.
We hope some of these tips for a better portrait are helpful, help you understand how to prepare for a portrait session, or give you a glimpse into some of the ways we work.
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