Tips To Make Your Portraits Stand Out

Somya Tewari
Jul 11, 2020
6 min read

Updated: Aug 17, 2020

Thanks to that nagging friend who dolled up for a day or your vanity, whether you're a photographer or not, you must have shot portraits.

But something seems to be missing from these pictures.

Get a grip, it's not the beauty from your face. Neither is it about the camera.

Then what could it possibly be? It's the edge that sets your portraits apart from the rest.

If you're a portrait junkie and wish to take your photographs to the next level, this is the list for you!

1. Shoot in RAW

You've probably heard this a gazillion times, and it's for a valid reason!

When shooting in a format like JPEG, information is compressed (thus lost forever) by the camera, and the resultant image is small in size albeit ready to use.

On the other hand, a RAW file is essentially a digital negative. It is unprocessed and retains all the original data, which enables you with better highlight and shadow recovery options.

With so much more data than a JPEG, RAW files can be post-processed to bring out finer details without a drastic reduction in quality. This factor becomes even more crucial while shooting portraits as there is skin retouching, colour grading, cropping, basic adjustments, and basically more levels of post-processing.

Shooting in RAW thus gives you more flexibility to edit, and makes your photographs look more professional and high end.

You can shoot RAW+JPEG to get the best of both worlds! Just stock some more memory cards.

2. Make a colour palette

The colours you choose to include in your composition have a huge impact on aesthetics and how your viewers perceive the image.

Invest some time in learning about the Colour Theory to understand colour harmony and psychology. Trust us, it's a game changer.

While planning the shoot, pick an outfit in colours that compliment your model's skin tone and the location you picked out. Make a colour palette for your frame before the shoot.

You can take inspirations for these colour palettes from your very surroundings, such as flowers, sunsets, buildings, clothes, movies, music, literally anything.

If these don't please you, you can always use colour palette generators such as Adobe Color and Paletton.

If you want something ready made, you can enter the name of a colour you have in mind followed by the keywords 'colour palette' in the Google Images search engine. Eg: Yellow Colour Palette.

Alternatively, you can also change the colour of elements or the whole hue of the image during post-processing in Photoshop.

3. Use Props

A variety of props can be used to add texture, colour, and element to your photographs. These range from costly lens filters to something as simple as an inch of cloth.

When held in front of the camera lens, they create some special effects.

Here are some common household items you can use as props for your shoot.

CDs, prisms, or any other crystal from a showpiece to create rainbows. Prisms and crystal can also be used to create interesting blur, reflections, and patterns.
Sieves, strainers, or lace cloths to create light patterns.
Mirrors or any reflective surface to create a different perspective.
Sheer cloth and colored gel/transparent sheets to add colour and drama.
Glass for condensation or a rainy day effect.
Projector to overlay patterns on the model's face.

PS: Make sure to check out the links tagged in photos below for BTS and more ideas.

4. Create shapes and curves in poses

Geometric figures are always pleasing and satisfying to the soul. Joints in the body can be used for the same purpose while posing.

Ask your model to bend the body to create curves, and limbs to create lines and shapes in poses. This adds tension to the frame and makes it more dynamic.

They also make the overall composition look more balanced and easy on the eyes.

5. Create depth in the frame

A photograph coverts a 3-D plane into 2-D. This makes the image flat and boring.

How can we bring back that lost depth and dimension? With perspective, of course!

It can be created through poses such as extending the hands or feet towards the lens, placing another subject in the foreground or shooting through something some objects (such as a branch of leaves, torn paper, etc.), and using accessories and outfits to create leading line or layers in the frame.

Along with these techniques, shooting at a low f-stop can help enhance the depth of field.

Tip: If you want to exaggerate the features (Jupiter sized head, Pinocchio like nose, Alien eyes), then get closer to the face, and shoot with a wide angle lens from a low angle.

Wide angle lenses distort things and enhance perspective. They converge straight lines, and also amplify the distance between the foreground and the background, thus making the nearer things appear to be bigger and the far away to be smaller than they actually are.

If done intentionally and effectively, the results are a sight to behold.

6. Shoot in continuous mode

Stop treating your model like a mannequin!

Keep your camera at a high shutter speed to get a sharp subject, and capture actions and movements instead of still awkward poses.

To get a variety of shots, shoot in continuous mode.

Direct your model to flail his/her arms freely, walk back and forth, twirl like a ballerina, run like an actress from a Bollywood movie scene, do a dramatic hair flip, everything and anything. Just do whatever feels free and natural.

This movement makes the subject appear more candid and also removes the tension from body parts that often manifests in holding a position while posing.

This movement isn't limited to arms and legs. It extends to features and expressions.

It is essential to communicate and direct your model. Instead of asking him/her to simply smile, crack a joke, and capture a real one. Make your subject feel at ease.

Portraits after all are all about capturing emotions and character of people.

7. Make your model interact with the surroundings

It is a generally accepted 'rule' that while shooting portraits, you must set your subject apart from the surroundings. This essentially means to blur out the background or distance the model from other elements in the frame.

The result? You end up with pictures that look alike and have no original sense of character.

Sometimes elements from the surroundings can be used to draw attention to the subject or even enhance it. It can even be used to provide context to the photograph.

Pay attention to your environment while shooting, and use it to the fullest. Making the model interact with the surroundings not only makes the image more intriguing but also makes for interesting poses and composition.

8. Get creative with your angles

It isn't always necessary to keep your model on the same focal plane and to shoot at an eye-to-eye level.

Move around with your camera, maybe roll on the ground a little, and shoot from different angles.

Different angles can create different moods in the image.

For instance, a low angle makes your subject look much bigger and legs longer, thus making the subject look more dominating and intense. So, if you want to portray confidence or make your subject look taller, this is the perfect angle for you.

Similarly, high angles make the subject look small and can create a feeling of vulnerability in the frame.

Remember folks, angles matter!

9. Make it conceptual

At the heart of Conceptual Portraits, the photographer illustrates emotions, an idea, or an abstract concept to the viewers. They generally involve symbolism and require a good deal of interpretation.

Conceptual Photography is often seen as a form of self-expression through images. A visual form of feelings, if you may. Almost like poetry or a song who's melody hits a different string in the heart of every next person.

These kinds of portraits immediately draw the viewer in.

It may simply be due to the aesthetics, or the story they narrate and the emotions they evoke.

For instance, take the images below. Don't they arouse your curiosity? Or maybe even a sense of familiarity?

It's amazing how the same dark feeling of confinement and self-conflict is being conveyed through the two different images despite them not having any similarities in the composition.