How to Take a Good Portrait

How to Take a Good Portrait

Aleya Duncan

Non-photographers and photographers alike need to understand that photography is in a completely dependent relationship with light. The use or misuse of light is the deciphering factor between a good photograph and a bad photograph. In fact, the word ‘photography’ itself comes from the Greek words “phos” (light) and “graph” (to draw).  So, ‘photograph’ literally means “to draw with light.”

Studio portraits, to the trained eye, often seem posed and artificial in a way that is unappealing to true artists. The contrast is high and bright, the smiles are plastered on, the backdrop is a hazy blue with a distant train chugging in the background- recycled, overdone, cliché. But there is a way to get a stunning portrait. There is a portrait market for true artists that cringe at the Walmart-printed, bow-overloaded baby photos and cowboy-boot senior pictures.

The key is to develop a style; a coveted perfect balance, between knowledgeable insight and that carefree candid smile.  To take a great portrait, one must be devoted to the study of light as well as a study of the subject. The subject is the focus of the picture, but the picture is not only the subject at face value. The photo should go deeper. The photo should feel three dimensional rather than two dimensional- namely, it should not feel flat, but instead reveal the subject’s emotional state, personality, and style.  

Another key to a great portrait is to create intrigue. Let your photograph speak something interesting and different to the viewer. This can be achieved by altering perspective, having diverted eye contact, controlling the amount of facial expression seen (by creating shadow, etc).  And, most importantly, let your audience feel the emotion of your subject. If they are happy, find a way to communicate that- shine a bright light into their eyes and have them twinkle brightly, or if they are sad, tilt their face towards the floor and create a deep shadow. 

There are many ways to improve portraits. Creating intrigue and experimenting with light exposure is certainly a great place to start. But the most effective way to create a truly great portrait is to capture and portray the essence of your subject in a way that is emotionally understood, or longed to be understood, by the viewer.