Formulas that work - Portraiture
a
Focus on the eyes 
For any subject be it landscape, architecture or a candid shot, you need a strong visual focal point for the viewer to look at and further hold the attention. In case of portraits this is usually the eyes.
Direct eye contact is a good way of making someone look at the picture. Make sure that the eyes in this case are absolutely sharp. Which is why it is important to always focus on the eyes so that even when you are shooting with very shallow depth of field you are sure that atleast your eyes are in sharp focus. Eyes convey a lot about the character and the mood of the person. Whatever are the expressions, these are conveyed from the eyes. If you are shooting portraits you may activate the aproprite focusing point in the camera which overlaps the eyes.

Shooting Mode    Shutter-Priority AE 
Tv( Shutter Speed )    1/125 
Av( Aperture Value )    4.5 
Metering Mode    Evaluative Metering 
Exposure Compensation    0 
ISO Speed    100 
Lens    EF70-200mm f/4L USM 
Focal Length    200.0 mm
Image Size    4368x2912 
Image Quality    RAW 
Flash    Off 


Depth of field is shallow but the eyes have been kept in focus. When you focus at the yes you are sure that the eyes will be in focus irrespective of the aperture or focal length which may lead to a shallow depth of field.
Direct eye contact always has the holding power in a portrait.

Its just the eyes and the area around which is in sharp focus in this glamour shot where the model is looking right into the camera.The photograph would not have had the same impact if the eyes were not in focus.



Choose the Ideal focal length for the portraits.
85mm has generally been considered as one of the best focal lengths for portraits as it gives very flattering perspective and allows the photographer to be at a good shooting distance from the subject. Although you may use longer focal lengths but do not use wide angles to shoot portraits as it causes a lot of distortion throwing the nose, eyes, ears and shoulder out of proportion with each other. You may consider investing in a good 85mm or 135mm prime portrait lens if you do a lot of portrait work. Prime lenses are always better than zooms as far as sharp optics and maximum apertures are concerned which is usually desirable to keep a the background out of focus in portraits.



The right viewpoint for portraits
How the subject appears in your photograph depends on your viewpoint which could be at the eye level, lower or higher. There is no right or wrong but it all depends on the split second decision which you take as you look at your subject’s face through the viewfinder. Shoot from where the person looks at his or her best or you may shoot from the viewpoint which reveals the persons characteristics you are trying to portray through your photograph. For example to avoid a double chin, you may shoot from a higher viewpoint and to make a long nose less prominent you may choose a lower viewpoint. However it all depends on your personal judgment and observation. Also shooting from a higher viewpoint may show your subject as a submissive character and a lower viewpoint shows the same subject as dominant.
The subject is not looking into the camera and has been shot from a lower viewpoint to o along with the mood of the shot.
Are the surroundings right?
Everything that shows in a picture counts and adds to your efforts or works against the shot. So do kep an eye on the background and the surroundings of your subject. A common man may not be able to make out but the ambiance and the surroundings adds to his liking or disliking for the picture at the subconscious level. Besides the surroundings it is also important to use appropriate jewellery, accesories, settings, location, which go well with the mood and character of the portrait.



Bold colours
Bold colours almost never go wrong. We do get attracted by a bold red, blue or any other colour for that matter. This could be a part of the subjects outfit or the background and the surroundings. However, be careful that strong colors can add to the photograph and if not rightly positioned might end up as a distraction from your main visual, overpowering what you intended to convey through your picture. Colors should work together. A red outfit may look attractive but a little red spot in the background may look as a distraction. Although you may make the picture as colourfull as you want but at times too many strong colors may end up in a conflict for attention. Experiment to see which all colours work well together
 more about Vibrant colors


whether it is the red of background or the yellow of the outfit , the striking bold colors almost never go wrong.
Include elements to convey the subjects character.
Include what characterizes the subject in your portrait. It may be a hat, a cigar, a car, knitting kit, golf stick or a book. This reveals a lot about the character of the person and also makes him/her comfortable as he or she poses for the picture. It is the environment which further adds to the picture and the subject has something to do with his hands. Also enables you to suggest poses which are natural for the subject and to his taste and style.
Be ready for the candid shots.

As mentioned earlier, keep it simple. Rather than fiddling with too many technicalities concentrate on your subject and look out for opportunities to shoot at the right moment when the subject is what he or she is and at its naturally best. The results can be most unpredictable, spontaneous, surprising and outstanding. This is generally possible if you are always ready to shoot and keep an eye on the subject even inbetween shots when the subject is not expecting you to click.

When photographing kids, be always ready as you never know when you get something interesting.

 what
Although not a a portrait but the photograph was shot at just the right momment


Where are the hands?
When being photographed we generally do not know what to do with our hands. A good photographer should be able to suggest how to pose the hands which adds to the overall effect. A flat hand facing the camera may look too prominant and aukward where as a slight curve and side may add elegance but keep in mind if you are shooting man or a woman. Hands can look ugly as well as beautiful depending on the way you position them. A womans hands should be posed in a manner that they look delicate where as a mans hands should add strength to his persona. Study various ways people keep their hands and suggest your subject accordingly



Isolate the subject-
A good portrait should stand out and by opting for a shallow depth of field you can achieve that best. At times you may have a foreground as well in a photograph besides the background. The foreground may lead the eye to the main subject or may frame the main subject. However, it should not overpower the subject. Keep it out of focus r relatively less sharp so that only your subject stands out.  

Imagine this photograph with all the crowd in sharp focus vissible in the background. That would have made it too distracting as the background is very busy.

Although the background is the green foliage but due to long lens and opened aperture is rendered in a nice bokeh giving more emphasise on the subject.


Do not restrict your portraits just to the face.
Include more than just the face in a portrait. generally people think of portrait to be a head and shoulder shot. however portrait is something which portrays. it ceratinly can be a wider shot with more elements which add on to the portrayel of the subject.


Shoot variations
Shoot more, not to mis out on anything. Small variations can make a huge difference to the mood of the photograph
Shot within seconds of each other, both the photographs convey a different feel. the only difference being in the eyes.


Add Drama

Be Dramatic with your pictures. If your subject is game go ahead and shoot your ideas which go well with the personality of the subject. people do not alwas want to see staright boring shots but look out for something inetersting and different. Also shoot a lot of variations as you may want to choose later the best oprion.

color: black;">