Tips for a portrait series

[user237428934]

If there is one cardinal rule about taking portraits it's this one: DO NOT SHOW THEM A BAD PICTURE. The reason is that the one thing you can do to destroy any kind of trust is to show them a picture that confirms the worst fears they have about what they look like.
If you shoot digital the best thing is not to have them look at any images at all until you're done.

This is a good advice. No one ever sees my raw photos without editing.

 

[user237428934]

I sometimes take portraits of friends, their kids, friends of my daughter. They are no pro models, most have a problem holding a facial expression or a pose for more than a few seconds.

Most of the time I count down from 3 with a soft voice. Then the person knows when I take the photo, when not to blink, hold a pose. Sounds a bit stupid for someone not involved but helps the people I take photos of.

Last week I took photos of a girl in a ballet room. I started without counting and those photos were not really good. With counting the girl was focussed on the moment and it was much better.

 

[Brambling]

Zorkiy 3m, JUPITER-3 50MM F1.5, HP 5+, 2.12.2020

 

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without words)))

 

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🙂

 

[Richard G]

I have taken very few but had many taken. These have mostly been environmental shots at work. The photographers have had nearly always a film director type of approach, asking me not to fake anything but talk as if I’m actually engaged in a real project or interaction with a colleague or student part of the shoot. Then if a a more formal head and shoulders shot is required, they always left that for a shot or two at the end. They talked, but not much. If I had to choose who to be photographed by, I think for a moment it might be Jane Bown, but she was a killer I reckon, so sweet. So then of course I’d think of Cartier-Bresson. He photographed a lot of people he knew. There must have been conversation. They were environmental portraits, informal often, some set up for a degree of abstraction, playful, which would settle the subject into the game. Props or a physical set up would help the subject and the photographer I’d reckon. I’d feel more comfortable around books or a piano or a camera of course.

 

[Bill Clark]

This gentleman was my coach and mentor.

He really helped me get my people photography business up and running.



Monte also wrote a book that could help you. Just go to Amazon then type in Monte Zucker in the search.

Hope this helps you.

 

[Brambling]

Contact, personal contact is very important, I think, for photography.
Just like a landscape or a bird, you have to like the person, ideally you have to like them)))) then the viewer will like them too.
I always talk a lot with the future portrait, I ask questions, we smoke together, drink vodka, water, juice, we are friends.
As a result of the photo shoot, I still have friends.
often, if there is someone else present during the shoot - a photographer or a model, I disturb them - they laugh, roll on the floor, cameras fall out of hands, someone starts dancing, someone hiccups.... 🙂