When book author Sarah Virág commissioned a set of headshots for her new book, I had no idea how her book designer would use them. In addition, her web designers would also use the images online, and they would be looking for something different. All I knew was that designer-friendly composition was key. Sarah is a confidence coach and writer. Her book and coaching business focus on helping people to have more confidence and live their lives to the full. …
An everyday location, some high power flash and a little bit of luck all came together to create this fitness image. This was taken during a commercial shoot for our local gym, Fitlife. Most of the session took place indoors, but on the way in I noticed this industrial-looking garage door. I mentally filed it as offering an interesting potential location for an outside shot. I started working with Lawrence when my mind went back to the garage door, so …
The creative part of a portrait photographer’s job is to look beyond the obvious shot and create something that makes people look twice because it is so striking. In this shot, some creative lighting makes all the difference. Oh, and a whole load of fanning. This was a commercial shoot for Fitlife, our local (boutique) gym. My wife Sarah and I attend a spin class at the gym, and we’d noticed that our instructor, Iona, looked calm and serene. This …
I invited Steve into the studio so I could create some portraits for our book, Mastering Portrait Photography. I was specifically looking to capture portraits that illustrated different angles for photographing guys. Steve turned up wearing jeans and a jacket, so I wanted a pose that worked well with that combination. This crouch is quite striking and masculine while still being relaxed and informal, which is in line with his outfit. I particularly like a crouch as it allows for …
The door in the background of this portrait provides a sense of scale, while the boy’s pose calls to mind a much older age group, creating a humorous contrast. Here’s how it came together. Finn is such a charming little chap – he did everything I asked of him and he had a really cool ‘swagger’ about him. I asked Finn to stand in the frame of the door and he did so, looking really cool. Then I said something …
It’s easy to quickly accrue hundreds and then thousands of images. A good workflow will help you organise, store and retrieve them so you never find yourself pulling your hair out trying to track down a specific shot. 1. Backup your images First, transfer your images from the camera’s memory cards onto your laptop or computer. We use Adobe Lightroom to do this, but you could also use Windows Explorer or Mac Finder. Make sure you copy rather than just …
Having the subject look straight down the lens gives a feeling of direct eye contact when the image is later viewed. Just as in real life, eye contact is more arresting than a lack of eye contact – it captures your attention and is a form of communication in itself. However, it also demands more of the viewer, so a whole set of images containing eye contact can become tiring and repetitive. As with all the other elements of composition, …
Textured backgrounds, or those with repeating elements, can often form ideal patterns to add low-key interest behind a subject. For example, the horizontal lines of a brick wall or the vertical lines of wooden planks on a shed could both make great backgrounds. Horizontal lines tend to suit a landscape format image best while vertical lines are more powerful in a portrait image, as the background lines echo the angle of the longest edge of the image. However, patterns or …
You can use elements of a scene to provide an additional frame within the edges of the image. This could be a full frame, on all four sides of the image, or a partial frame, where only one, two or three sides of the image are affected. Potential framing elements include doorways, foliage, tree trunks or even other people. Frames can either be an obvious element in their own right, or merely blurred parts of the image. Frames can be …
Lead-in lines are strong compositional elements that guide the viewer’s eye around the image, and draw the viewer’s focus towards the subject. For example, in a shot of a subject walking along a winding path, inclusion of the path in the foreground will create a lead-in line. Equally, two rows of converging trees either side of your subject create converging lead-in lines that draw the viewer’s eye to their vanishing point behind the subject. By giving the eye a clear …