Portriat Photography

Cecile
Mood, lighting, and implementation of unique ideas are the essentials of a good portrait shot. You want to create something that is different if not unique to captivate your viewers. Let’s start with mood.

If you noticed, in recent years, actors and actresses are used for majority of commercial photo shoots instead of professional models. One reason is that they are known and famous, but the main reason is they can act. Actors can tell a story the way that viewers can connect to it. It is no more about how skinny or beautiful they are. It is about the effect of the photo.

So, how about us? the photographers who do not have access to celebraties and actors. It is simple. Communicate with your model and when the model wants to communicate back shoot and capture the moment.

How to capture a particular mood in my model?

That by far is the most difficult one but for sure not impossible. If you are working with an inexperienced model, you have to get to know them. You have to let them to know you! you have to establish a certain level of trust So when you are directing them you are telling a story and portrait a feeling that they are familiar with. But this is what I learned from my shoots:

  • Get to know your model, and let your model know you. Talk some about of your private life (do not cross the border) so that your model can relate to you. Listen to what they feel and say.
  • Prepare for your shoot. Ask your model one or two days before the shoot, to watch cerain movies, look at certain pictures, browse certain site, and read certain stories so when you direct them you can explain the feeling and have a reference for it.
  • Again prepare for your shoot. Ask your model to practice certain moods and feelings in front of mirror. Mirrors don’t lie.
  • Direct your model in the shoot to the feeling you want. If you ask an experienced actor or model to pose a certain way, they are prepared to do that. But if you are working with an inexperienced model you have to walk them through the shoot. What I mean is when you want to ask them to pose sad-angry but beautiful, direct them with sad poses first, then angry and then beautiful. Show the result to the model and the start combining them.
  • Always ask permission to touch the model if you want to move their head or hand or …
  • Make sure you change the mood all the time, laugh with them, even if neccessary cry with them
  • MUSIC! MUSIC! MUSIC! This is a very important factor to set your model’s mood if they are not experienced one. Choose a music that they like and helps them to get into the mood you want.
  • Be on time and organized so your model knows and feels that depite all the fun, this is a serious business

How do I light my model for certain feelings?

This is a very complex topic to talk about. But this is what every photography master will tell you “See”, “See before you shoot”, “See”. Photography is not a difficult thing. You can learn photography by reading the film’s box instructions or some books. But you cannot learn the ideas and how to see. You just have to see it.

Michael GreccoI have learned lighting by reading some books, one that is my absolute favorite by Michael Grecco “Lighting and The Dramatic Portrait”, reading blogs like “The Strobist”, and simply practicing and trying new things.

There are some videos that I watch on youtube, which were really helpfull. Here is the list:

From Snap Factory:

From Michael Grecco

From Ken Henderson

There are a lot more if you search for them in youtube.com

December 12, 2007
Categories: Tips, art, fine art, how to, photography . . Author: seventhmedium

1 Comment(s)

  1. Comment by bzsoolt on December 15, 2007 3:43 pm

    This is a nice blog! I like that you take your time to give detailed explanation. You must have spent a lot of time to prepare and write these posts :) Keep working on this site!

    Budapest Daily Photo

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