Gear Up For Summer: Portraits

Think you're ready to take the next step with your people pictures? Here's how you can take perfect portraits...

If you've noticed yourself taking more and more images of people, and turning your camera on your loved ones rather than a location then congratulations: it sounds like you're a portrait photographer at heart. Portraits are one of the most basic forms of photography - it tends to be a rule that if a person's in a picture, then it's considered a portrait - but that doesn't make them easy. However, we want to help you take your new interest further: read on to find out more…

Gear up!

You're probably already shooting with a mirrorless or DSLR, so you're halfway there already (if not, check out our bundle deals!) - but if you're getting into portraiture then you'll benefit from a couple of extras.

Lens essentials to consider adding to your kitbag include 50mm or 80mm prime lenses and mid-range telezooms like a 70-200mm. A 50mm lens will normally have a very wide maximum aperture (like f/2.8 or even f/1.8) which will give you beautiful background blur in your images - while a 70-200mm or similar will allow you to take perfect portraits from a distance, without crowding your subject.

Many modern portrait photographers don't use camera supports like tripods, preferring to move around the environment whether they're shooting outside or in - but a monopod can come in handy if you're chasing down a happy toddler on location. If you do think you'll be spending most of your time taking indoor images, try a tripod: it'll save your arms after a long session. Grab a remote trigger for your camera while you're there, and you can step back to take a look at what you're capturing before you press the shutter.

Now you've got your kitbag sorted, what next?

Models are people too

Many people find portraits intimidating: directing your friends or even working with professional models can be daunting at first, but as soon as you remember that they're just people then the whole business becomes a little easier.

One of the most essential pieces of advice for better portraiture is to make a connection with your subject before you pick your camera up: chat with them, make them laugh, or ask them about the weather. When your subject relaxes, they'll be much easier to pose and you'll definitely get a better picture as a result.

Throw a little light on the subject

You might have seen reflectors on professional shoots, or hanging in the back of one of our stores: these large metallic or white shapes are designed to bounce light back into dark areas, normally under a subject's chin, and bring a more balanced exposure to a shot.

If you want to try working with reflectors, you'll probably need an assistant or helper to bounce the light correctly while you check the camera and direct their movements. Of course, modern WiFi -ready cameras will let you keep track of proceedings on your phone and even take pictures remotely, so theoretically you could adjust the reflector yourself, but it's a lot easier and friendlier with two. So bring a friend along!

Light it up

Most portrait shooters start out with naturally-lit images, and many choose to always take their portraits this way: however, if you're keen on the idea of controlling light and making images look how you want them to, rather than the way the sun makes them appear, then bringing in artificial lighting sources could be your next step.

Flashguns or speedlights are the more professional, controllable version of the little flashes that pop up out of the top of many cameras: they can also be mounted on stands and placed around your subject to balance and adjust light in other ways. If this interests you, take a look at our Speedlight Flash Workshop: this'll help you take control of your pictures and understand how this kit can enhance your portraits.

Studio lights are larger, yet give you more power and (as the name suggests) are particularly suited to indoor, more stationary portraiture in a studio setting. We also run a Studio Photography Workshop, where you can spend a day demystifying studio lighting and photography - even if you've got the basics down, there's still always plenty to learn.

Alternatively, continuous lights give a steady source of illumination and allow you to see what the effect of lighting will be before taking the shot or triggering the flashguns: this is an increasingly popular way of working, especially if your camera has a Live View LCD instead of a viewfinder, and advances in LED technology makes continuous lighting cheaper, more lightweight and cooler. Of course, we're talking temperatures here, not trendiness - but some continuous lights are pretty nice-looking as well.

Location, location, location

One particularly lovely way to practise your portraiture is to invite some friends or members of the family to have their pictures taken while you all visit a much-loved location. The destination makes the shoot into a day out and takes the pressure off your pictures, and being in a familiar location will make your subjects relax. Maybe your brother's just got engaged, and proposed on a walk with his new fiancée? Take them back to the spot and watch them smile - you won't even have to make a joke to get perfect portraits. Or maybe your dad's into sailing, but you've never taken the time to go visit his boat? Head over on a sunny day and take his picture as he shows you the ropes (and the sails) - the resulting shots will be special for so many reasons.

Give your shots a purpose

We all know practise makes perfect: so from now on, every time a significant event takes place in the family, you should be there with your camera. Niece or nephew starting school in September? Pop over and take their picture in their new uniform. Sister looking for work? Help her out by taking a new shot for her LinkedIn profile. Son's football team doing well? Get on the pitch and offer to take a team shot. The more you take people pictures, the better you will get at it - we promise.

Just make sure you share your new people pictures with us on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages: tag us in so we can take a look, or pop your questions in the comments - and good luck!