Portrait Photographyfor Beginners

By Cynthia Coons

Portraiture• [pohr-tri-cher]• The art of making

a likeness of a person or animal, especially the face

• Keep your background simple to avoid distraction from your subject

Location

Lighting• The easiest light to start with is

daylight• Take your subject outside

Portrait v.s. Landscape

• Try turning your camera

• Don’t always use landscape

Leading Lines• Point the viewer’s eyes to your

subject

Rule of Thirds

• Keep your subject out of the direct centre

Framing• Use elements of the foreground

to frame your shot

Fill the Frame

• Move in closer. When you think you’re close enough, move in some more!

Universal Appeal• Try to capture a feeling • (i.e. sentiment)

Creativity

• Try a different point of view; get up high or get on the ground

Be patient! Keep practicing!

Thank you!

All photos © Cynthia & Jonathan Coons