What is boudoir photography?

Unlike the cheesy glamour photos that once dominated lads’ mags (and AP), boudoir photography is more romantic and is aimed mainly at a female audience. The vast majority of boudoir shoots are commissioned by the subjects, often as part of a bridal photography package, a landmark birthday, or as a gift for a partner. Many women choose a boudoir shoot as a confidence boost after having children, getting divorced or losing weight.

Boudoir photography is generally shot in a bedroom setting – hence the name – and is sensual and sexy without being explicit. The subject’s modesty is generally covered by lingerie or bedding, and artful posing.

Most successful boudoir photographers are women, for obvious reasons, so male photographers hoping to succeed in this genre should consider a female assistant to help out with lighting, hair and make-up, posing and costume changes, but most importantly for the subject’s reassurance.

Boudoir vs Glamour Photography

Boudoir is about photographing women in a natural setting, whilst artistically capturing their natural beauty. On the other hand, glamour photography is normally associated with specific body types, high-end makeovers, magazines and heavily retouched photos. Ultimately, good boudoir photography should bring out the beauty of the subject no matter their body type.

Getting Started with Boudoir Photography

We teamed up with Brighton-based photographer Emma Joanne for a boudoir shoot at the Hotel Pelirocco, to learn how to succeed in this challenging genre.

Boudoir Photography – Look for interesting locations

Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith.

‘When I’m choosing locations I tend to go for themed hotels where the decor is different in each room, and where you can style the client to complement the theme. This offers a much greater variety of pictures and fires my imagination,’ says Emma.

‘One of the things I like about Hotel Pelirocco is that the rooms are like sets. There are lots of props and details to play with, like ornate dressing tables. I find that with anyone, whether they’re a seasoned model or not, if you give them something to do it looks far more natural and takes away the whole idea that they’re being photographed.’

Before you even so much as remove the lens cap, the model will need make-up and hair done, ideally by a professional, so that she looks her best. For this shoot Emma brought along Stacie Smith, who she has worked with before. Our model, Angel, will be familiar to regular readers – she has been on our cover before.

Meanwhile, you first need to clear the set.

Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith. Use a cushion to hide a tummy.

‘Go around the room and remove anything incongruous that you will curse about later if you see it in the background,’ says Emma. ‘This includes kettles and cups, luggage stands, and even the TV – if it is on a stand and can be moved safely.’

The model should have brought along a selection of lingerie in different colours and styles. If you haven’t already worked out in advance which colours complement the décor of your room, now is the time.

Boudoir Photography – Lighting the set

Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith. A Rotolight AEOS was used as the key light here, with a NEO 2 LED as a hand held hair light from behind.

Next you need to light the set. Our hotel rooms have large picture windows that fill the rooms with daylight, but in many cases will be behind the model. While this creates a nice rim light you’ll need strong frontal lighting to balance with the light behind. For this shoot Emma used Rotolight AEOS and NEO 2 LED lights, which she prefers over flash heads.

‘You need to work quickly with boudoir,’ explains Emma. ‘You can’t keep the model waiting while you fiddle with the lights or you’ll lose the energy of the shoot. With these continuous lights you can see how the light is falling, and balance it with the ambient light by eye. You can even change the colour balance. They have a flash mode as well if I ever need the extra power.’

During the shoot

Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith.  The AEOS was used as a front fill and the output was matched to the brightness of the light outside.

When your subject is ready to start the shoot, ease in slowly. You should have a list of at least a few poses you want to try first.

‘Professional models will help suggest poses,’ says Emma. ‘but with ladies who haven’t done this before you’ll need to direct them. You must make them feel comfortable, offer lots of encouragement and help them to enjoy the session.

Watch for reflections of the lights in mirrors and pictures, and if shooting with a wide-angle keep the model in the middle of the frame to avoid distorting them.

Take plenty of breaks and once you feel you have exhausted one part of the room move on to another. ‘If you’re going to be selling images to your clients you want them to have as much variety as possible,’ advises Emma. In our first room alone Emma used the dressing table, the bed, the chaise longue and a screen as props.

Emma has a final piece of advice for anyone interested in trying this genre of photography: ‘One thing about boudoir is that there is a lot of expectation, and depending how good your pictures are you can either boost someone’s confidence entirely, or do the complete opposite and destroy it.’

Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith.

11 tips for successful Boudoir Photography

1 – Location

Hotels are great locations to shoot boudoir, but look for somewhere that gives you more creative options than just white walls and linen.

2 – De-clutter

The first thing to do before you introduce the model is de-clutter the room. Hide the kettle and cups, and avoid the TV in shot.

3 – Clothing

Make sure the model has a collection of different lingerie in a variety of styles/colours so that you can pick outfits to complement the room décor.

4 – Hair/make-up

Good make-up is vital for successful boudoir photography. If possible hire a professional, or ask a friend who is skilled in this area.

5 – Props

Use props such as a phone, hairbrush or lipstick. Giving them something to do helps provide a distraction for your model and helps them forget they’re being photographed.

6 – Lighting

I prefer constant LED lights, like the Rotolight, because I can adjust the brightness by eye and see exactly where the shadows fall before pressing the shutter. It means I can work more quickly and not keep the model waiting.

For further inspiration read our guide on how the direction of lighting affects your portraits.

Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith. Using props gives the model something to do and can enhance the style.

7 – Start off slow

If you’re working with someone inexperienced start them off in a dressing gown – something sexy but not too exposed to start with. You can reveal more as their confidence grows.

8 – Communicate

Offer lots of encouragement and praise during the shoot to boost their confidence, as it can be intimidating.

9 – Be open

Although you should come to the shoot with some ideas already, don’t rigidly work to a checklist. Keep your mind open to your environment and let that give you ideas you may not have thought of.

10 – Inspiration

Look at existing boudoir photography online for ideas. Save images that inspire you to a Pinterest board, or make an album on your phone so you can refer to it during the shoot if you get stuck for ideas.

11 – Primes

I always favour prime lenses, such as my 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.4 as the shallow depth of field they offer gives a much more creative look. Have a look at our guide to the best 50mm prime lenses.

Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith.

Top Boudoir Photography Posing Tips

Have an assistant

It’s useful to have someone on hand to look out for unflattering creases, hairs out of place and other things you may not spot. They can also help adjust, move or hold the lighting. If you’re a male photographer the assistant should be female – perhaps the make-up artist, so they can also apply touch ups if needed

Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith. Shoot full length shots from low down to elongate the legs.

Standing poses

You always want a bend on the leg nearest the camera as it creates a nice curve and elongates the leg. The weight should be on the back leg, because if you put your weight on the inside leg it will thicken that hip and we want to make it look as slender as possible. Turn the bent knee away from the camera. Shoot from low down with a wide-angle lens to make the legs look longer. If you shoot from head height they’ll look stumpy.

Bend it

In boudoir the model should overemphasise every pose, so remind her regularly to keep her chin up, shoulders back and tummy in, because it pushes out the bust and creates a more sexy and elegant pose. Basically whatever can bend needs to bend – you don’t want to see any limbs looking lifeless.

Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith.

Seated models

With any model, whatever their size, when you’re seating them it’s best to ask them to put just the edge of their bum on the seat, and edge as far forward as possible with their weight on just their rear buttock, rather than having them rest their entire weight on both buttocks, which is going to look very unflattering.

Lying on the bed

When shooting on a bed the model is going to be lying flat – either on her front or her back – which means that her body is going to relax into the bed. You need to watch for any creases going on, which you can iron out with a change of position. With bigger ladies this will take more work to conceal.

Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith.

Concealment

If your model has a part of their body that they are self-conscious about (such as their legs or tummy) try getting them to hold a carefully placed cushion, pillow, towel or bed-sheet in front of them to conceal it. Alternatively shoot from an angle that doesn’t show that part of her body.

‘When working with your model, suggestive posing and eye contact are sexy, so try different looks with this in mind,’ says Emma, Nikon D600, 1/250sec at f/2.8, ISO 200. Photographer: Emma Joanne. Model: Angel White. Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith.

How to choose the best camera and lens for boudoir photography

As a general rule of thumb what works for portrait photography will be suitable for boudoir too. Most photographers use a full-frame camera but don’t dismiss MFT or crop sensor, as with a good lens they would be more than adequate to capture excellent images.

Read more about the best cameras for portraits and the best lenses for portraits to find the best kit for your boudoir photography.

Emma’s favourite kit for boudoir photography:

• Nikon D700 | 50mm f/1.4 | 85mm f/1.8 | 24-70mm f/2.8 – www.nikon.co.uk
• Rotolight AEOS | Rotolight NEO 2 lights – www.rotolight.com

See our latest Rotolight reviews:

• Rotolight NEO 3 and AEOS 2 Review
• Rotolight AEOS 2 PRO Hands-On Review
• Rotolight NEO 3 PRO Hands-on Review

Watch our behind the scenes video on this boudoir shoot:

Photographer: Emma Joanne.

With thanks to…

Photographer: Emma Joanne – www.shotgunweddings.co
Model: Angel White – www.angelwhite.net
Hair and make-up: Stacie Smith – www.stacie-laura-smith.uk
and the Hotel Pelirocco, Brighton UK – www.hotelpelirocco.co.uk

All photos © Emma Joanne

Further reading:

• Maternity photography – your complete guide
• Lighting tips for maternity photography
• The do’s and don’ts of working with models
• Complete guide to portrait photography
• How to shoot like a fashion photographer

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The post Boudoir photography – the complete guide appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

That question can be answered definitively by observing one good portrait photograph and comparing it with any selfie you care to select from the millions on social media. Selfies are artistically something less than self-portraits.

Taking photos of people is a great way to expand your photography skills, particularly as people are everywhere, and generally  enjoy looking at photos of themselves. Everyone’s a winner – if you do it well!

You need just two things to get started in portrait photography: a camera, and a subject. The subject will usually be another person, but could be your sweet self, or even pets such as cats and dogs.

What is portrait photography?

Whether you’re taking a photo of one person, or a group of people, portrait photography is defined as capturing something of the character of a subject . It can also include pets and other animals. A good portrait should reveal something of the identity, or even an attitude in the person photographed.

We’ll take you through what makes a good portrait, and the different types of portrait photography.

What makes a great portrait photo?

• Framing and composition
• Fun – enjoy it!
• Focus – on the eyes!
• Light and location
• The subject
• Candid moments

We’ll cover these topics in more detail, plus some accessories that can help you along the way.

Portrait of Ben Chapman taken on Fujifilm X-T30 II. Photo credit: Joshua Waller

Framing (and composition)

The “rule of thirds” is a great alternative to shooting the subject in the centre of the frame. Look out for distractions in the background, and move around till you have found the most pleasing framing. Work with the subject to try different positions, and see which works best.

Have Fun!

Capture the subject’s character, emotion, or a moment in time and you’ll have captured something great, or even true to who the person is, be they serious or silly. It’s important to enjoy photography – if you have fun while doing it, then natural spontaneity and presence in the moment will make for some great portrait photography.

FOCUS – on the eyes!

It’s natural to look at someone’s eyes when talking to someone, and it’s the same with portraits. We are drawn to the eyes. It’s important – make that essential – to get the subject’s eyes in focus.

Focus on the eyes – eye-detection auto-focus systems make this easier than ever before.

It is disconcerting to see photos of people with eyes out of focus. With very shallow focus, it’s possible that only one eye will be in focus, but this can still give a pleasing image.

Light (and location)

Light can make a huge difference to how a photo turns out, and can literally make or break a shot. Have great light, and you’re likely to get a great shot, but have bad lighting, and you’ll struggle to produce a good result.

We’ll mention lighting several times when we’re talking about portrait photography, as it’s so important to the process, and this is where a reflector, LED lighting, or flash/studio lighting can really help to produce impressive shots.

Your location for the photoshoot also plays a big part in this, as some places have great lighting, and some don’t. It’s an optional tool to be aware of.

If you’re planning on using natural lighting, then have a look at our guide to capturing stunning portraits in natural light.

The subject – People

A great place to start is with friends and family, but if you don’t yet have the confidence to try this, then start with yourself with self-portraits (details below). Practice different camera setups, different lenses (if you have them), different lighting and locations.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the portrait is the person in the photo – it’s your job to capture them.

Working with people and capturing their essence can be difficult, as some people freeze as soon as a camera is pointed at them. This is where your relationship with the subject(s) matters. The more relaxed you are, and able to create a relaxed environment, then the more your subject will feel able to be themselves. Sometimes adding music can help with this.

If you’re able to capture them in a flattering pose, or in an image that makes them look better than anyone else has made them look, then they’ll come away loving your photographs. If working with a model, then don’t forget to complete a model release form. Trust us, it will save any potential issues further down the line, and means that you have the rights needed to use the image.

What about bokeh and backgrounds?

Note in all of the above, we haven’t mentioned the B word? Bokeh… because yes, bokeh and background blur can help you create a portrait that pops out from the image – but it isn’t everything. It’s certainly often utilised in portrait photography, while  other genres have other priorities for their backgrounds.

However, if you do want to play with background blur, then using a lens with the aperture set wide “open” will help here, with f/1.8 giving a more blurred background than f/2.8 or f/4 would. If you’re looking for a starting point on the kind of lens you might need for portrait photography, have a look at our guide to portrait lenses.

What about editing? Colour or black and white?

Colour, or black and white? You decide. Whether you produce colour or black-and-white images will be up to you, and the look you want to give. We’ve got a guide to black-and-white portrait photography here.

Colour or black and white? Which do you prefer? Model: Lucy Woodroffe. Photo: Joshua Waller

Editing is another thing – this can turn a 30-minute shoot, into a 3-hour shoot, particularly if you need to edit every photo, and one of the reasons why people always talk about getting it right in-camera. We discuss editing in more detail below.

Candid portraits vs posed portraits

Photo credit: Isabella Ruffatti.

There’s nothing wrong with posing for a photo, but capturing spontaneous and unposed candid moments is another way of approaching portrait photography that can really elevate your portraits and say something about your subject’s personality. A good way to do this is by photographing your subject in a place they’re comfortable in or with props that mean something to them.

What are the main types of portrait photography?

There are a number of different types of portrait photography, and whilst they aren’t hard and fast rules, it can be useful to find out more about the different types, particularly if any of them appeal to you more than others, as then you can go on to learn more about them, and improve your photography skills in each area.

1. Traditional Style Portrait

Headshot, taken in a studio, Photo: Morsa Images / Getty Images

The traditional portrait or “headshot” is predominantly shot in a studio where you have complete control over the lighting and backgrounds, with studio flash you can use smaller apertures, get more of the subject in focus and produce beautifully crisp, sharp and detailed photos.

You will then need to edit the images to remove any blemishes or spots, depending on the planned use of the image. If you’re shooting for fashion or portraits of models, then each person may have different needs and expectations of how much editing or retouching they want to happen to the image.

If you’re not a fan of editing and want to capture subjects “warts and all” then make sure you let them know beforehand. Follow this link if you’re wanting to know more about how to take beautiful portraits (and edit them).

2. Lifestyle / natural / environmental portraits

Capturing the subject in their own natural environment, living their life – this could be genuine or posed to portray a certain “lifestyle” and can give an image more character and interest than simply using a blank background. However, one of the biggest challenges of shooting in the subject’s natural environment, particularly outdoors, or indoors, is relying on either the sun (which may not show up or might be too harsh) as a light source or the ambient lighting in a room.

This is where a few simple accessories can come in, and be particularly useful to add in some additional lighting, whether that’s a small reflector or LED lighting. You may need to be flexible, and be prepared to work with potentially distracting backgrounds, or move around until you’ve found the best location or the best lighting conditions. If you’re happy to travel, this can be a fun way to explore your local area, and find new places to photograph.

3. Group portraits – Family/group/couples/friends

Flash or another light source has been used in this shot. Photo credit: Flashpop / Getty Images

Want to know what makes a group portrait? As soon as you’ve got more than one person in the shot, you’re now taking a group portrait. You’ll find that couples, families, colleagues and groups of friends love being in photos together. Some may naturally get together and position themselves in a natural form, but most likely you’ll need to guide them to ensure they position themselves in the best possible manner.

In many ways, many of the guides to taking great portraits also applies to group portraits, but instead of simply keeping one pair of eyes in focus, you now need to keep all subjects in focus, and for this, you may need to adjust the aperture to f/4 or more. It’s also a good idea to take multiple shots, just so you can make sure no one is blinking.

Read our guide to shooting family portraits here.

4. Event portraits and event photography

This shot was taken using the available light, and due to the mixed lighting, this image was converted to black and white. Credit: Joshua Waller.

Events can be fun, but can also be hard work. If you’re relying on additional lighting, such as a flashgun, make sure your battery is fully charged, and the same is true for your camera. Make sure you have spare batteries. If you’re photographing people at an event, whether that’s a party or an awards ceremony, you often have one chance to get the shot. You won’t be able to stop an awards ceremony and ask people to wait while you change your battery!

You’ll also need to be aware of the lighting conditions, and bring additional lighting just in case. In this shot, photographing people at an “after party” following an event, the lighting was mixed, but good enough to give good images of people. In other venues, the lighting could have been too dark to shoot without the use of flash or LED lighting.

See our guide to events photography.

5. Self-Portrait or “Selfie” portraits

Lucy Woodroffe taking a selfie. Photo credit – Joshua Waller

If you’re shy in front of the camera, and not too keen when other people try and take photographs of you, then why not take some self-portraits, so you are in control of the full process?

Set up your camera on a tripod, and if your camera lets you remotely control it, then you can start taking photos of yourself. Alternatively, you could use the camera’s self-timer feature, or use a remote-release cable.

However, one of the best ways to do this, is to use the camera’s remote-control app, connecting to the camera’s Wi-Fi, and then you can see yourself on your smartphone while you take the photo(s). This way you’ll be able to find your best angle, your best look, and find the best lighting for the shot.

You’ll find some self-portrait inspiration from Barbara Farkas who used self-portraits to raise environmental issues.

6. Festivals and music portraits

Festival photograph, Simon Naylor. Photo: Joshua Waller

Festivals are a wonderful place to take photos of people – there are often plenty of characters, and many people put a great deal of effort into fancy dress, they’re also often quite happy to have their photos taken. If you enjoy this type of photography and can produce lots of great photos, you may even find this is a potential area for work.

Another type of portrait photography you can practise at festivals is live music photography, along with band photography, with band members making for great photography subjects. Expect challenging lighting conditions (indoors or when the sun sets), plus lots of potential distractions from the subjects, whether that’s microphone stands, other people or random objects in the background.

If music photography is your “gig” then have a look at our guide to music photography.

7. Documentary Photography

Portrait taken as part of a story about Reach Homes. Photo Joshua Waller

This is a fantastic way to meet people in your community or your neighbourhood. You could start a project documenting your neighbourhood, community projects, or even just your neighbours. There have been several projects like this, during lockdown for example, and it’s a fantastic way of building community, as well as including people who might not normally have portraits taken of themselves.

Documentary photography, due to its core purpose being to document something, has a lot in common with photojournalism or news photography and you can use  to it to highlight a current issue, or bring to light some of the unseen parts of the world. If it’s something newsworthy, then it could end up in the news.

You could also combine it with Street Photography (more on this below), and simply capture the people and events that are happening around you. If you take your camera with you everywhere you go, you never know what you might capture.

You’ll find some documentary portrait inspiration from Alicia Vera’s photo story on loss and coping with her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

8. Wedding Portraits

Bride with bouquet. Credit: Viktoriya Dikareva, Getty Images

Wedding photography is a potential money earner with many photographers specialising in wedding photography. This type of photography can be a great place to create some beautiful-looking images, but with it comes the pressure of having to get it right the first time.

There are no do-overs with wedding photography. If you’re the primary photographer, it’s your job to get it right on the day, with no room for mistakes or problems with camera equipment.

If you’re a guest at a wedding, it can be a fun place to take some candid portraits, and casual shots, as long as you don’t get in the way of the main photographer!

9. Street Portrait Photography

Couple on the tube. Photo: Joshua Waller

If you enjoy people-watching and live in a relatively populated area, then this could be a great photography genre for you, and it almost goes without saying that Street Photography is about people.

Take your camera with you everywhere you go, and you might just catch a beautiful moment between two people, or an interesting character or person on the street. We’ve got lots of great tips on street photography, including a guide on what you need to know regarding the law and street photography.

10. Editorial Photography

Photo by Nowah Bartscher – Unsplash

Editorial photography is photography used to support the text in a newspaper, book or magazine, be it in print or online. As such, it overlaps with practically every photography genre.

After picking your genre: fashion photography, lifestyle stock images and photojournalism are three big areas in editorial photography, doing some research on publications and the type of portraits they publish as well as creating a portfolio of editorial portraiture is a good place to start.

11. Pet portrait Photography

Taken with Samsung S23, portrait mode. Photo credit: Amy Davies.

For millions of people around the world, no family is complete without a cat, dog or other pets. We lavish fortunes on our beloved pets, as well as our affections, so it’s only understandable that we’d want to photograph them too.

Whether you’re planning on photographing your own pet or someone else’s, check out our guide to photographing pets to find out more on how to get great shots.

Taking portraits with your smartphone

iPhone 14 Pro Portrait with 2x camera. Image credit: Amy Davies.

Smartphones can be particularly good for capturing candid portraits of friends and family that happen with no notice. But you can also treat your smartphone just like any other camera and set out with a dedicated portrait session in mind. For those who haven’t got portrait gear already, it’s a good way to give the genre a go without picking up specialist equipment.

Most modern smartphones today have some kind of portrait mode, which is designed to mimic the effects of shooting with a wide-aperture lens. The results from these modes, powered by clever AI and algorithms, have become ever more impressive. A lot of smartphones also have full manual modes, which is useful too. Most high-end smartphones also include short telephoto lenses, giving you a close approximation to shooting with something like a classic 50mm or 85mm optic.

Have a look at the best smartphones for portrait photography, and how to take amazing portraits on a smartphone.

But wait, there are more portrait photography types… click these links to find out more:

• Fine Art Portrait Photography
• How to take better Pet portrait photography
• Surreal portrait photography

The AP Improve Your Photography Series – in partnership with MPB – is designed to take you from the beginnings of photography, introduce different shooting skills and styles, and teach you how to grow as a photographer, so you can enjoy producing amazing photography (and video), to take you to the next level, whether that’s making money or simply mastering your art form.

Find the latest Improve Your Photography articles here.

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This event wasn’t like any other I’d been to. Glittering fashion and fabulously theatrical surroundings, The Creativity Hub’s Once Upon a Time event brought all things dreamy, fairytale and fantasy to the modern-day. With superb haute couture gowns created by world-renowned designers, some of which have even graced the London and Paris Fashion Week runways, and stunning models that brought everything to life.

Across the Sunday, we were treated to five different themed sets over the day – including Midnight Secrets, Excalibur, Sunset Seranade and Morning Blossom – and the chance to test and improve our portrait photography skills. The partnership with Fujifilm at this event meant I could try out some kit! I paired my Fujifilm X-T4 with a 56mm F1.2 R WR lens, as well as my 16-80mm, here are some of the results:

Image Jessica Miller. Model: Faz Beau @rufarro

Image: Jessica Miller. Model: Alexa Taylor @alexataylorldn

Image: Jessica Miller. Model: Emma-Rose Collingridge @emmarosecollingridge

Image: Jessica Miller. Model: Fern Taylor @fern_cj

Image: Jessica Miller. Model: Kelley Martin @kelleyy.martinx

Next event with The Creativity Hub:

Electric Avenue

• Futuristic theme
• Location: Milton Keynes
• Dates: 9th & 10th December 2023
• Times: 11am until 5.30pm
• Price: Half day from £200, Full Day £375, Weekend £750, Shoot-and-Stay (3 Nights) £300

Voyage to an uncharted realm this December on an adrenaline-packed journey to a dazzling world of neon lights, pulsating beats and contemporary fashion.

Creativity Hub Events are tempting you out of the shadows and into the Land of Light, to a place where creativity meets technology that defies the ordinary.

​Fusing wearable tech with high concept couture, dramatic gel compositions and things that glow in the dark, illuminate your imagination and push the frontiers of fashion’s future, where bold and luminous realities last long after the lights go out..

Savings on Creativity Hub events for Amateur Photographer readers!

SAVE 10%: AP readers get 10% off their booking when using the code AP10

See how we also got on at the 1940’s Fashion on the Ration and sci-fi themed Creativity Hub shoots.

More events from The Creativity Hub:

Stardust

• 11th May 2024
• Bedford

Vortex

• 13-14th July 2024
• Manchester

Flora

• 17-18th August 2024
• Northamptonshire

More portrait photography content:

• How to take better portraits on a budget
• Best portrait tips from the pros
• The best lenses for portrait photography
• Best cameras for portraits

Follow AP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

The post Once Upon A Time… A fairytale themed photoshoot appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

The prestigious Taylor Wessing Portrait Photo Prize competition showcases talented amateur and young photographers as well as established professionals. The diverse range of images often reveal inspiring and fascinating stories.

From the 5020 submissions entered by 1785 photographers from 59 countries, five photographers were shortlisted. Alexandre Silberman has come out on top, with Gilleam Trapenberg coming second, and Jake Green and Carl Francois van der Linde taking a joint third prize; presenting the outstanding quality of images.

In addition to the first, second and third prizes, the competition ran the Taylor Wessing Photographic Commission for the first time, which provides the winning photographer the support to create a portrait, which will become part of the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection. The £8,000 commission has been won by Serena Brown for her portrait me nana fie, which depicts her younger sister visiting her family home in Accra, Ghana.

58 photographs from 51 photographers will be displayed at the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023 exhibition in London which, for the first time in three years, runs at the National Portrait Gallery from 9th November 2023 until 25th February 2024. It features work by Jenny Lewis, Heather Agyepong, a portrait of actor Ncuti Gatwa by Jonangelo Molinari and the 2023 In Focus photographer, Hassan Hajjaj.

The photographs have been selected for display by a panel of judges including National Portrait Gallery’s Director, Dr Nicholas Cullinan; Senior Curator at The Photographer’s Gallery, Karen McQuaid; writer and photographer, Caleb Azumah Nelson; artist, Campbell Addy; and the National Portrait Gallery’s Senior Curator of Photography, Sabina Jaskot-Gill.

Alongside the exhibition, the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023 catalogue includes interviews with all prize-winning photographers, alongside extended captions for each exhibited work and insights from the judges.

About the images Dr. Nicholas Cullinan said, “Congratulations to the prize winners and all the shortlisted photographers who will be on display as part of the exhibition this year. The Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize always represents the very best of contemporary photographic talent, showcasing the array of unique perspectives and styles at work in the discipline today. It’s wonderful to see the Prize and exhibition return to the National Portrait Gallery after three years, and to share these fantastic portraits with our visitors.”

Read on to learn more about this year’s images, and tips for entering next year’s competition.

Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize 2023 winner

Diena, Alexandre Silberman

Diena by Alexandre Silberman from the series NATURE © Alexandre Silberman

From a long-term series of portraits entitled NATURE, Diena was photographed in the Parc de La Courneuve, one of the largest artificial parks in Europe. An enclosed green space in a concrete forest, at the heart of an area in great economic and social difficulty, it is a veritable lung for the inhabitants.

“Diena was sitting here, on a late summer afternoon, with a suitcase surprisingly embellished with a bouquet of dried flowers. She was wearing a long white veil that reflected the sun spectacularly. I saw her in the distance and decided to ask her to paint her portrait. I used 2 rolls [of film], but in the end it was the last two shots, taken in close-up, disregarding the elements around her and concentrating on her face alone, that made it into the series.”

This is Alexandre’s second time entering the competition, when asked about being shortlisted he told me, “It’s obviously a source of great pride. It’s also an opportunity for me to return to London, where I have fond memories of shooting. The NPG is an iconic place, and I think all the artists on show benefit from its influence. My first long-term photo series was about the museums of Paris and their staging of beauty. Here, we’ll be right in the heart of it too.”

When entering the competition Alexandre recommends remembering that judging is subjective, and what the judges might be looking for is likely to change from year to year. “I don’t think the portraits I sent in when I first entered were any less good than Diena’s. But they didn’t catch the eye of the jury, that’s just the way it is.

On the other hand, once the first round is completed, I can only advise you to make sure your print is as good as possible. I normally print myself, but for this one I wanted a spectacular print on high-quality paper. So I went to a professional printer – Romain Hemon, from the Diamantino laboratory – who was able to interpret the photo in a more radical way than my original prints, by accentuating the contrasts in particular. It’s wrong to think that photography is a solitary art; the way other people look at your own work is often a big plus.”

The judges felt this portrait encompassed a compelling blend of the traditional and the contemporary. With echoes of art historical depictions of a Madonna, the monochrome palette lends a timeless, oneiric quality to the work. However, details within the image, such as the sitter’s nose ring, floral blouse and headphones, feel fresh and current and bring the portrait firmly into the present.

Alexandre Silberman’s top tip for portrait photography:

• Assume your role as photographer, be visible, be close. A good portrait should have a direct impact and not require too much reading.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Commission winner

me nana fie, Serena Brown

me nana fie by Serena Brown © Serena Brown

Serena is a British photographer and her work often focuses on issues affecting working class youth around the UK. Serena has won the brand new commission prize as a result of entering the competition for the first time. Her image me nana fie was taken on a trip with her sister to their grandma’s home in Ghana last year.

“My sister had never been and it was our first experience of Accra together. This image features Chloe and Kojo after a day of games and laughter. It felt really special to be able to document all the time we spent reconnecting with friends, family and passers by in my Grandma’s front yard. I hope to continue the series and create a body of work that celebrates community and explores the idea of home.”

The judges enjoyed the natural and spontaneous feel of this portrait. The sitters are casually posed, but the portrait captures their evocative expressions and emanates a sense of warmth and affection

With the Taylor Wessing Photographic Commission, Serena will be able to create a new portrait that will become part of the National Portrait Gallery’s collection. “It feels so special to have this opportunity, I wouldn’t ever have imagined that I’d have the chance to make such an important portrait, to be placed in the permanent collection. She recommends to anyone reading to take the leap and enter. “I can remember coming to see the exhibition on many school trips, so to be here alongside so many talented photographers is amazing. I’ve definitely talked myself out of it so many times but it’s a great opportunity for photographers of all experience levels.”

Sabrina’s top tip for portrait photography:

• Have good chat!

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2023: Second prize

Kisha and LaDarayon, Gilleam Trapenberg

Kisha and LaDarayon by Gilleam Trapenberg from the series Currents © Gilleam Trapenberg.

Gilleam’s work explores contradictions and stereotypes of the social landscape of the Caribbean, focusing on vistas beyond tourist tropes to explore a more nuanced and multifaceted understanding of daily life on the islands. From the series Currents, his photograph depicts Kisha and her 14 year old son, LaDarayon.

“I’ve known Kisha since 2018 when I photographed her for the first time on the island of Saint Martin. She was standing outside in front of her house and I happened to drive by. I immediately parked my car on the curb and asked if I could take a portrait of her. She was wearing this light blue t shirt that almost blended in with the sky and ocean in front of her house. Every year after that when I would be back on Saint Martin I would pass by Kisha to photograph her. It became something very natural.”

The photograph was taken by the Dutch photographer in April of this year. “I texted her that I was back on the island and that I wanted to photograph her again, and she asked if I could photograph her and her sons. I loved the idea as I photographed her with her sons before in 2019. Generally I don’t photograph someone or a group of people for so long, but with Kisha and her family that’s different. It’s truly an honor to be shortlisted for such a prestigious prize, let alone the fact that the work will be exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery. It’s still quite surreal.”

If you have a portfolio or a series, Gilleam’s advice when entering the competition would be to choose the photo that could summarise your project in one image.

Gilleam’s top tip for portrait photography.

• A portrait is a collaboration between the sitter and the photographer. It’s important to know how different types of camera can influence how someone feels in front of your lens. A dslr with a big telephoto lens would evoke an entirely different emotion and portrait than an analog snapshot camera.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2023: Third Prize

Chotu Lal Upside-down, Carl Francois van der Linde

Chotu Lal Upside-down by Carl Francois van der Linde from the series Our Leader © Carl Francois van der Linde.

The photo Chotu Lal Upside-down is from the series Our Leader. In the photo is Arjun Raj but goes by his ring name Chotu Lal, a.k.a the Dragon, which was given to him by The Great Khali who is the founder of the CWE Wrestling Academy. The photograph was captured in Jalandhar during Van Der Linde’s exploration of the world of Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE). The portrait finds Chotu Lal in the midst of building his personal wrestling brand; CWE students often stage humiliation efforts as part of their promotion, recording them and adding the content to social media.

“Chotu Lal is a 16 year old aspiring wrestler from Bihar state in North east India. He is smaller in stature and uses it as a comedic act or edge to his wrestling persona. I saw a bunch of the wrestlers creating a promotional video, suspending Chotu-lal by his feet and I thought this would make a great photo to showcase the obscurity of their kayfabe tactics and the extent they would go to portray farce humiliation tactics for self-promotion.”

Carl speaks about his shortlisted photograph with immense gratitude, he told me, “I feel privileged to even be considered amongst the top portrait photographers exhibiting at the National Portrait gallery this year, let alone being included in the shortlist. Being recognised for personal work is always highly appreciated, since the only input and vision for a project comes from the photographer. The external validation is valuable to silence the voice in your head that says: “What the hell are you doing in rural India photographing these wrestlers, who in their right mind would want to see these guys?””

For newcomers to the competition, he suggests creating as much personal work as possible first, “and enter your best images without overthinking it. Do the work and put it out there, even if you lose money and never see any financial compensation. Buy the ticket, contact the communities, travel to far-out, off-beat places, live with the subjects and hurt, love and learn from it. My friend and mentor once told me that people judge photographers first and foremost by their personal work, that advice has stuck with me ever since.”

The second photograph by Carl from the same series that has been included in the exhibition. Dev Dangi by Carl Francois van der Linde (2023) © Carl Francois van der Linde.

Carl’s top tip for portrait photography:

• No smiling

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2023: Third prize

Shaun Ryder, Jake Green

Shaun Ryder by Jake Green © Jake Green

Jake is a British, London-based documentary photographer who creates observational images of people and place. He has photographed the likes of actor Daniel Kaluya and singer Dua Lipa. His intriguing portrait of the lead singer from the Happy Mondays, Shaun Ryder, was taken in Manchester when working on a Channel 4 commission. “At the end of the session I asked Shaun if we could take some extra portraits – I had a shot in mind that was more subtle and little off set. Shaun had the idea to vape and in a moment of spontaneity the vapour completely obscured his face. The portrait is testimony to Shaun and his amazing energy.”

Having been entering the Portrait Prize for over 20 years, Jake has some direct advice: “don’t over think it – pick out the portraits that mean something to you and if they get selected then great – if they don’t then just keep trying.” On his achievement and the competition he adds, “being shortlisted is very reaffirming and a huge honour given the high standard of images being entered and selected for the exhibition. It’s also a great time to be involved with the NPG – there is such a buzz about the space.

The reopening also presents a real opportunity to change and to do things differently. We are already seeing some great initiatives where shortlisted photographers are being asked to run workshops with students; and for the first time the NPG gave people on low to no income free entry to the competition. I really respect that and I’ve got a feeling that this is just the start.”

Jake’s top tip for portrait photography:

• A portrait is a collaboration between you and the person in the image – the sitter and photographer. Without that person you would have nothing.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2023 Exhibition:

• Opens Thursday 9th November and closes Sunday 25th February 2024
• The exhibition is open Monday-Thursday & Sunday 10:30 – 18:00, Friday & Saturday 10:30-21:00
• Tickets from £8.50, concessions available, free for members.

Tickets are available to purchase at www.npg.org.uk.
Associated events can be booked at www.npg.org.uk/whatson/

Supported by Taylor Wessing

#PhotoPrize

See more of the best photography competitions to enter and photography exhibitions to see.

More reading:

Scorched New Forest scene wins Landscape Photographer of the Year 16

Best portrait tips from the pros

How to take better portraits on a budget

Follow AP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

The post Taylor Wessing Portrait Photo Prize 2023: Alexandre Silberman announced as the winner appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

If you’re out to shoot portraits, picking the right lens is even more important than picking the right camera. After all, you’re dealing with human subjects. A tree doesn’t mind if you take an unflattering picture of it; a wild animal won’t refuse to hire you again if you make it look silly. People, on the other hand… well, let’s just say it pays to get the shoot right first time.

With so many lenses out there, and so many different camera systems to sue them with, narrowing down the best lenses for portrait photography has been a tough beat. This list is well populated with plenty of options – we’ve tried to keep the list mostly focused on sensibly priced lenses that most people will realistically be able to buy and use, though there are a few premium options sprinkled in for those with the cash to spend.

If you’re really up against it cash-wise, don’t worry – we have a dedicated guide to the best budget portrait lenses to help you out.

How to choose the best lenses for portrait photography

Before we get into our list of lenses let’s take a quick look at what makes for a good portrait lens, and how you should go about choosing one that’s right for you. When people talk about portrait lenses, two topics will generally come up – focal length and depth of field. Let’s deal with each one in turn…

Focal length

Conventional wisdom dictates that the best lens for portraiture is a short telephoto, with a focal length around 85mm, and not exceeding 135mm. A large maximum aperture is also generally deemed a must, to the point where lenses that fulfil all these criteria are often referred to as ‘portrait lenses’. For producing well-balanced, head-and-shoulders shots with a nice blurred background, this is indeed the correct setup. No one is going to argue if you show up to a portrait shoot with an 85mm f/1.4.

However, portrait photography is not as simple as this, and it’s worth thinking creatively about your options. For instance, you can use a wider perspective to capture images of couples or groups, or just introduce a bit of environmental context to an image. For this, you might want to think about a 50mm lens or even a 35mm, and you can also opt to go wider still with a 24mm.

While this is not the conventional way to flatter a subject, it can result in striking images that really stand out from the crowd. Once you understand how different optics will affect your images, an exciting world of portraiture opens up in front of you.

Wide-angle lenses are great for adding context to your portraits. Sony Alpha 7R III, 24mm f/1.4, 1/2000sec at f/1.4, ISO 100.

Depth of field and bokeh

Once again, conventional wisdom teaches us that most lenses are not at their sharpest when used wide open (i.e. at their maximum aperture). However, for portraiture this tends not to be a problem.

Introducing a little softness into an image can be quite flattering. What you do need to be able to do is throw the background out of focus to put all the viewer’s attention on your main subject. This is not too difficult. All you need is a large aperture, which generally means a prime lens, not a zoom. Zooms aren’t much us in portraiture anyway – since your subject will be following your directions (hopefully), if you need to get closer you can just move.

It’s also worth nothing that using too wide an aperture can result in a depth of field that’s too razor-thin. After all, you don’t want one eye in focus and the other one not. This is where those longer focal-length lenses mentioned earlier can come in handy; as well as providing a more flattering view of a subject, they also make it easier to separate away the background with a smaller aperture.

Another important quality is the actual appearance of the background blur. In this guide, you’ll see a lot of references to the concept of ‘bokeh’ comes in. A term that has become a little woolly in meaning over the years, it broadly refers to how the aesthetic quality of blur differs between lenses. Ideally, you want it silky smooth.

Using out-of-focus foreground elements can add interest to an image. Sony Alpha 7R III, 135mm f/1.8, 1/400 sec at f/1.8, ISO100.

Some specialised lenses are constructed to create bokeh with a distinctive look, often referred to as ‘swirly’ or ‘soap-bubble’ bokeh. While these aren’t the most technically sophisticated lenses, they do create images with a real identity to them. Lomography and Lensbaby are some of the most well-known names in this field.

For many photographers, the first step towards better portraits is likely to be an inexpensive 50mm f/1.8. Once your ambitions and budget expand further, though, there’s a whole host of lenses to try.

The best lenses for portrait photography: our quick list

If you want to cut to the chase, here is a quick rundown of the lenses we’ve recommended for portrait shooters, along with links to get them at a fantastic price…

The best telephoto lenses for portraits:

• Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM – check best price
• Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary – check best price
• Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art – check best price
• Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR – check best price
• Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – check best price
• Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S – check best price
• Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 – check best price
• Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH OIS – check best price
• Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Master – check best price
• Pentax smc DA 55mm f/1.4 SDM – check best price
• Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 – check best price

The best portrait lenses with apodisation:

• Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF G Master OSS – check best price
• Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS – check best price
• Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD – check best price

The best wideangle portrait lenses:

• Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 Asph – check best price
• Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR – check best price
• Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art – check best price
• Nikon Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8 S – check best price
• Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 G Master – check best price

The best standard portrait lenses:

• OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro –  check best price
• Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G – check best price
• Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE II – check best price
• Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art – check best price
• Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master – check best price

The best specialist portrait lenses for bokeh:

• Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6 – check best price
• Lomography Petzval 80.5mm f/1.9 Mark II – check best price

The best telephoto lenses for portraits

While we have been encouraging readers to think differently about their approach to portraiture, there is a reason that short telephoto lenses around the 85-100mm focal length will invariably be recommended for portrait shooting. For one, a short telephoto focal length will compress your subject’s features without distorting them, resulting in a flattering image of a well-proportioned face. You can get quite close to your subject without worrying about distorting their features. For two, a telephoto lens is ideal for throwing out the background of your images, meaning you can get that buttery-smooth bokeh effect that is so popular in portraiture.

As such, this is the first category we’re going to focus on in our guide. Here are our favourite telephoto portrait lenses for a range of camera systems.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM.

At a glance:

• Canon EF-mount
• New price: $1,599/£1,719
• Used price: $1,085/£1,519

Canon users who want the very best need look no further, because this image-stabilised fast prime is an absolute masterpiece. Indeed we think it’s one of the finest EF-mount primes the firm has ever made, with its accurate autofocus, great handling and built-in optical image stabilisation counting as compelling reasons to choose it ahead of the pricier EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM.

Meanwhile its gorgeous rendition of blurred backgrounds and very low levels of chromatic aberration mark it out from cheaper options. For DSLR users on a tighter budget, the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is still a worthy alternative at $499/£489

Pros:

• Better than the pricier f/1.2
• Superb autofocus
• Built-in stabilisation

Cons:

• Cheaper options out there

Read our Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM review. 

Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary

Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary mounted to an X-S10. Photo credit: Michael Topham.

At a glance:

• Canon EF-M, Micro Four Thirds, Sony E, Fujifilm X and L-mounts
• New price: $479/£379
• Used price: $279-366/£360-380

Users of APS-C mirrorless models could be forgiven for feeling ignored by third-party makers, who are falling over themselves to make full-frame lenses instead. But at least Sigma has been paying attention, with a trio of affordable f/1.4 primes that are available in Canon EF-M, Micro Four Thirds, Sony E and L mounts, and now X-Mount.

While the 16mm and 30mm certainly have their uses for people pictures, it’s the 56mm f/1.4 DC DN that we like the most. Offering an 85mm equivalent view on APS-C cameras, and 112mm on MFT, it’s a nicely compact optic that focuses rapidly and delivers excellent images.

Pros:

• Lots of mount options
• Lightweight and compact
• Affordable too

Cons:

• No stabilisation
• No AF/MF switch

Read our Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary review.

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art

The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art mid-test by our reviewer. Photo credit: Michael Topham.

At a glance:

• Sony FE, L-Mount
• New price: $999/£999
• Used price: $869-1020/£850-864

Sigma has built up a strong reputation for the excellence of its Art line of lenses, with perhaps the biggest criticism that could be levelled against its DSLR designs being that they became excessively large and heavy. But the firm appears to have re-aligned its priorities with its burgeoning DG DN line for E and L-mount full-frame mirrorless, producing equally superb optics while drastically reducing the size and weight.

This fabulous lens is a case in point, with a combination of remarkable optical performance even at f/1.4 and excellent usability. Highlights include quick autofocus, weather-sealed construction and an aperture ring that can be de-clicked for video.

Pros:

• Snappy focusing
• Weather-sealed
• Excellent performance at f/1.4

Cons:

• Some pincushion distortion
• No focus distance marks on barrel

Read our Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN | Art review.

Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR

Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR mounted to an X-T1

At a glance:

• Fujifilm X-Mount
• New price: $949/£949
• Used price: $494-520/£489-544

Fujifilm is arguably the only company that’s treated the APS-C format as being entirely worthwhile in its own right, rather than just a stepping-stone to full frame. It’s made several fine portrait lenses for its X system, including the budget XF 50mm f/2 R WR (new $449/£429, used $365/£289) and the fine XF 56mm f/1.2 R (new $999/£849, used $550-570/£470-480).

However the one that really blew us away was the XF 90mm f2 R LM WR, which does the job of a 135mm lens on full frame. Photographers will love its ability to create distinct separation between subjects and background, while the rendition of out-of-focus areas is delightful for portraits.

Pros:

• Great value for money
• Beautiful background blur
• Subjects really pop

Cons:

• 135mm equivalent is a little tight

Read our Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR review.

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art

The Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art is hefty, but impressive. Photo credit: Michael Topham.

At a glance:

• Canon EF, Nikon F, L, Sony FE-Mount
• New price: $1,249-1,499/£1,099-1,149
• Used price: $604-1,080/£865-890

While many photographers immediately think in terms of using 85mm lenses for portraits, it’s important not to overlook the charms of longer focal lengths. Switch to 135mm and you can shoot from slightly further back for an even more flattering perspective, which can be particularly useful when working outdoors.

Sigma’s 135mm f/1.8 was originally made for Canon, Nikon and Sigma DSLRs, but is also available for the mirrorless L and Sony E mounts. This monster of a lens offers outrageous sharpness coupled with dreamy bokeh, and is almost immune to chromatic aberration. It’s a fabulous optic that provides a look few other lenses can match.

Pros:

• Outstanding sharpness
• Lovely bokeh quality

Cons:

• A big, chunky boy

Read our Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art review.

Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S

Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S. Photo credit: Michael Topham.

At a glance:

• Nikon Z-Mount
• New price: $696/£799
• Used price: $539-660/£519-660

Like most of Nikon’s other S-series primes for its full-frame mirrorless cameras, this 85mm short telephoto employs an f/1.8 aperture to make it lighter and more affordable than an f/1.4 lens of the same focal length could be. But this doesn’t mean it compromises on the build quality or optics.

Detail rendition is impressive, even on the demanding high-resolution Z7 and Z7 II, and the bokeh is very pleasing on the eye. Focusing is brisk and particularly effective for portraiture when used with Eye Detection AF. The lens is also fully sealed against dust and moisture ingress, making it a great all-around package.

If you want the best of the best, Nikon does have an upmarket Z-mount option in the form of the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S, an utterly superb lens that earned the full five stars in our review. However, with a price tag of $2,796 / £2,999, it’s likely going to be out of reach for most users.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Fast, effective focusing
• Good optical quality

Cons:

• Pricey for an f/1.8

Read our Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S review.

Sony FE 85mm f/1.8

Sony FE 85mm f/1.8

At a glance:

• Sony FE-Mount
• New price: $598/£499
• Used price: $450-470/£309-430

Sony users have a lot of choice when it comes to portrait lenses, ranging from the £299 Samyang AF 75mm f/1.8 FE through to the practically flawless, but pricey FE 135mm f/1.8 GM. But one of our favourites lies towards the affordable end of the scale.

The firm’s FE 85mm f/1.8 is a relatively compact lens that’s arguably a much better match to Sony’s small Alpha 7 series cameras than its FE 85mm f/1.4 ZA stablemate, being less than half the weight. Crucially, it also delivers extremely pleasing images. It’s a great choice for both full-frame and APS-C users.

Pros:

• Good image quality
• Relatively lightweight

Cons:

• Samyang options are cheaper

Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH OIS

Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH OIS.

At a glance:

• Micro Four Thirds mount
• New price: $1,197/£1,149
• Used price: $674-794/£624-650

A standout gem of the Micro Four Thirds system, this is one of the fastest lenses to feature optical image stabilisation. With such a large aperture this may sound redundant, but it helps with getting sharp images in low light and is great for video shooting, too.

Image quality is everything we’d expect given the Leica badge, with superb sharpness across the frame even at f/1.2, and minimal chromatic aberration. If this optic is too pricey, the OM System M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 $400/£299) is a lovely little lens that provides a great combination of sharpness and background blur.

Pros:

• Superb Leica sharpness
• Minimal aberrations
• Great in low light

Cons:

• Expensive for MFT

Read our Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH OIS review.

Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Master

The Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Master is an exceptional performer. Photo credit: Andy Westlake.

At a glance:

• Sony FE-Mount
• New price: $2,098/£1,599
• Used price: $1700-1775/ £1169-1189

Over the past decade Sony has revolutionised the camera market, jumping from a bit-part player to one of the leading high-end brands in the process. But if anything, its progress as a lens maker over this time has been even more striking, with its premium G Master lenses being at least a match for the finest produced by any of its rivals. In January 2023 Sony confirmed development of the highly-anticipated FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS telephoto lens.

Indeed if you’re after a short-telephoto prime, they simply don’t come much better than the FE 135mm f/1.8 GM. With its combination of reliable autofocus, supreme sharpness and gorgeous bokeh, it’s likely to appeal strongly to portrait and wedding photographers.

Pros:

• Absolutely outstanding image quality
• Superb autofocus
• Beautiful bokeh

Cons:

• 135mm will be too tight for some

Read our Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM review.

Pentax smc DA 55mm f/1.4 SDM

Pentax SMC DA* 55mm f/1.4 SDM

At a glance:

• Pentax K-Mount
• New price: $647/£719
• Used price: $450-500/£470-490

While neither Canon nor Nikon have ever shown much enthusiasm for making APS-C-specific primes, there’s a decent range available for Pentax users. This one is designed to be used as a portrait lens on APS-C DSLRs, offering a classic 85mm equivalent view. Its large aperture, weather-sealed construction and silent focusing go some way to explaining its relatively high retail price.

Optically it’s well-suited to its job, with a flattering slight softness wide open and gorgeous bokeh. Full-frame Pentax users, meanwhile, have the unique smc FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited to play with. It was pricey at launch and available now used at around $543/£549, but it’s a beautifully-built lens and includes an old-fashioned mechanical aperture ring.

Pros:

• Lovely construction
• Mechanical aperture ring
• Image quality suits portraiture

Cons:

• Expensive when new

Read our Pentax smc DA 55mm f/1.4 SDM review.

Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8

Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 mounted to a Sony A7 II.

At a glance:

• Sony FE-Mount
• New price: $1,489/£1599
• Used price $839-990/£704-1,000

At first sight, this lens may look perplexing, given that it only offers an f/2.8 aperture for almost the same price as Sony’s superb FE 135mm f/1.8 GM. But typically for Zeiss, it’s the sheer optical quality that stands out, with sensational sharpness and no hint of colour fringing thanks to its apochromatic design. Out-of-focus backgrounds are blurred-away beautifully, too.

In terms of specification it ticks all the boxes, with weather-sealed construction and optical image stabilisation, while photographers who like to pack light will appreciate its relatively low weight. Overall I can’t imagine anybody being disappointed by this lens: it’s absolutely outstanding.

Pros:

• Weather sealed
• Class-leading Zeiss optical quality
• Lovely background blur

Cons:

• Expensive for f/2.8

Read our Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 review. 

The best portrait lenses with apodisation

A small selection of specialist lenses use a principle known as apodisation to deliver particularly smooth background blur. Essentially, this places a radially graduated neutral density filter within the lens to smooth away the edges of out-of-focus blur circles. While often fairly subtle, it’s an effect that some portrait photographers prize greatly. The catch is that such specialised lenses tend to be pricey.

Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF G Master OSS

Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF G Master OSS mounted to a Sony A7R camera.

At a glance:

• Sony FE-Mount
• Price: $1,498/£1,399

Sony’s specialist portrait lens is the spiritual successor to the legendary Minolta-designed, Alpha-mount 135mm f/2.8 STF. The initials STF stand for Smooth Trans Focus, and unusually, there’s no conventional version of this lens. Sony has implemented a uniquely strong apodisation effect which delivers lovely bokeh at large apertures, but this comes at the cost of light transmission, which is just T5.6 at f/2.8.

A switch around the barrel engages a close-up mode which offers one-quarter life-size magnification, and optical stabilisation is built in. As usual for a G Master lens, high-end features include a de-clickable aperture ring and weather-sealed construction.

Pros:

• Built-in stabilisation
• Weather sealing
• Strong apodisation effect

Cons:

• Reduced light transmission

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS

Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM DS

At a glance:

• Canon RF mount
• Used price: $2,999/£3,499
• Used $2,649/£3,149

Even the conventional version of Canon’s super-fast RF-mount 85mm is an expensive, statement optic that will set you back $2,599/£3,059. But the DS option, for Defocus Smoothing, goes a step further. It employs the same 13-element, 9-group design and 9-bladed circular aperture, but employs a special coating on two internal elements to fade the edges of blur circles.

The result is an outstanding portrait lens that delivers beautifully smooth bokeh. While many readers will find the price to be prohibitive, it’s possible to hire one for a special occasion at a reasonable cost.

Pros:

• Absolutely stunning images
• Buttery-smooth bokeh
• Defocus Smoothing improves bokeh further

Cons:

• Obviously very expensive

Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD

Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R APD mounted to Fujifilm X-H2. Photo credit: Joshua Waller

At a glance:

• Fujifilm X-Mount
• New price: $1,499/£999
• Used price $820-870/£660-716

Fujifilm’s XF 56mm f/1.2 R ($999/£849) is much-loved by X-system owners, with this lens providing the same angle of view and ability to blur backgrounds as an 85mm f/1.8 on full frame. As its name suggests, the APD version adds an apodisation filter within the optics to smooth the bokeh when shooting at large apertures.

As this inevitably reduces the light transmission, the aperture ring has both f-stop and t-stop markings, with the difference between the two indicating the effect of the filter at each setting. This varies from a stop wide open to half a stop at f/2, and no effect at f/5.6.

Pros:

• Built-in apodisation filter
• Useful T-stop markings
• Satisfying aperture ring

Cons:

• Reduced light transmission

Read our Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R WR review

4.5 out of 5 stars

The best wideangle portrait photography lenses

While wideangle isn’t most people’s first thought when it comes to portraiture, exploring this perspective is a great way to capture images that feel a little different to the norm. Rather than focusing on making a subject as attractive as possible, wide-angle portraits tend to be all about character and humour. Here are the lenses we recommend if you want to give wideangle portraiture a try.

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 Asph

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 Asph.

At a glance:

• Micro Four Thirds mount
• New price: $1,297/£1,099
• Used price: $780-820/£750-780

Micro Four Thirds users interested in shooting wideangle portraits with shallow depth of field should consider this compact, lightweight optic. It provides the angle of view and depth of field control equivalent to a full-frame 24mm f/2.8, so won’t deliver especially blurred backgrounds, but as we’d expect from a Leica-badged lens, there’s very little to complain about in terms of image quality.

The weather-sealed barrel also includes an aperture ring, but this only works on Panasonic cameras, and not OM System/Olympus. If the price is too steep, OM System makes the lovely little M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 that costs around $800/£700 new and $388-440 / £289-304 used.

Pros:

• Excellent sharpness and overall quality
• Weather sealing
• Leica optics

Cons:

• Aperture ring doesn’t work with OM System/Olympus cameras
• Pricey

Read our Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 Asph review.

Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR

The Fujinon XF 16mm f/1.4 R W is weather sealed to match the X-T series

At a glance:

• Fujifilm X-Mount
• New price: $999/£829
• Used price: $637-668/£400-434

Fujifilm offers the most complete lens range of any APS-C sensor system, and this weather-sealed large-aperture prime is a case in point. It provides an angle of view equivalent to 24mm on full frame, while delivering a similar degree of out-of-focus blur to an f/2 optic.

Users needn’t worry about shooting it wide open, thanks to its excellent sharpness at large apertures, which is complemented by smooth and attractive bokeh. It boasts weather-resistant construction for outdoor use and employs an aperture ring that clicks at one-third stop intervals. The only slight drawback is that autofocus isn’t the quickest.

Pros:

• Very sharp, even wide open
• Weather resistance
• Finely adjustable aperture ring

Cons:

• Autofocus sometimes sluggish

Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM A

At a glance:

• Canon EF, Nikon F-Mount
• New price: $849/£699
• Used price: $525-579/£430-470

For full-frame DSLR users, this stunning optic in Sigma’s Art lineup provides a vastly more affordable alternative to Canon and Nikon’s own large-aperture 24mm lenses. Yet it does so while giving up very little in terms of optical quality, with the main downside being that it isn’t weather-sealed.

Its desirable features include an ultrasonic-type motor for fast, silent autofocus and a nine-bladed aperture for attractive bokeh. It’s not just the sharpness that’s impressive, but the overall look of the images, including the smooth, attractive rendition of out-of-focus regions. Quite simply, it produces lovely pictures with the minimum of fuss.

Pros:

• Very sharp for the price
• Much cheaper than Canon/Nikon equivalents
• 9-bladed aperture

Cons:

• No weather sealing

Read our Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art review.

Nikon Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8 S

An image from our Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8 S review. Photo credit: Angela Nicholson.

At a glance:

• Nikon Z-mount
• New price: $997/£1,099
• Used price: $730-760/£725-766

The advent of full-frame mirrorless systems has allowed camera manufacturers to re-evaluate their lens lineups, and Nikon has unusually created a set of f/1.8 primes that provide the premium image quality more usually associated with f/1.4 optics. The Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8 S is an exemplar of this approach.

While it’s surprisingly large for a f/1.8 lens – Sony’s 24mm f/1.4 is smaller and lighter – it still delivers superb images, while being notably more affordable than larger-aperture designs. It provides smooth, silent autofocus and its large manual focus ring can be customised via the camera menu to adjust aperture, exposure compensation or sensitivity.

Pros:

• Stellar image quality
• Customisable focus ring
• Reasonably affordable

Cons:

• On the bulky side for a f/1.8 lens

Read our Nikon Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8 S review.

Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 G Master

Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 G Master

At a glance:

• Sony FE-Mount
• New price: $1,298/£1,299
• Used price: $1,049-1,109/£869-929

Sony has been making full-frame mirrorless cameras for longer than anybody else, and this means that it can offer a significantly more extensive lens lineup, including a strong selection of premium fast primes.

While some of its early designs were disproportionately large for its small Alpha 7 bodies, its recent G Master optics provide a wonderfully balanced package of impressive sharpness and lovely bokeh in a compact design.

This lens is arguably the finest 24mm prime you can buy, with superb image quality combined with excellent usability, including an aperture ring that’s switchable between clicked and clickless operation and extensive weather-sealing.

Pros:

• Superb sharpness
• Well weatherproofed
• Size complements Alpha bodies

Cons:

• On the expensive side (though it’s worth it)

See our Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM sample gallery.

The best standard lenses for portrait photography

Standard lenses (meaning lenses around the 50mm focal length, with some wiggle room either side) are an excellent choice for creating environmental portraits that give a little context to your subject. As a 50mm lens provides a similar field of view to the human eye, images taken around this focal length tend to look quite naturalistic. Plus, while there are plenty of expensive standard primes, there are also quite a few cheap ones, so this is a good place to start if you’re looking to shoot portraits on a budget.

OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro

The OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO. Photo credit: Andy Westlake.

At a glance:

• Micro Four Thirds mount
• New price: $1,399/£1,099
• Used price: $700-750/£580-650

While Micro Four Thirds isn’t the most logical choice of system for shooting with shallow depth of field, this weather-sealed large-aperture prime is the best option for users looking for a 50mm equivalent lens that can isolate subjects from their backgrounds. Like Olympus’s 17mm and 45mm f/1.2 Pro-series optics, it’s designed to deliver ‘feathered’ bokeh by slight under-correction of spherical aberration.

In practice it produces lovely-looking images, with backgrounds dissolving away into a beautiful blur. MFT shooters looking for a smaller, more affordable, option should consider the weather-sealed Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 24mm f/1.4 ASPH Mark II version ($648/£569).

Pros:

• Beautiful feathered bokeh
• Focusing is rapid
• Good build quality

Cons:

• Pricey for an MFT lens
• And bulky

Read our Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro review.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G

At a glance:

• Nikon F-Mount
• New price: $1,596/£1,799
• Used price: $789-899/£594-750

This is a rare example of an optic that has all the hallmarks of a classic portrait lens, including a flattering softness wide open and gorgeous bokeh, but with a longer-than-usual standard focal length. This design approach makes it something of a niche lens, but so does the price. If you understand exactly what it’s for, though, this lens will reward you with really stunning images.

It’s well-suited to shooting couples, or portraits that include more of the subject’s surroundings. Naturally Nikon also offers more mainstream alternatives: for more conventional head-and-shoulders shots like the  AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G which sells for $477/£489 new or used $264-314/£244-269.

Pros:

• Gorgeous image quality
• Excellent bokeh and defocused area

Cons:

• Unusual focal length won’t suit everyone

Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE II

The Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE II is an impressive step forward. Photo credit: Andy Westlake.

At a glance:

• Sony FE-mount
• New price: $589/£509
• Used price:  $549-574/£444-520

Samyang was the first third-party maker to produce lenses for Sony’s full-frame mirrorless E-Mount cameras, and the AF 50mm f/1.4 FE was the first with autofocus, and as a result it wasn’t the quickest for AF. Luckily Samyang has improved on this with the second generation released five years later, the Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE II.

The new lens is completely new design, with additional features, impressive levels of sharpness, silent and accurate autofocus, and a weather resistant build. It’s also smaller and lighter than many rival lenses, and delivers smooth background blur. Plus it delivers high levels of sharpness even when shooting with the aperture wide open.

Pros:

• Improved autofocus
• Excellent sharpness
• Weather-resistant

Cons:

• Some visible aberration
• AF still playing catch-up with rivals

Read our Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE II review.

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

At a glance:

• Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A, Sigma mount
• New price: $779/£619
• Used price: $560-580/£434-454

If any lens counts as a modern classic, this is it. Building on the foundations laid by the earlier 35mm f/1.4, it cemented Sigma’s status as a top-tier lens maker and established its Art lineup as a true premium brand.

Compared to traditional DSLR 50mm f/1.4 designs, it’s large, heavy and expensive, but this allowed the firm to use a more complex optical design that does a far better job of suppressing spherical and chromatic aberrations. Indeed its ability to produce sharp, clean images at large apertures won it our product of the year award in 2015.

Pros:

• Superb technical image quality
• Works great at large apertures
• Good price on second-hand market

Cons:

• Big and heavy
• DSLR mounts only

Read our Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art review.

Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master

The Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master impressed in our review. Photo credit: Andy Westlake.

At a glance:

• Sony FE-mount
• New price: $1,898/£2,099
• Used price: $1,799-1,889/£1,799-1,889

One of the great advantages of mirrorless cameras is the way they make ultra-large-aperture lenses entirely practical to use. The increased freedom in optical design allows much sharper lenses to be constructed, while on-sensor phase detection delivers vastly more reliable autofocus.

Canon, Nikon and Sony have all recently produced 50mm f/1.2 optics, but Sony’s manages to be the smallest, lightest and least expensive. It delivers a giddying combination of impressive sharpness and lovely bokeh, backed up by rapid, reliable, and silent autofocus. It’s a pleasure to shoot with too, thanks to its comprehensive control set.

Pros:

• Smaller than comparable f/1.2 rivals
• Amazing sharpness and bokeh
• Well-designed physical controls

Cons:

• Some vignetting when wide open

Read our Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master review.

The best specialist lenses for bokeh in portrait photography

In this guide, naturally we’ve concentrated on conventional autofocus lenses. But some photographers like to experiment with alternatives that eschew the usual approach of minimising optical aberrations in favour of delivering a more characterful result.

Two names in particular stand out here: Lensbaby and Lomography. Both make delightfully quirky manual-focus designs that you’ll either love or hate.

Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6

Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6.

At a glance:

• Available in Canon RF, Canon EF, Fujfilm X, L-Mount, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z, Nikon F, Pentax K and Sony E mounts
• New prices: $360 black, $550 silver /£489 black, £599 silver.
• Special edition $650, Nikon F, Canon EF

This portrait lens for APS-C cameras offers an aperture of f/1.6 for shallow depth of field and defocused backgrounds. It employs a 4-element, 3-group optical formula which the firm says delivers ‘tack-sharp detail layered underneath edge-to-edge velvety glow’ (technically a textbook description of under-corrected spherical aberration).

A minimum focus distance of just 12cm allows it to do double-duty for close-ups, with half life-size magnification. The lens is available in all DSLR and mirrorless mounts, and there’s an 85mm f/1.8 version for full-frame cameras, too.

Pros:

• Large mount selection
• Large aperture
• Distinctive ‘glowy’ look

Cons:

• Highly specialised
• Lags in sharpness stakes

Lomography Petzval 80.5mm f/1.9 Mark II

The Lomography Petzval 80.5mm f1.9 Mark II comes in black and brass finishes. Photo credit: Lomography

At a glance:

• Canon EF, Nikon F mounts
• New price: $449-549/£339-449 depending on finish

Taking its inspiration from a 19th-century optical design, this short telephoto portrait lens is defined by its relatively small region of central sharpness and characteristic ‘swirly bokeh’. The original version employed a rack-and-pinion focusing system and drop-in aperture stops, but this MkII design boasts a conventional focusing helicoid and aperture diaphragm, making it much more practical to use.

It’s available finished in black aluminium, black brass or retro satin brass, and in Canon EF or Nikon F mount. The Bokeh Control Art version of this lens, again in Canon EF and Nikon F, costs from $469/£549. You can get this lens from Lomography direct: USA store and UK store.

Pros:

• Beautiful vintage design
• More practical to use than previous Petzvals
• Distinctive swirly bokeh

Cons:

• DSLRs only
• A bit niche

Related articles:

Best cameras for portrait photography you can buy

Portrait tips from the pros

Best budget portrait lenses

How to take better portraits on a budget

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The post The best lenses for portrait photography appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Gen Z has long established itself as a nostalgic generation, one that yearns to capture moments, big and small. In a time when stills and video can be captured in near perfection, authenticity and the emotional resonance of a moment appear key and this is reflected in recent trends like the ‘video your life as a Wes Anderson film’ trend.

England and Brazil face off at Wembley Stadium as a crowd of fans watch on, photo taken on Kodak Gold film. Photo credit: Harriet Duffy.

Many young photographers have taken to using film and even vintage digital cameras to document the world around them, rather than the countless mirrorless cameras with an ever-growing number of megapixels available to them nowadays.

Another thing that has seen a surge in recent years is women’s football, particularly in the UK with the Lionesses’ victory at the 2022 Women’s UEFA European Championship and successful run at this year’s Women’s World Cup culminating in making it to the final match against Spain. Raiyan Rafiq and Harriet Duffy are two young photographers (and women’s football fans), both 25, who have been documenting this rise of the women’s game in the UK since last summer – focusing on the fan experience –  on analogue cameras.

Sports photography is probably not the first genre you’d think of for doing film today, especially as film cameras can be unreliable and film itself is increasingly pricey.

Film photography and the power of capturing moments in sports – Harriet Duffy

Harriet Duffy’s photography journey began with her fascination with capturing moments. She says, ‘I like the idea of being able to look back on a place, a relationship or a sporting event and be able to remember the feeling at the time in which an image was captured.’

In 2014 she stumbled across her parents’ old Olympus Trip 35 compact camera, which she found was a perfect introduction to film photography given that it wasn’t overwhelmingly full of functions and settings. Since then, film has been her medium of choice. Why? The lengthy development and scanning process plus limited number of shots don’t faze Duffy, who explains that it is exactly this that reiterates her love of film.

Scenes from the terrace after England opened the scoring in the UEFA Women’s Euros final against Germany at Wembley Stadium. Photo taken with an Olympus Mju and Fujifilm Superia 200 film. Photo credit: Harriet Duffy.

Following her graduation from university last summer, she was commissioned to photograph the 2022 Women’s UEFA European Championship and stood pitchside in Wembley as England’s women’s team won England its first major trophy since 1966 when the men’s team won the World Cup.

Duffy believes that incorporating film photography into women’s football ‘helps increase the creativity of the game off the pitch. The more interpretations of football the better.’

She currently works as a freelance photographer and writer specialising in women’s football, shooting film at matches for independent outlets like Copa90 and Indivisa. She has even been commissioned to document the fan experience on the grounds of the UEFA Women’s European Championship with a Fujifilm Instax Square 1 camera which she enjoyed a lot, saying, ‘Whilst yes, it’s instant, you’ve still got to wait a bit for it to develop, meaning endless conversations with the subjects about the nostalgia of the camera.’

Photo taken with Olympus Mju and Kodak Colorplus 200 film. Photo credit: Harriet Duffy.

And for Duffy, this made it the perfect camera to document women’s football fans during that Euros tournament as it ‘highlighted just how euphoric that month was’.

As to what’s usually in her kit bag, Duffy explains that she’s limited due to the ‘A4-size bag only’ rule at football games in England. ‘If I’m in the stands I tend to just take my Mju I and three rolls of film but if I’m pitchside it’ll be my Canon AL-1, Olympus Mju I and Canon EOS 300 with five rolls of film. I tend to limit my shooting to two rolls per game to keep the costs down and ensure no frame is wasted.’

If given the choice to choose one camera and one type of film for the rest of time, however, she’d go with the Olympus Mju I with Kodak Gold 400 film that have become her go-to kit to have in her bag: ‘Having something so readily available when I’m on the move, weaving in and out of fans, is invaluable to capturing the true atmosphere I encounter.’

Some of Duffy’s Euro ‘22 instant photos taken with a Fujifilm Instax Square 1 for the opening game of the UEFA Women’s Euro between host nation England and Austria taking place at Old Trafford, Manchester. Credit: Harriet Duffy.

Street photography is her favourite genre, as she likes to ‘document things naturally because authenticity in representing women’s football is so important to me due to my passion for the game’.

Football player turned sports photographer – Raiyan Rafiq

Raiyan Rafiq, like Harriet, is a freelance photographer working predominantly in women’s football, as well as an avid football fan. She will also be studying for a postgraduate degree in law soon.

She began taking photos at high school tournaments but didn’t take it too seriously at the time as she was a player herself. After she moved to London from Bangladesh, Rafiq struggled with the pressure of university and learning to live abroad alone but after her father encouraged her to combine two activities she enjoyed – photography and football – she started attending matches in person.

Photo taken during the pre match ceremony at Wembley Stadium in London. Photo credit: Raiyan Rafiq.

And this is how she got into sports photography in the UK. ‘Before the Euros, the attendances were not very high so the security was relaxed, and we could take our cameras and lenses,’ she says. Last summer she was commissioned to photograph the Women’s UEFA European Championships by Indivisa and was also there to see the Lionesses’ historic win.

She described this as a ‘dream’ and a ‘full circle moment’ especially as she enjoys ‘capturing photos that tell a story or evoke emotions in a certain moment or time’, citing photojournalism and event photography as her favourite genres.

Rafiq blends digital photography with film photography too, depending on who she’s shooting and when she’s shooting. ‘If there is an indoor event, then I will probably rely on digital as not everyone likes the flash from a film camera – they can often be quite overpowering,’ she says. It also depends on the type of shot she’s after. She says that while she might capture the match itself on digital, ‘I prefer to capture the atmosphere and fans on film.’

Photo credit: Raiyan Rafiq.

For her, the nostalgic quality of film is a given. Then there’s the film aesthetic, she says, the unique contrast, tonal range or grain a film photo has that you can’t replicate digitally. There is also the need to be patient. ‘We get everything so instantly nowadays that it takes the experience of anticipation out of it. Film is exciting because you don’t get a result immediately.’ She likens the experience to opening presents on your birthday.

For Rafiq, film cameras, much like other gadgets from the 1990s and beyond that have returned from the dead, such as vinyl, Walkman, and typewriters, present a hands-on experience that makes them more endearing. ‘You need to learn about the device before you can use it, instead of just powering it up and clicking a button,’ she says. ‘So, in a way you feel more in tune with your devices, as clichéd as that may sound.’

31st July, 2022 at Wembley Stadium, London. Photo credit: Raiyan Rafiq.

On a regular shooting day, Rafiq carries a digital camera, the Canon EOS 600D, as well as two film cameras, a Canon 5000 and a Pentax point and shoot. These are usually joined by a 300mm telephoto zoom lens and three to four rolls of film. ‘Because the weather in this city is always so unpredictable, I have started carrying a rain cover’ she adds.

Her favourite film camera, however, is also the Olympus Mju I. She says, ‘I loved the camera so much when I picked it up a few years back and instantly fell in love with it. The size is perfect, and the quality is amazing. Thus contributing to my username on Instagram, RaWithAMju’. As for film, for her that prize goes to the Kodak Ektar 100, ‘the contrast is always so brilliant and the colours pop out so well. It’s incredibly smooth but at the same time retains the feel of a film.’

Arsenal goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo greets fans. Photo credit: Raiyan Rafiq.

Sports photography on film – how to get started

Her advice? ‘Start small and then move up.’ Rafiq recommends beginners start with a point and shoot and then switch to more analogue cameras, ‘You need to learn to fall in love with the process or else you will end up spending money on a camera you barely use’. She also points to YouTube as a great place to learn from other photographers who go through the technicalities, what cameras to buy, how to use them and more.

‘I also think you have to be open to failing a lot. Some days, I have taken only twelve good pictures out of thirty-six and while that can understandably be frustrating, it has also helped me get a grip on the dos and don’ts. Most importantly, love what you capture. Document the things you love, and the photos will speak for themselves.’

Harriet’s biggest advice would be to go out and shoot as much as possible. ‘I was lucky in that I started shooting film when Agfa Vista was available for £1 in shops meaning I could learn from experimentation and experience. With film costs being extortionate now I recognise that that’s a privilege today but it’s nice seeing new people come into the industry to try and counter the costs such as Candido.’

At the moment, Duffy is getting ready for the new European domestic football season which will be starting in October. ‘I’ll be back in the stands and the pitchside capturing what’s set to be one of the biggest years for the Women’s Super League after the tournament the Lionesses just had’.

Rafiq is heartbroken at not being able to go to Australia to watch the Women’s World Cup. She is taking a break from sports photography before the WSL season starts anew. ‘I am trying to capture more everyday living through photos. Trying to fall in love with the minute, ordinary things’.

Follow Harriet Duffy and Raiyan Rafiq on Instagram to see more of their work.

Related content:

• How to shoot action and sports photography
• How to do film photography on a budget
• Top tips for how to get creative with analogue film photography
• Complete guide to Portrait photography – How to get started

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The post Capturing Women’s football on film appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Ian Pack guides us through the process of creating successful portraits for less with gear that is both inexpensive and easily available in-store and online.

How to shoot better portraits on a budget

For this article, I used a Canon full-frame DSLR, a 50mm prime lens and inexpensive Speedlites. The 50mm lens I used is very popular and available for around $125 / £130 new but it’s worth seeking out used bargains. A 50mm prime is ideal because it gives portraits a natural feel without creating distance between the photographer and model.

Check this out for more of the best 50mm prime lenses you can buy today, which you can get from as low as $136 / £109.

Photo credit: Ian Pack.

In terms of flash lighting, the Speedlite, hot shoe flash, small flash or off-camera flash – they are referred to by different names by different photographers and manufacturers – are accessible, versatile and inexpensive. One of the Speedlites used for this article, the Kenro Speedflash, costs £95 (and at the moment you can get it for a discounted price of £71.49 from the Kenro website).

The main image on this page (see below) was photographed with the Speedlite mounted on the camera hot shoe with a homemade bounce card to spread and soften the hard light from a direct Speedlite.

Photo credit: Ian Pack.

The image is essentially straight out-of-camera with a few post-processing tweaks to the raw file and conversion to black and white using the latest version of DxO Nik Collection Colour Efex Pro 4 Dynamic Skin Softener and Silver Efex 3 Ilford Pan F 50 film emulation.

To darken the background relative to the model, I set the camera to aperture priority mode and set the flash to TTL automatic. I used the camera exposure compensation to underexpose the ambient light by about one stop. The camera controlled the exposure for the background whilst the model was lit by the flash.

As a general rule when working with flash the lens aperture works with the flash exposure and the shutter speed controls the ambient light.

Ian used a white shoot-through umbrella with a white foam core V-flat to bounce light back into his subject’s face. Canon EOS R, 50mm, 1/160sec at f/5.6, ISO 320. Photo credit: Ian Pack.

Flash and shutter speed

DSLR, mirrorless and other system cameras will have a recommended maximum shutter speed to trigger the flash. This is known as the flash sync speed and the fastest shutter speed at which your flash will fire when not using high-speed sync in TTL mode. If you use a higher or shorter duration shutter speed when not using high-speed TTL mode, you will notice a black band across your photos.

Most Speedlites enable you to shoot up to 1/8000 sec. allowing you to use a wide lens aperture in bright light conditions, provided that your flash is powerful enough. Speedlites average around 60Ws output. The watt-second is the energy equivalent to the power of one Watt sustained for one second. Basically, the higher the Ws value, the more powerful your flash.

The gear you need for taking better portraits

Shoot-through white umbrella

The shoot-through or translucent umbrella is inexpensive and versatile. They can be used to soften hard direct flashes for portraits or spread light for room interiors.

Shooting through a white umbrella

Kenro Speedflash KFL101

Probably the best-value Speedlite available in the UK, priced around £95. Compatible with both Canon e-TTL and Nikon i-TTL metering with a high flash sync shutter speed of 1/8000th second.

Kenro Speedflash

Godox S2 Bracket

The perfect way to fit your Speedlite to a lighting stand. The Godox S2 allows you to use umbrellas and a range of Bowens S-Type light modifiers.

Godox Flash Bracket

Flash triggers

Wireless triggers offer a longer range from your flash and the ability to fire multiple flashes, while a cable is less expensive and doesn’t need much experience to get you photographing.

Flash radio trigger

Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 Plus

While not inexpensive, this is a useful piece of kit serving as a small key light, accent or background light. Folds flat for portability.

Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Speedlite

Bounce cards

The bounce card is one of the least expensive ways to modify the light from your small flash. Bounce cards rely on bouncing light forward and ceiling bounce, assuming that you’re working inside. Both make the relative size of your flash bigger and can be shaped to bounce the light when there’s no ceiling or if the ceiling is a colour other than white.

The light reflected from either is indistinguishable from the other. There is one significant difference between these two bounce cards – price. The commercially available bounce card costs over £30, and the DIY version is less than £5!

DIY Bounce Card

How to shoot better portraits on a budget: Getting started

You don’t need a dedicated studio space to create successful portraits. All of the portraits in this article were photographed in a living room, covered outside area or outdoors. Along with a light source, you’ll need a light stand and means of mounting the flash to the light stand. Here I used a Godox bracket – something I consider versatile and value for money.

Once you have your gear together and set up, check to make sure it’s working correctly. Does the flash fire when the camera shutter is pressed? Is the flash switched on? Did you charge the batteries for the flash trigger? All things to consider before your model arrives. I used a black pop-up backdrop held to a light stand with a large A clamp.

Photo credit: Alexander Dummer via Unsplash,

Pop-up backdrops vary in quality and price. Less expensive backdrops do show creases in the stretch fabric. A good cheap option for a black backdrop is a piece of polyester fleece, the fabric used for warm clothing or blankets clamped to a curtain track. The flash was zoomed to the 24mm setting to increase spread inside the umbrella.

Remember with Speedlites zooming the head does not alter the quality of the light, just the coverage of the light beam. Some Speedlites are supplied with a small white plastic box which fits over the front of the light. These do spread the light inside modifiers improving shadow edge transition.

The way to differentiate hard and soft light is as follows – hard light is characterised by shadows with a sharp edge, whereas with soft light the shadow edges have a gradual transition from light to dark.

Working with your model

Photo credit: Lauren Pelesky via Unsplash.

Once your model arrives make them welcome, then discuss your plans for the shoot if you have not already done so. Keep the model informed during the shoot and involve them in the process, asking for their input from time to time. The model featured here discussed the shoot with me a couple of weeks before, which helped on the day as we both knew what to expect and the potential outcome.

Good communication and rapport are key when it comes to capturing successful portraits. It also helps to have a Pinterest mood board with potential ideas to share and discuss with the model prior to the shoot.

Don’t be too ambitious though, especially when working with relatively new models. Choose a couple of ideas to work with initially and have a few others lined up as extras in case you have some time left over. The key thing with portrait shoots is to keep them short, develop new skills and most of all, have fun.

See more information on the do’s and don’ts of working with models.

Ian’s top tips for better portraits on a budget:

1. Negative fill as the background: Instead of using a reflector to add light to the shadows, use a piece of black card, cloth or the black side of a 5-in-1 reflector. This will reduce the light reflected from surfaces close to your model and add contrast and drama to the final image.
   

   Photo credit: Ian Pack.

    

2. Blur the background, and highlight your model: Use a wide lens aperture somewhere between f/1.8 and f/3.2 to throw the background out of focus. It helps if the background is at least 3 metres from your model.
   

   Photo credit: Ian Pack.

    

3. Experiment: I used the gold reflective side of a 5-in-1 reflector and a small softbox designed specifically for small flash guns or Speedlites. If you look carefully at the catchlights in the model’s eyes you can gauge the approximate position and size of the softbox.
   

   Photo credit: Ian Pack.

    

4. Dare to bare:  Here a bare Speedlite (one without a modifier) was clamped to the frame inside the polytunnel to light the grower. Zooming the flash to 105mm gave a narrow beam of light adding emphasis whilst maintaining a natural balance between the flash and the ambient exposure.
   

   Photo credit: Ian Pack.

    

5. Bounce your flash: This is a quick and simple way to create soft light for portraits. For this portrait I used a single Speedlite handheld to camera left with a Rogue FlashBender to bounce the hard flashlight, giving a larger relative light source which mimicked the heavy cloud cover.
   

   Photo credit: Ian Pack.

    

6. Drag the shutter: Using a slow shutter speed below the recommended flash sync speed allows more ambient light to record during the flash exposure. For this image, I set my camera to 1/40sec, f/4 and ISO 160. An inexpensive 40in (100cm) umbrella softbox provided a broad flattering light.

Photo credit: Ian Pack.

Why it works:

Photo credit: Ian Pack.

This photograph is a good example of a small flash in a relatively inexpensive pop-up softbox where the light is not influenced by reflective surfaces in a room. I needed to work quickly because there was a lot of foot traffic where I had chosen to shoot. The concept was to create a glamorous feel whilst maintaining the atmosphere of the street lights.

I chose to shoot with a Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS L Series zoom on Canon EOS 5D Mark II full-frame body to get compression with the background whilst maintaining focus on the model. The camera was set to ISO 320, shutter speed 1/15sec, lens aperture f/5.6 zoomed to around 200mm.

Instead of using a tripod to support the lens and camera, I used the tripod to support my left elbow to supplement the lens image stabilisation. This gives more freedom of movement when photographing a moving model whilst maintaining up/down stability where much camera shake occurs.

Photo credit: Ian Pack.

Before photographing the final frames, I shot a frame of the background with the camera in aperture priority mode to judge the background exposure and used my exposure table to estimate the manual flash exposure. Ultimately both the flash and the camera were set to manual in order to maintain consistent frame to frame exposure not influenced by the reflectance of the model.

This style can be created with inexpensive equipment, understanding of exposure, including how to get consistently sharp images in low-light conditions, a model, props and rapport with the team.

Ian Pack

About Ian Pack:

Ian is a seasoned photographer based in Sussex. He works across a number of industries and runs a creative studio. To see his work visit his Instagram.

Related articles:

Best budget portrait lenses

How to Shoot Portrait Photos at Home

Beginners guide to Portrait photography

Portrait photography tips and advice

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The post How to take better portraits on a budget appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Portrait and Headshot Photography tips from Rory Lewis

‘Described by the British Film Institute as one of the most versatile English actors of his generation, David Morrissey is noted for the meticulous preparation and research he undertakes for his roles – you may have recently seen him in the hit BBC drama series, Sherwood,’ Rory explains.

‘I captured David’s portrait for a new project entitled Selah, drawing inspiration from the Old Master painters such as Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Titian and Ribera. I have attempted to masterfully recreate the light, atmosphere and tones of classical portrait paintings.’

‘I like to call this position the hero shot, positioning the subject side on, looking across their shoulder. I am positioned slightly lower, thus making David look tall and prominent.’

Actor David Morrissey Photo credit: Rory Lewis.

Studio lighting can seem daunting if you have never tried it before, but as Rory explains, ‘It’s not nearly as scary as most people think. To my mind, it’s all about keeping things simple. Most of my portrait sittings are like this one, using just one or two lights. Here, I used two Profoto B10 heads, with two Small Octa Softboxes.’

‘One was behind at 220 degrees right, and the other was in front of David, again to the right at 140 degrees. I also used a Manfrotto 1×1 Skylight Rapid to the left to tone down the shadows.’

David was captured at 1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100. ‘I never deviate from either f/5.6 or 7.1 in my portraits, using the medium format Hasselblad X1D II 50C camera,’ adds Rory. ‘These apertures deliver great depth and detail.’

A portrait used in a promotional campaign for Cardiff University. Photo credit: Rory Lewis.

Rory Lewis’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Find compelling subjects – ‘You are nothing without a compelling subject. Try creating a theme or project. This could be a member of the family who has a story to tell, or someone in your community.’
2. Be inspired by fine art – ‘My style is influenced by Renaissance portraiture and “chiaroscuro” – a technique which uses strong tonal contrasts between light and dark to model three-dimensional forms.’ See our top fine art portrait photography tips
3. Keep lighting simple – ‘As mentioned, most of my portrait sittings utilise just one or two lights. Try this simple set-up yourself – position one flash head with a shoot-through umbrella at a 45° angle to the model, at about six feet high. This creates a strong, hard, direct light from the side and above. I guarantee this will create vivid results.’

Rory Lewis

Rory Lewis won the Portrait of Britain award for four years in a row and is a National Portrait Gallery BAME artist. He also runs courses and mentorship programmes.

See more of Rory’s work on his website and Instagram.

Fashion and Editorial Portrait Photography tips from Gigi Umbrasaite

Luke Clark

Luke Clark. This portrait was shot indoors with natural side light from a nearby window.
Sony A7R III, 85mm, 1/500sec at f/2.8, ISO 1250. Photo credit: Gigi Umbrasaite

This shot of Luke Clark was taken in Greenwich, London, on a sunny day that had intermittent, crazy downpours. We ended up in a pub for shelter until the showers passed over. While we were sitting and waiting, I noticed the light coming through the window right next to our table and just decided to snap some portraits.

I was shooting on an 85mm lens, so I needed to be far back from Luke, but just the end of the table was enough distance to frame him for a portrait. With enough light coming in and some shadows from being indoors, I decided to turn this shot black & white to give it a little more of a cinematic feel.

I made minor adjustments to the exposure in Lightroom followed by minimal skin retouching (dodge and burn) to lighten up shadows under Luke’s eyes, nose and lips in Photoshop.

Kateryna Zub

Kateryna Zub. Shooting on a dull day can often add to the mood of a portrait. Sony A7R III, 85mm, 1/640sec at f/3.2, ISO 800. Photo credit: Gigi Umbrasaite

This shot of Kateryna Zub was taken in Hyde Park, London. It was a gloomy day, but in this case, it was working well for us as it was adding to the mood. As always, I look for interesting backgrounds that will complement my subject. I spotted reed sweet-grass that was already dry and a golden colour that beautifully matched Kateryna’s hair, giving us lovely, earthy tones.

I framed some of the grass just in front of my lens to add interest and create more depth. This also gave the appearance of the location being in the fields in the countryside and not in the heart of London.

I used Lightroom to apply a small amount of colour correction and tweaked the shadows and exposure. This was followed by some minor
skin retouching in Photoshop. Kateryna’s skin didn’t needed much; minimal dodge and burn was enough to lift the shadows.

Pelle Frederiksen

Pelle Frederiksen. Seek shade from nearby trees on bright, sunny days.
Sony A7R III, 85mm, 1/1250sec at f/2.8, ISO 200. Photo credit: Gigi Umbrasaite

This portrait of Pelle Frederiksen was taken in the Lancaster Gate area of Hyde Park in London. It was a bright, sunny day so the light was harsh which meant we had to find some shade. I spotted a beautiful tree that was covered in white blossom that I thought would be nice to include in the portrait. I wanted to capture some of the light peeking through the tree, so we decided to do a shot lying down on a bed of grass and white blossom that had fallen off the tree.

I also made use of the shadow from Pelle’s hand that dropped right across his face helping to block the sun and keep his eyes open. This took quite a few attempts but I think we nailed the shot. I made minimal Lightroom exposure and colour correction followed by Photoshop dodge and burn. I like to keep my natural light portraits with as minimal editing as possible, always making sure my shots are 99% spot on when I take them.

Gigi Umbrasaite’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Cloudy mode: This is my favourite top tip to achieve warmer tones, especially shooting in England with weather being so unpredictable and often grey. By selecting the Cloudy White Balance mode on your camera, you can warm up your images and make your model look livelier and more youthful.
2. Diffuse the light: As I mainly shoot outdoors, I find shooting on sunny days to be a little tricky without getting strong shadows, burnt-out highlights and squinty eyes. Always look for some shade and light bounce. In bright situations I like to look for lighter-coloured backgrounds so images can still look nice and bright but without the harsh light. If you have a spare hand or an assistant, you can always use a portable diffuser/reflector.
3. Be precise and intentional: Treat your natural light portrait session like a film camera, where every shot counts. Take your time to compose your shot and make sure the lighting is just right before pressing the shutter. As soon as you get the shot, move from that pose, location or change the outfit for the next shot. This way you minimise your shutter count and speed up your time on set. Working in this way will also save you time later so you don’t need to go through thousands of images. Quality over quantity.

Gigi Umbrasaite

Gigi is a Lithuanian fashion and portrait photographer based in Brighton. She grew up in a family of photographers and started shooting from an early age. After finishing school in Lithuania, Gigi moved to study in England where her photography career took off. Now Gigi is working with magazines, fashion and commercial brands, and modelling agencies all over the world. She is also a member of the the UK Portraits team, part of Shooters. See www.gg-photo.com or @ggphotographyofficial

Fashion and Beauty Portrait Photography tips from Jade Keshia Gordon

WMNS

‘This (below) was taken on a shoot for a fashion campaign for the spring/summer collection of clothes brand WMNS WEAR,’ recalls Jade. The theme of the campaign was ‘Euphoria’.

The model, Lay, was placed close to a white wall in the studio. The wall was lit by two, colour-adjustable RGB LED panel lights placed at 45 degrees on either side of the model, which were set to bright purple. A white spotlight was then projected onto the model from the front and slightly to the left of the model.

The effect of this was to create a strong, hard purple shadow in a white circle on the background. Jade took this shot using an EF 8-15mm f/4 L Fisheye on a Canon EOS R5, via the RF adapter, and used an exposure of 1/125sec at f/4 at ISO 320. Because she was shooting so close to the model, this made the placement of the spotlight quite tricky. ‘We needed it to be as close to the front of the model as possible but without getting my shadow in the shot too.’

Photo credit: Jade Keshia Gordon.

Jade Keshia Gordon’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Experiment with spotlights – The use of a spotlight has created a visually striking image, enhanced by the use of coloured background lights which created the coloured shadow. ‘Spotlights like this one are expensive but you can get a similar effect with a digital or slide projector,’ Jade advises. ‘They won’t be as bright but you can shoot at a higher ISO to compensate.’
2. Try using a wide-angle lens – ‘Some people think you have to shoot portraits with short telephoto lenses but wIde-angles are very common in fashion photography. They’re great for when you want to accentuate the shape and style of a garment. I shot this using the 24-70mm lens too, but it didn’t have the same vibe as with the fisheye.’
3. Use colour creatively – ‘Colourful backgrounds can really make a portrait “pop” but you need to take care to ensure that they complement the subject’s skin tone and clothing rather than clashing with them. Use coloured walls or dedicated colour backdrops, or colour a white or grey wall using gels over your lights, or RGB LED lights with variable colours.’

Jade Keshia Gordon

Jade Keshia Gordon is a London-based fashion and beauty photographer who has shot for the likes of Nike and Canon. Her work has appeared in magazines including Forbes and Elle.

See more of Jade’s work on her website and Instagram.

Model portrait photography tips from Darren Boyd

Athena

Athena. The angle you choose to shoot from can have a great impact on your portrait
and what you want to say. Nikon Z 6, 85mm, 1/1250sec at f/1.8, ISO 250. Photo credit: Darren Boyd

As I composed this portrait of Athena, I aimed to capture her strength and femininity. Using a low angle, I created a sense of height and power while still highlighting her natural beauty. To make Athena stand out even more, I utilised the power of bokeh to separate her from the background and draw the viewer’s attention to her. Using my trusty Nikon Z6 camera and 85mm f/1.2 lens, I captured every detail of Athena’s features, resulting in a stunning image that perfectly showcases her beauty and strength as a model. To enhance the shot, I used a single octagon softbox to create a soft, flattering light highlighting Athena’s left side.

Additionally, I carefully positioned her so that the sun backlit her body, adding depth and dimension to the image. This portrait is a true testament to the power of thoughtful lighting, composition, and creative photography techniques. I am incredibly proud of the result and thrilled to have captured Athena’s full range of beauty and strength in a single shot.

Stephen Manas

Stephen Manas. Using a wide aperture not only eliminates any background distractions, it also draws us into the focal point of a portrait, the eyes. 
Nikon Z 6, 85mm, 1/125sec at f/2, ISO 160. Photo credit: Darren Boyd

In a London car park, I captured the essence of Stephen Manas, an actor from the Emmy-winning Apple TV series Ted Lasso, through a commissioned headshot that’s breathtaking. Using only natural light, I accentuated the contours of Manas’ face, creating a striking separation from the background with my Nikon 85mm f/1.8 lens and a powerful depth of field. But it was in post-processing with Affinity Photo on my trusty iPad Pro where I worked my magic.

The eyes are the windows to the soul, and in Manas’ piercing gaze, I found a profoundly intimate and meaningful connection. I captured Manas’ unique essence in a captivating and unforgettable portrait by drawing the viewer in with his engaging stare. The final image is a testament to the power of photography to capture not just the subject’s likeness but also the very essence of their being. It’s a striking and dramatic portrait that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who beholds it.

Massay

Massay. Make use of surrounding features in your environment for natural frames to add context and mood. Nikon Z 6, 24-70mm, 1/100sec at f/2.8, ISO 400. Photo credit: Darren Boyd

As I arrived for my planned photoshoot with Courtney Massay, a talented male model, I was excited to capture his unique personality in the urban environment of Liverpool Street, London. As a photographer who loves to push the boundaries and create innovative and creative shots, I was determined to find a way to showcase Massay’s bold and confident vibe.

We started the shoot with Massay sitting on the steps, and I immediately saw the opportunity to use the metal railings as a framing device. I wanted to create a gritty, urban feel reflecting his edgy and masculine style. As we continued the shoot, I played with different angles and perspectives to find the perfect shot to capture Massay’s unique energy and personality.

Finally, the moment arrived, and I snapped the shot that would become the centrepiece of the shoot. The framing was perfect, with the metal railings adding an edgy and urban vibe that perfectly complemented Massay’s personality. The image captured his raw vitality and bold confidence, creating a powerful and unforgettable portrait that genuinely reflected his spirit. I was thrilled with the result and proud to have captured the essence of this dynamic and inspiring male model.

Darren Boyd’s top portrait photography tips

1. It’s in the eyes: Capturing details of the eyes is crucial in portrait photography. Use a wide aperture for a shallow depth of field and ensure the eyes are in sharp focus.
2. Experiment: Don’t be afraid to shoot at different angles. Experimenting with angles can create a unique perspective and add variety to your portraits.
3. Natural framing: Experiment with framing. Use objects in the environment to create a natural frame around your subject. This can add depth and draw attention to the subject. Try different aspect ratios for added visual interest.

Darren Boyd

Darren is an award-winning photographer based in London and Hampshire, specialising in hyper-realistic portraits that make a connective impact. Darren works with actors and models to create stunning and impactful imagery. To see more of his work, visit www.boydvisuals.com or @boydvisuals

Commercial Portrait Photography tips from Sam Nash

Ballerina

‘This shot of dancer Kate Byrne was achieved using the Rotolight AEOS 2 in an indoor abandoned shaft studio which had multiple floors and shooting locations within it. The model was framed neatly within the bricks which I lit up with an orange filter chosen from the 2,500 digital filters that were available.

‘At times, the colours chosen are purely aesthetic to match the wardrobe, as well as the ambience of the shoot. I set up another AEOS 2, set to 40% power, inside the new Rotolight P90 parabolic soft dome placed six feet from Kate to give a beautiful key light on her. I used a Sony Alpha 1 camera with a 50mm F1.2 GM lens.’

Ballerina. Photo credit: Sam Nash.

Kesha

‘Kesha appeared in James Bond’s most recent outing, No Time to Die. This shot was achieved using just one Rotolight NEO 3. It was shot outdoors, in an alley.’

‘Using continuous LED lighting was essential, as this shot was taken in the evening. A perfectly lit shot controls the shadows in the portrait, making a shot like this more visually interesting and dynamic. The chosen location set the mood and the model’s pose was strategic – it could have been more mundane had the model looked directly into the camera. I used a Sony A1 camera with a 50mm F1.2 GM lens.’

Kesha. Photo credit: Sam Nash.

Black dress

‘This shot, of model Katia Valerievna, was achieved using one Rotolight NEO 3, positioned 45 degrees from the model, during London Fashion Week.’

‘The NEO 3 was set at about 36% output. Time was of the essence, so I had to move quickly between shots as there were many people on location. By placing my model on the steps, it gave a 3D sense of depth to my subject, and it allowed the contrasting colours between the model’s dress and the environment to really pop and achieve a dusky, romantic feel to the image.’

‘I used a Sony Alpha 1 camera with a 50mm F1.2 GM lens.’

Black dress. Photo credit: Sam Nash

Sam’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Choosing locations – ‘With outdoor shooting the choice of location is vital, but I rarely pre-plan as I find my creativity is heightened by exploring locations during a shoot. But do have a clear concept of the ambiance and general atmosphere that you want.’
2. Use LED lighting – ‘The source of light is key in creating a successful portrait image. It sets the tone and mood. For me, continuous LED lights make the most sense with modern cameras. My Rotolight NEO and AEOS lights are powerful and the 16.7 million colours allow me to light my subject in various unique ways.’
3. Compose carefully – ‘Perfecting your composition is the single most important skill in capturing the perfect portrait. Learn to master lines, depth, shapes, framing, and point of view; all help relay the message of the photograph. It is also what makes your image pop. Remove as many elements in a scene as you can to avoid clutter in picture. This keeps the shot simple so nothing distracts from your subject.’

Sam Nash

Sam Nash is a London-based portrait photographer who started out shooting events before progressing to commercial photography – shooting ad campaigns for magazines, retail, and lifestyle shoots. He now focuses solely on portrait and fashion photography as he found his true passion lies there.

See more of Sam’s work on his website and Instagram.

Creative portrait photography guidance from Therese Asplund

Empowered

Empowered. Styling is key when it comes to creative portraiture.
Nikon Z 9, 24-70mm, 1/125sec, f/11, ISO 100. Photo credit: Therese Asplund

I wanted to create an image that portrayed the feeling of confidence and beauty you sometimes feel just by putting on a red lipstick. By using a red backdrop lit with two Elinchrom ONE strobes with red gels attached and no light on the model, I created a wonderful silhouette to play with. The mouth area was lit by an Elinchrom FIVE with an optical snoot.

To create shape, I used a dress with a lot of volume in the skirt, and paper plates to build the headpiece. Posing the hands and the fingers were very important to create the right character and I tried a lot of variations before I got the result I was after. The image is shot with Nikon Z 9 and a Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. The model is Alice Vestman and I did the styling.

Fisheye

Fisheye. Starting with a concept, and developing the image from that, can give unique results
Nikon Z 9, 24-70mm, 1/125sec at f/11, ISO 100. Photo credit: Therese Asplund

I love to create images with a lot of humour and play with words when giving them a title. This is Alice and her pet fish, Mr Raj. The idea for the image came from Alice complaining about how easy it was for her friends, who had cats, dogs, and horses, to get nice images with their pets. I love a challenge and came up with this idea so she could have an unforgettable portrait with her pet.

The blue colour theme comes from the fish and the styling is inspired by the waves of the ocean and acrobatic swimmers. The lighting is one Elinchrom ELC1000 in a clam light set-up, centred up high, with a white reflective screen under to lift the shadows. The image is shot with a Nikon Z 9 and a Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. The model is Alice Vestman and I did the styling.

Safe from the Waves

Safe from the Waves. Set yourself challenges to test and improve your skillset and creativity
Nikon D850, 24-70mm, 1/100sec at f/9, ISO 100. Model is Moa Eriksson. Photo credit: Therese Asplund

During Covid I set myself a challenge to create the same fine art portraits that I normally shoot in the studio, but under water, using my studio flashes to capture the same painterly light. I struggled a lot with the lighting because as soon as it hit the surface of the water it spread in all directions, which made it hard to avoid too much light on the background.

This was pretty much the only good image I got from my first session despite shooting for three hours. What finally did the trick was using a backlight as my main light and one gentle fill light to lift the shadows just a little bit. For the main light I used an Elinchrom ELB1200 to get maximum power and to be able to shoot with a small aperture to block out the ambient light. The fill is an Elinchrom ELB500. The story is that no matter how busy, scary, and loud the world is around us, under the surface everything is calm, comforting, and quiet.

Therese Asplund’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Be prepared: Have a plan set before the model arrives. This will get you off to a great start and saves the model waiting around. Test the light and ensure you have the right settings on your camera. If you can, use yourself or an assistant to stand in and test the lighting. That way you can tweak it without any pressure to ensure the shoot runs smoothly.
2. Focus all your attention on the model: This is especially important when shooting people that are not used to being in front of the camera. It is crucial that you make them feel safe and comfortable and for that they often need your full attention. Give direction, be encouraging and make sure to have a lot of eye contact.
3. Light, light, light!: Photography means painting with light and to get a great portrait you need to understand how different kinds of light affect the character of the face. Whether you shoot with natural or artificial light always choose it with care. Sometimes shifting your position, or the model’s, by just a few inches gives you a whole new light with a completely different feel.

Therese Asplund

Therese is an award-winning Swedish portrait photographer who loves working with people. Whether she is in the studio shooting portraits, out doing commercial work, or working on one of her own art projects, it is always with the same passion and dedication. She is also an ambassador for Nikon and Elinchrom. To see more of her work, visit www.thereseasplund.com and on Instagram @photographerthereseasplund

Tips for portraits of influential people from Peter Searle

Ncuti Gatwa

‘This lift at the BFI, London, was the perfect location for this portrait shoot with actor Ncuti Gatwa because the red contrasted nicely with the daylight coming in through a glass entrance lobby which was supplemented by a huge backlit panel of strip lights. Fortuitously the setting is in keeping with his forthcoming role as the new Doctor Who.’

‘I shot Ncuti with a Fujifilm GFX 50S camera and 63mm lens. Settings were 1/100sec at f/2.8, ISO 160.’

Sex Education and Doctor Who actor Ncuti Gatwa. Photo credit: Peter Searle.

Runyararo Mapfumo

‘Runyararo is the director of the hugely successful Netflix show, Sex Education. For this portrait I placed her in the shade under an overhang of concrete architecture. Soft light bounced off buildings behind my back.’

‘I shot Runyaro with a Fujifilm GFX 50S camera and 45mm lens. Settings were 1/500sec at f/8, ISO 160.’

Sex Education director Runyararo Mapfumo. Photo credit: Peter Searle.

Prya Kansara

‘Prya’s TV credits includes Bridgerton and Polite Society. I photographed her at BFI, London. With the table at just the right distance from the large windows in the BFI, she is exposed perfectly, but so are the warm illumination of the bar lights.’

‘I shot Prya with a Fujifilm GFX 50S camera and 45mm lens. The settings were 1/30sec (on a tripod) at f/2.8, ISO 320.’

Bridgerton season 2 actor Prya Kansara. Photo credit: Peter Searle.

Peter Searle’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Use indirect light – ‘Look for directional indirect daylight. Avoid direct sunlight. The light should preferably be at your back and hitting the subject approximately horizontally, or at least not a high angle, which creates shadows under the eyes. A good example of this kind of light is sunlight bouncing off a white wall. The wall becomes a giant soft box behind your back.’
2. Choose the background – ‘Find a background that has that kind of light falling on it and which most interests you or suits the subject. I personally like geometrical shapes and the texture of concrete but I also look out for warm tungsten-lit backgrounds to contrast with cooler daylight temperatures or vice versa.’
3. Balancing exposure – ‘Balance the exposure on the subject and on the background by moving the subject towards the oncoming light or away from it. For example, imagine a subject standing just inside a garage door; the further in you go with your subject, the brighter the back of the garage will be.’

Peter Searle

Peter Searle makes portraits of some of the most influential people in British society: Prime Ministers, CEOs, opera stars and generals. He is London-based but shoots all over the world, and has work in the permanent collection of The National Portrait Gallery. Although Peter uses flash sometimes, here are his tips for working with available light.

See more of Peter’s work on his website and Instagram.

Street Portrait tips from Robert Huggins

Couple in Hackney

‘I asked this couple to move in to the light slightly, and thought this was an ideal background. You can’t move around people too much or they get bored, but I sometimes ask subjects to adjust their hands. I shot this on a Leica SL. There was minimal editing apart from a square crop, which I like for this kind of portrait.’

Couple in Hackney. Photo credit: Robert Huggins.

Couple in cafe

‘Most of my photos are of interesting-looking strangers or intriguing situations. The background and setting are crucial, and I work all this out before asking the person for a shot. This couple were embracing in a cafe as I passed, which caught my eye, so I asked them to recreate this for the shot. It turned out the guy had just declared his love for the first time!

My work is more about informal portraits of people rather than street candids, but I don’t want to have to re-arrange the shot at a later date. I like the spontaneity of the moment. I find people are generous with their time, but only for about three or four shots, and then they lose interest – so I have to work fast. This was shot on my Leica SL2 and a 35mm Summicron lens.’

Couple in Cafe. Photo credit: Robert Huggins

Hackney market

‘I explained to this burka-clad lady that I really liked her eyes. I wanted to make sure that as a Muslim woman, she was okay with being photographed, and she also phoned her husband to check (sometimes very orthodox Muslim people are fine about being photographed, sometimes not).’

‘Then I asked her to move against this background, as it was a busy market with lots of distractions. There is often humour in my images, and I liked the rug she was holding – an interesting juxtapositon. The light was very bright that day so I had to do more editing than usual. Again, shot on the SL2 with 35mm lens.’

Hackney Market. Photo credit: Robert Huggins

Robert Huggins’ top portrait photography tips:

1. Subject first – ‘Don’t get hung up on equipment or getting a technically perfect shot. My photography is much more about the subject, not the gear, but I like the idea of having a high- precision tool, which is why I use the Leica SL2. The Summicron 35mm lens is perfect for my work.’
2. Work fast – ‘I adjust the aperture, but otherwise am happy to shoot in automatic modes. I need to work fast and don’t have time to adjust lots of settings.’
3. Editing – ‘I keep editing to the minimum – one of the great things about the SL2 is it seems to make framing easier. As well as cropping, I might also push the colours and highlights and contrast etc in Lightroom.’
4. Suck it up – ‘You should get used to rejection if strangers refuse to be shot – don’t take it personally. It’s like asking people out when you are a teenager! I tell people about my Instagram page rather than giving them my card, as they can see what my work’s about.’

Robert Huggins

Robert Huggins is a roving street portrait photographer living in north-east London. He focuses on impromptu street portraits, particularly around the East End. Robert’s images have been published widely and appear in several editions of Portrait of Britain and Portrait of Humanity. See Instagram @rafhuggins

See more of Robert’s work on his Instagram.

Check out our guide to Street Photography.

Child Portraits by Iwona Podlasińska

Adam, 2017

‘I asked my son Adam, who was just three then, to look at the cakes through the glass, which he only did for three seconds – enough for me to get the shots.’

‘The portrait was taken entirely in the natural ambient light of the bakery, with light also coming in from the case. At the time, I was shooting with the Sony A7, using an 85mm f/1.4. Editing involved removing a distracting price tag from the bottom left of the image and then just doing the usual tweaks in Lightroom to boost contrast etc.’

Adam 2017. Photo credit: Iwona Podlasińska.

Adam on the bed

‘Adam was seven when I took this portrait (below). I was preparing for a photo shoot and wanted to test some new ideas. So I brought an album for him to look at, and a desk lamp. I didn’t give him any instructions other than to lie down (Adam is very relaxed in front of the camera if he is comfortable).’

‘The lamp was not enough to light up Adam’s face, and the only window in the room was behind him on the right, so I added a small LED video light in front of him. I used a warm setting, around 3000K. The image was shot on a Sony A7 III with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. The Lightroom edits involved some exposure corrections and colour grading to emphasise the lovely colour harmony.’

Adam on the Bed. Photo credit: Iwona Podlasińska.

Jan, Kraków Market

This shows my older son Jan, who was four then, feeding pigeons on the square. Like most of my images of my kids, the shot wasn’t planned. As Jan fed the pigeons, it started to rain, and it was quite technically challenging because I was shooting with a manual 85mm f/1.4 lens on a Sony A7.’

‘Everything came through sharp, however. The light was entirely natural and I edited the image in Lightroom and Photoshop – I cropped the original image from the right and added a part of another image on the left to improve the composition (initially, the frame would end right behind the pigeon’s wings on the left). Then I also colour graded the image to get that orange-blue complementary harmony.’

Jan, Krakow Market. Image: Iwona Podlasińska

Iwona Podlasińska’s top portrait photography tips:

1. The light comes first – ‘Look for attractive light first, and then think about how to get your subject in that light.’
2. Don’t force it with kids – ‘Never force children to pose. Let them play and be themselves – you will get better, more natural-looking poses this way, and the kids won’t hate you and your camera!’
3. Don’t rely on editing – ‘Pay attention to the background. Shallow depth of field can help with background distractions but if necessary, look for another location – Photoshop is still not great when it comes to blurring-out backgrounds in a convincing way.’

Iwona Podlasińska

Based in Kielce, Poland, Iwona Podlasińska specialises in child portraits and is an expert in colour grading. She’s in high demand, despite only starting out in 2013, and travels around the world teaching, as well as creating online tutorials. Her latest book, Dreamy Childhood Portraits, was published in 2021.

See more of Iwona’s work on her website and Instagram.

Get started with portrait photography here.

Need more portrait photography advice? Check these out:

• Best cameras for portrait photography
• How to take portraits on a smartphone
• The best lenses for portrait photography
• Better portraits on a budget
• How to Shoot Portrait Photos at Home
• How to take really beautiful fashion portraits

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Good portraits don’t have to be over-complicated. Stylised fashion, bursting at the seams with fantasy narrative and exotic wardrobe, is all very impressive, but all that detail competes with the subject.

There is a beauty to keeping things uncomplicated and letting your subject be the focus of all the attention. Not to mention that adhering to a simple style makes pictures far more achievable.

Simplicity and easy are not the same thing, and achieving this look requires some practice, skill and talent. But you don’t need a studio full of flash lighting and expensive accessories to shoot beautiful portraits. A window, a reflector and a cloud-bright day will do just fine.

This article will take you through how to shoot portraits from the comfort of your own home and more. 

Shoot Portrait Photos at Home: Choosing a Camera

Photo credits: Marco Xu and Victor Larracuente via Unsplash.

Equipment-wise, use whatever is handy. Be it with a camera, lens, tripod, instant camera, smartphone – any of these will do. Remote photography is another option. To learn more about this read our article on how to take amazing portraits on a smartphone.

Shoot Portrait Photos at Home: Choosing a Lens

If you are using a camera, a fast, short-telephoto lens has always been the optic of choice for portrait photographers, and for good reason.

Telephoto lenses tend to compress perspective, making objects appear closer together than they really are. In portraiture, this translates as making over-prominent noses and chins smaller – which has to be a good thing, right?

Combined with a fast aperture, short telephoto lenses also make it easier to restrict depth of field. Limiting sharpness to the eyes, and letting everything else drift out of focus, makes a powerful statement. It is often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and this is never more true than in portraiture.

Telephoto lenses also enable you to fill the frame with your subject without having to get physically too close to them. Cropping in tight is a great way of making impact and drawing attention to the eyes, but very close proximity can make your sitter feel awkward or tense, which will show on their face.

Check out this list of the best lenses for portrait photography.

Telephotos let you isolate your subject against a blurred background.

On full-frame digital cameras, and for those shooting film, a fast, short telephoto lens means something like an 85mm f/1.8 (or wider). If you own a fast standard zoom optic then the long end of this will be almost as good, though you’ll be using it wide open to limit depth of field, where optical quality is least impressive.

Often, the point of having a very fast lens, like an f/1.4 or f/1.8, is to enable the photographer to shoot at f/2 or f/2.8 without being wide open, thereby increasing image quality.

Such lenses can be very expensive, but cropped-frame DSLR users have an alternative. The humble 50mm standard lens, available in some cases for around £100 brand new, provides an angle of view equivalent to between a 75mm and 100mm lens on a full-frame camera, depending on the model.

This will give you a good working distance, and a wide aperture of f/1.8 or even f/1.4 will enable you to control depth of field. Really, there is no excuse for a portrait shooter not to have one of these gems in their bag!

The Fujifilm 30mm F2.8 macro lens, here mounted on the Fujifilm X-H2, gives an equivalent focal length of 46mm, it’s close to a “nifty fifty,” which makes it well suited to a range of different subjects including portrait photography. Photo credit: Amy Davies.

Alternatively, look at macro lenses. Although they are designed to magnify tiny objects in close-up photography, they are often slightly telephoto (100mm is best), fast (apertures of f/2.8 aren’t unusual) and obviously capable of letting you get very close to your subject indeed.

For the pictures in this article, I used a 105mm f/2.8 Nikon macro lens at an aperture of f/3.5 to restrict my depth of field and enable me to concentrate focus on my subject’s eyes only. By raising the ISO sensitivity to ISO 400, I managed to get a shutter speed of 1/125sec, which, for me, is just about handholdable.

Of course, you won’t always want to shoot with a wide-open aperture, but when stopping down be aware that slow shutter speeds may mean you need to resort to a tripod to avoid camera shake.

See more of the best budget portrait lenses

Shoot Portrait Photos at Home: Settings

With your equipment chosen, it’s time to think about settings, starting with exposure. I’m going for a slightly high-key look, where most of the tones are lighter than mid-grey. This suits my subject’s pale skin and blonde hair, as well as the white wall that I’ll be using as a background.

Measuring the exposure for this scene using my DSLR’s built-in metering gave me a result that was far too dark. Cameras don’t expect to see white. They expect to see mid-grey and tend to set exposures that make everything look this way.

I was careful to pay attention to the histogram display on the back of the camera and adjust my exposure manually until the tones were in the right half of the graph, but not so far as to run off the end. You can also use exposure compensation to do this.

Use a reflector to fill in shadows and even out brightness across the face. Photo credit: Ian Farrell.

I tend to shoot pictures like this in raw format to give me more options in post-production. However, I’m a big fan of using my DSLR’s settings to control various aspects of the shoot. Tweaks to contrast and saturation settings let me simulate what I’m hoping to achieve later in the digital darkroom, so that what I see on the camera screen is at least in the right region.

For simple portraits of this style, I tend to reduce saturation somewhat to soften skin tones. This can be combined with an increase in contrast for a really punchy, fashion-like look. For this type of high-key work, though, I want to turn the contrast down to avoid blowing out my highlights as I raise the exposure.

While you can turn your image into black and white in post-production, the ability to see your image in black and white on the back of the camera can be useful. Photo credit: Dane Wetton via Unsplash.

Another useful in-camera setting is the Monochrome picture style. While shooting in raw means that the file is actually captured in full colour, the ability to see the image in black and white on the back of the camera can be invaluable.

Good white balance is crucial to getting realistic skin tones in all shades. It is best achieved by shooting at least one frame that includes a grey card. Then, it can be used as a neutral reference point to set the white balance for all other frames shot under those conditions. In fact, if you want one reason why shooting raw will improve your portraiture, this is it.

Shoot Portrait Photos at Home: Lighting

By having more light on the background than the subject, you end up with a stark white backdrop. Photo credit: Ian Farrell.

When it comes to picking a location for a daylight portrait, a north-facing window is perfect. What we don’t want is direct sunshine bursting into the room. It’s far too high-contrast for this type of work and best avoided.

If you can’t find a north-facing window then be aware that the times you can shoot may be dictated by the location of the sun and the availability of cloud.

As for the location for your home portrait studio, you’d surprised at what 30 minutes of moving furniture around can do. I shot these pictures in an attic bedroom after moving the bed and a desk out of the way so I could use a white wall opposite a skylight window.

Also consider rooms with large French windows, or bay windows that surround your subject. You can always blank-off other windows with blinds or boards (a massive polystyrene board is about £12 from B&Q) to stop light coming from other directions.

It will take some experimentation to find the best relative positions for your sitter and light source.

Placing your subject with the window to their side is a good start. You’ll notice that the light fall-off across their face will increase the nearer to the window they sit. You can then fill in shadows by positioning a reflector on their other side.

Think about how light is interacting with your background. By positioning your subject against a brighter light than the backdrop you will get a grey background. Photo credit: Richard Jaimes via Unsplash.

Alternatively, try putting the window behind you, using it as a front-on light source. You’ll need a big window for this to work, but the results can be amazing.

Also think about how light is interacting with your background. You will always be exposing for your subject. By positioning them in brighter light than the backdrop you will get a grey background in the final picture – even if the wall you are using is white.

If the background wall is in brighter light than your sitter, then it will appear as bright white.

Tianna J Williams shares some of her portrait lighting secrets.

How to Shoot Portrait Photos at Home: Shooting the pictures

So that’s the theory – what about the shoot itself? Remember that most people are nervous about having their picture taken. In fact, some rank the whole experience up there with going to the dentist or doing their tax return. For this reason, talking to your subject is essential.

You don’t have to be the world’s best stand-up comedian. But do keep telling them what is going on and what you are about to do. And back this up with positive comments about how well things are going, even if they’re not. Check out this article for more of the do’s and don’ts of working with models.

Rather than mess about with things and look unprofessional, it’s better to have a break every 10-15 minutes to give your sitter a break.  You can also make any changes then. Try different compositions, crops and aspect ratios, and vary your height relative to your subject. It’s amazing how looking at a face from slightly above and slightly below can change a portrait.

It’s amazing how looking at a face from slightly above and slightly below can change a portrait. Photo credit: Stephanie Cook via Unsplash.

Thinking about the equipment and technical side of the shoot in advance should mean that you can now dedicate your attention to your subject, and to shooting a simple, quality portrait of them.

Keep shooting pictures all the time. This is the beauty of digital photography after all. And if you see a good expression, capture it. Don’t hesitate. Then worry about whether you focused correctly or not in the second frame. As the great portrait photographer Lord Snowdon once said: ‘It’s no good saying, “Hold it” to a moment in real life.’

How to Shoot Portrait Photos at Home: Natural posing in portraiture

When starting out in portraiture, many photographers struggle with posing someone. How should my subject be standing? What should they do with their hands?

The problem here is that, if you try to take on all of the responsibility for how your sitter is looking, they will look forced and unnatural. It’s much better to observe how someone behaves when they are not being photographed.

Photo credit: Jessica Felicio via Unsplash.

Look at how your subject behaves when they come into the room where you are going to shoot. They may be nervous and unable to relax, but you’ll get a feel for how they like to stand and what they do with their hands when they aren’t consciously thinking about them. In my own portrait photography I find that most of the best poses come from the subject themselves, even if they don’t know it.

When reading a person in this way, a good tactic is to fake a technical error of some kind. Apologise that you’ll need just a few seconds, then watch what your subject does when they relax.

Of course, a nervous subject can still make a good picture. Many photographers, from the late, great Irving Penn through to the thoroughly modern and inspiring Julia Fullerton-Batten, capture the awkwardness of their subjects to wonderful effect. Check out Fullerton-Batten’s work on her website.

How to Shoot Portrait Photos at Home: Ian Farrell’s top portrait photography tips

Photo credit: Christian Buehner via Unsplash.

1. Focus is on the eyes: With shallow depth of field being used to render other parts of the face blurred.
2. Use a plain background: A white wall can be used for a background so your subject stands out.
3. Don’t say cheese: People don’t walk around in their daily lives smiling all the time. Don’t feel that your sitter has to pose smiling all the time either.
4. Take it easy: Regular breaks will help you and your sitter relax into the shoot, so new ideas for poses will come naturally. It’s easy to become creatively exhausted.
5. Don’t forget to experiment: Try shooting in profile, or from above you subject. You can still keep the element of the portrait very simple while experimenting wildly with viewpoint or composition.
6. Play with compositions: Try your subject in the middle of the frame, off-centre, on a ‘third’ looking into empty space. Or looking out of the frame, and so on. Don’t be afraid to crop the top of their head off either. This can make them look bigger in the frame.

Featured image: Photo credit: Rachel McDermott via Unsplash.

Related articles:

Beginners guide to Portrait photography

Best budget portrait lenses in 2023

Best portrait photography advice from the pros

How to take amazing portraits on a smartphone

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With the rise of Instagram and mass photo sharing by celebrities and influencers alike, the popularity of once-niche portrait genres such as maternity and newborn photography is rapidly becoming one of the must-haves for many mothers-to-be. For this guide, we teamed up with leading London-based portrait photographer, Susan Porter-Thomas, who has been shooting family and maternity portraits for some 15 years. Having recently switched from DSLR to mirrorless to reduce the weight and size of her go-to set-up, Susan was intrigued to see what the portable but powerful trio of LED lights Rotolight might have to offer compared to her current lighting kit.

Susan likes to create a soft glow over the body, which was easy to achieve with the Rotolight LEDs

‘My studio set-up is at home in a large open plan kitchen/dining area. I have three background papers set up and ready to use and three Elinchrom strobes. The room is north facing so has plenty of soft light throughout the day, but I like to use strobes for my maternity sessions for greater control. As a result, I was eager to see what difference the Rotolight kit would make to my style of working.’

Controlling and building the light in maternity photography

Unlike flash, the beauty of working with continuous LED lighting is the instant feedback it gives, enabling Susan to work quickly, which is vital when working with potentially anxious and self-conscious mums-to-be in little or no clothing and, of course, unpredictable newborns. ‘It was great to see exactly how the light was going to look in-camera, so I could quickly fine-tune the power and the position and angle of the lights,’ she reveals.

The look Susan likes to create is soft and flattering, while also being moody but subtle. ‘I don’t really like high-key as a general rule; give me low-key every time. My aim for maternity shoots is to create a fine-art look rather than just a straightforward portrait.’

The key to Susan’s lighting technique is diffusing and feathering the light to create a soft glow over the body, which was easy to replicate with the Rotolight LEDs. ‘I like to position my main lights up high as it creates flattering shadows. Any backlighting is just to lift the model out of the background a little and can help to illuminate the materials the model has wrapped around her.’

Diffusing the light from the Anova PRO 2 produced a lovely soft effect, while the use of floaty fabrics created movement and shape

Susan also made use of the colour temperature controls on the lights. ‘Being able to warm up the lighting on the LEDs to give the images a bit of a glow is great. This is a nice touch with semi-nude images, as the warmth can be flattering, as if you’re in the glow of candlelight.’

Along with her main lights, Susan includes a third light in the form of a spot on the backdrop. ‘This adds a glow for a bit of interest and reveals the shape of a pregnant lady, so the compact size of the NEO 2 was ideal for positioning behind the model pointing at the backdrop.’

During a shoot Susan likes to move lights around a client to see what effects she can achieve. ‘A tiny variation in angle and direction can really make a difference. I’m always accidentally discovering a new way of lighting someone. This is why the portability of the Rotolight kit is so beneficial to my style of photography. I also loved the fact that they had battery packs so there were no hazardous cables for me, my assistant or my pregnant models to trip over, making it a much safer environment to work in.’

Posing and creating triangles in maternity photography

Generally, when it comes to posing a pregnant lady, it’s all about the curves and creating triangles, Susan explains. ‘I will always ask my model to place her feet together and then bend the knee that is closest to me – that way the bump is balanced below with the knee.’ It’s also important for the arms to be posed so you can see the outline of the back. ‘If the arms are too close to the body, this widens the subject and isn’t slimming.’ Making sure that the line of the back is visible through a crooked arm, for example, can be far more flattering.

Positioning the light high up, so it falls from top left to bottom right, is especially flattering

To get the best out of her clients Susan, with the help of her assistant, Teddy, is great at putting them at ease. ‘When it comes to this style of photography, there is a fine line between posing and looking natural; it is, after all, an unnatural thing we’re doing by taking studio shots but I want my clients to look as relaxed as possible.’

Making sure shoulders are not tense and high, and fingers are relaxed and slightly bent are some of the details Susan will look out for. Ensure the chin is up too. ‘The best way to deal with double chins is to get the model to turn her head towards the camera before looking down to the bump,’ she explains.

Creative composition for maternity photography

Once the lighting and posing have come together, it’s down to Susan’s creative eye to capture beautiful portraits. ‘I’m always looking to balance the shapes in the images I’m taking, so when you have a big bump out front, it’s nice to have another shape behind the model to balance it, which is why the floaty material shots work so well.’ Susan also makes use of the arms to create leading lines and aid her compositions. ‘By drawing the eye along the elegant lines of the body or creating triangles, one behind and one up top for example, you can produce beautiful flowing lines.

What lighting kit do I need for maternity photography?

Susan used continuous LED lighting for this maternity shoot. Her lighting set-ups included a single light set-up as well as two and three-light set-ups using the Rotolight kit below. Rotolight offer a range of different sized LED lighting products complete with modifiers and accessories for photography and video. Check out our latest hands-on reviews of the Rotolight AEOS 2 PRO and Rotolight NEO 3 PRO.

Rotolight AEOS

This disc-like LED can be used in the studio or on location. It offers both powerful constant LED illumination and High Speed Sync (HSS) flash, with a battery pack that lasts for up to three hours’ use. Check out the latest AEOS 2 PRO hands-on review here.

Rotolight NEO 2

The NEO 2 is the most portable light in the Rotolight range (weighing less than 500g). Like the AEOS, it also offers a combination of bright, constant LED illumination and HSS flash. Check out the latest NEO 3 PRO hands-on review here.

Rotolight Anova PRO 2

This is the biggest light in the range and is designed for filmmakers and professional photographers. It also offers HSS and weighs close to 4kg, so is better suited to studio work.

Rotolight softboxes

A softbox diffuses and softens light, smoothing out shadows and evening out contrast. It’s the ideal modifier for portraiture. The Rotolight softbox fits over the Anova PRO 2, but we also used the AEOS softbox kit.

Susan’s lighting set-ups for maternity and bump photography

Single light set-up

This is one of my favourite lighting set-ups. It’s simple, elegant and very flattering. I pointed the Anova PRO 2 (fitted with softbox) just past the model to the back of her, rather than directly at her. That way the light is bending around her, which gives a much softer look. When the model is angled at 45° to me, the light from behind her feathers across her body, which is so pretty.

Two-light set-up

The Anova PRO 2 acted as the main light, set to 100% power, which we feathered and diffused with a reflector. The light fell across Hollie’s body ahead of her, to avoid it hitting the backdrop. This is when introducing a second light, which acted as a spot, can look lovely to glow behind the bump. The spot was achieved by using the barn doors on the NEO 2 light at 75% power.

Three-light set-up: backlit

We reduced the ambient light by closing all the blinds. The AEOS and Anova PRO 2 were behind Hollie and off to the side for minimal light. To get enough light in-camera I was shooting at f/2. Hollie was positioned away from the lights; if she were closer the light would fall across her body. The spot was achieved using the NEO 2 directly behind Hollie and pointing at the backdrop.

Three-light set-up: backlit variation

This is a variation on the previous three-light set-up. It directs more light to the front of the model. Here I angled Hollie towards the camera to allow the light to fall top left to bottom right. Positioning the light high up and pointing down gives it a popular Rembrandt style. Again, the light was diffused for a slightly softer look.

Susan’s Top Tips

Susan is an award-winning portrait photographer who specialises in fine-art pregnancy, newborn and location family portraiture. Based in Ealing, London, she has a home studio but also offers location shoots across the city.

Further reading

• Complete guide to maternity photography
• Fine art portrait photography
• Get started with boudoir photography

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