Better Portraits In Natural Settings - Simple Photography Tips

If you are a digital SLR camera carrying buff, you will naturally be expected to take lots of pictures during a weekend vacation or a family reunion. But the good part is that you will want to because you love photography. Many of the photos you take will be group shots or portraits. With this in mind, you won't want to forget your favorite portrait lens. If your camera happens to be a Canon, portrait lens selection becomes much easier simply because of the wide variety of lenses available. However, even with the most obscure digital SLR, taking portrait photos can be very successful if you follow a few suggested guidelines.

Here are a few simple tips, perhaps they are just reminders, to be aware of when you're shooting those portraits that will become lasting memories.

1. Watch your background. Setting up the shot should not be done in haste. Look for pleasing patterns and colors that can serve as a portrait background. You can use something as simple as a stucco wall, of barn wall with aged planks, a beautiful field of wildflowers, or possibly a sandy beach with ocean waves gently rolling in. What you want to avoid are harsh colors, especially a mixture of vibrant colors that will draw the viewer's attention away from the main subject of the portrait. Also avoid things like large sculptures and other imposing structures that will grab the viewer's eye.

2. Watch out for distracting objects. This tip goes kind of hand-in-hand with the background. Nothing is more disappointing than taking a photo only to find out that some random stranger got caught in the picture as he wandered through the background. Other things can be major distractions as well. For instance, be careful not to have objects that appear to be growing out of your subject. For example, don't position your model or subject in front of a light pole or mailbox. More than one photograph has been ruined by unnoticed naturally appearing objects. This can be avoided by checking the entire composition for distractions. We normally just check to see if the subject's face is in focus and discover the distractions too late.

3. Take control of the depth of field. Depth of field is how much of the photograph is in focus. When shooting portraits, a shallow depth of field is very desirable. This can be controlled in a couple of ways. The first way is to choose an extremely wide aperture on your portrait lens. This means an aperture of F/4.0 or larger. The beautiful thing that happens when you choose the right depth of field is that the subject becomes the main focus of your photograph while the background is muted by being out of focus. Another way to control depth of field is to move your subject farther away from the background. When you focus on the face, objects that are in the distance will be blurry, thus making your subject the center of focus.

4. Watch out for the light. Proper light in the photograph can make it or break it. The best natural light is early in the morning, before 10 AM, or late in the afternoon. During these times you will get your most desirable portraits. That being said however, photo opportunities do not always happen at the optimal time. If you do have to take your pictures in the middle of the day, you will have to be aware of the harsh light and shadows of the midday sun. There are ways to avoid the harsh light. Most professional photographers carry light filtering disks for these types of occasions, but if you are on vacation, chances are slim that you will have one of these with you. You can move your subject to an area that has more favorable lighting, such as in the shade of large tree or under a park pavilion.

Selecting an appealing background, removing distracting objects, controlling the depth of field, and being aware of lighting conditions when shooting portraits will add appeal to your photographs, as well as enhancing the best features of your subjects.

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