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Portrait Photography Tutorial

Here is a short portrait photography tutorial to get you started on your way to creating memorable impressions for yourself as well as your subject.

Portrait photography is such a personal and rewarding field of photography because as a photographer, you create a bond with your subject.

I can think of no other photos that can immediately grab attention than that of portraits.

It is because we are humans and we relate and interact with others every day of our lives. This is why the magic of portraits are so inviting.

As a photographer, you will have to make certain decisions depending on the subject you shoot.

There are different considerations for:

Female Photography
Male Photography
Child/Baby Photography

Some standard considerations to take into account for this portrait photography tutorial are (click on the links to visit the appropriate pages):

Other considerations involve what you are trying to achieve with your photos:

Family Photos
Spark, Energy, Pizzazz?

It's your vision you are trying to capture so the more questions you ask of yourself, the better your result.

Camera

The camera you choose has less of an impact on portrait photography than the other factors mentioned above.

However, a digital SLR camera gives you, the photographer, greater control. This site is about digital SLR photography and a dSLR is what I would suggest to use.

A dSLR is great because of the numerous advantages it provides over non-dSLR cameras.

For this portrait photography tutorial, one such advantage of a dSLR is the larger sensor. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is the newest full-frame sensor digital SLR camera. Nikon has the D3 and D700 models to choose from.

These are professional cameras and it is reflected in the prices!

Summary

Please remember that you are the creative eye behind your photos and that there is no need to spend large quantities of money.

Your camera, lens, and lighting gear do not have to be top of the line to get excellent results.

As this tutorial suggests, it is more important to get rapport with your subject than to worry about lighting, lens and camera.

You may wish to visit the following sites for more information about portrait poses and portrait photography tips (clicking on the links will open up in a new browser window):

Love your camera. Love yourself. Love your photos.