3 tips for filming wonderful portrait photos

As a full-time photographer who shoots more than 30 weddings a year, we must admit that portraits are often caught in a stylized circle. Similar compositions and shooting angles can still make photographs look "tacky" even if the model takes a new pose. Over the years, we've been challenging ourselves to win the game with some tricks. Here is one of the most useful techniques that can help you get new results every time you shoot.

1. use longer focal length lenses.

Many photographers claim that 50mm is a "must-have" portrait lens, but the images taken with this standard lens are always very similar to what the human eye sees. To get more interesting pictures, we should avoid using standard lenses because the pictures are too common.

Many of my portraits are taken with 200mm or 85mm lenses, which can't be "compressed" by a 50mm lens. This compression not only reduces the distortion of the subject, but also creates a very moving background rendering effect with a long focus lens. It also "narrows" the distance between the model and the background. Using a 200 mm lens may be difficult to communicate with the model, but the results are worth it.

2. avoid eye level shooting.

Most of the time we are used to shooting from the "right" angle, after all, this is the simplest. Challenge yourself to find a different angle - higher or lower than the eye - to bring a new perspective to the picture. This technique can also be used to highlight different stature and height. In the picture below, I sat the bride on the floor, focusing on her face and hairdressing, and blurring the rest of her body. This is much better than an ordinary upright portrait.

3. use off flashing lights.

In wedding photography, our flashlights are never on camera. Direct flashing lights can not highlight the faces of the characters, but also make the photos lose the sense of three-dimensional. Lighting a character from the side creates a shadow transition, highlights the character's characteristics, and gives the photograph a highlight and shadow contrast. Another advantage is that we can weaken the background details and take excellent photos of scenery and portrait.