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How to Take the Perfect Portrait

Taking a good portrait is more than capturing a face. It requires careful consideration of lighting, mood, background and expression. Instructions Difficulty: Moderately challenging Steps 1 Step One Choose a person to photograph. 2 Step Two Find an appropriate backdrop. In most cases, a wall or other simple background will work best. Avoid plain black or plain white backdrops except to achieve a high-contrast effect. 3 Step Three Position the person at least a few feet from the backdrop to minimize shadows and to add depth. 4 Step Four Set up your camera at a comfortable distance. Use a tripod to reduce blur. 5 Step Five Make sure the sun is in front of the subject if you're using available light. Avoid direct overhead sunlight. 6 Step Six Use diffuse lighting by bouncing your flash off the ceiling or walls. Or position a source of light in front of and to the side of the subject slightly above the height of the camera. Use a deflector, or white board, on the opposite side. 7 Step Seven Use a flash meter to determine the correct camera settings. 8 Step Eight Set the shutter speed and the aperture on the lens. 9 Step Nine Focus the lens and take the picture. 10 Step Ten Add an f-stop or a shutter speed and take another picture of the same pose. 11 Step Eleven Repeat by subtracting an f-stop or a shutter speed from the original camera setting. This is called "bracketing" a shot and helps you get a photo that has the proper exposure. Tips & Warnings Use a long lens and distant viewpoint to downplay protruding features. Generate expressions spontaneously through conversation. Subtract an f-stop from the suggested setting and use diffuse lighting when photographing dark skin.