Getting into the portrait photography? We feel you, we love it as well! As we are getting a lot of blog post submissions from our clients, we tend to notice some mistakes that new photographers tend to make while shooting with models. Today we are going to use the advice of Miguel Quiles and Adorama TV to explore three common portrait mistakes that hopefully you would avoid in the future.
Mistake #1.
Lack of Communication With the Model
Often, while on set, photographers worry a lot about camera settings and technical aspects of how to get the right picture. You have to get your exposure right, your focus dead set and frame it properly, we get it. Meanwhile your model had also her/his thoughts and doubts on how to make the photos look better and whether they are up to the task.
In this example, Miguel and his model gave a really good and at time funny rundown of what might go on in the photographer’s head and the model’s head when each is trying to figure out their problems on set.
Always stay in communication with the model. Cheer up and encourage. Tell them they are doing a good job. This constant support will help the model to unlock and relax thus improving their looks and emboldening their desire for variations and experiments.
Going further.
Eyes are Not In Focus
Oftentimes photographers forget about this important aspect of the portrait photography. They would have their cameras set on center focus and would end up with photos where the chest of the model is more in focus than the eyes, thus ruining the whole idea behind the concept of “portrait photography”. So if you tend to forget about adjusting your focus accordingly – this is the time to catch up.
Whether it is a selective focus or in Sony case the eye autofocus, make sure that your lens focused tack sharp on eyes first.
Eyes Do Not Look In the Right Direction
For this mistake the photographer provides a very nice example of what usually happens when models are shy or inexperienced. Usually, to avoid looking directly into camera they would turn their face to the side but their eyes would turn even further away from the camera, thus exposing more white space of eye balls to the camera.
This is not pretty. Make sure to communicate with your model to have her/his eyes look in the direction the face is turned.
Watch the full tutorial video of David Bergman for Adorama TV here: