Before I begin I have to warn you of something: once you enter the world of portraiture, you will never want to leave . Portraits are addictive and, sooner or later, if you like photography, you will fall. My theory is that this happens for several reasons. Obviously we feel more empathy for a person than for any other living being or object, we are human, we cannot remedy it. Another reason is because they are very handy when practicing with a new camera and if you do not find anyone with a predisposition to pose for you, you can always use the self-portrait. These are some reasons why the portrait attracts, but the most important is the ability of a portrait to move, to thrill. If you manage to capture that person's soul, the essence of your model, you will conquer your viewer. To move with a landscape , for example, you need a place that inspires you, the right light, the ideal goal , and a good composition . However, to thrill with a portrait, the most important thing is to know how to look inside that person, steal a piece of soul. If you achieve this, and with some basic notions, you will be able to make stunning portraits. Today I am going to tell you those basic notions and some tricks so that you learn to "look inside" of that person. Do you want to risk going into a world that you cannot leave?
PORTRAIT TYPES
The first thing to know is that there are different types of planes in the portrait and not only the foreground that is sure to come to mind, let's see them:- General Plane: it is the farthest plane and in it appears everything of the body, without any clipping.
- Three Quarter Plan / American: is the one who cuts the person (in the photo, eh? Do not go to think that we talk about really cutting) by the thighs or knees. As you can see, we are getting a little closer.
- Medium Plane: collect approximately to the waist. As it enhances the beauty of the protagonist, it is widely used in fashion photography .
- Medium Short Plane: includes from the head to the middle of the chest, giving more prominence to the model.
- Foreground: a much more intimate plane that only covers the head and shoulders.
- Very Close Foreground: covers only the face (whole).
- Detail plane: as its name says, this plane collects a small part that can be from the face or body. In this plane the distance is minimal and the maximum expressiveness.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
Model Of course this is basic. You can pull a family member and / or friends who can not refuse your offer for how much they love you, find some / some aspiring model that you want to practice and also come in handy for the photos for your book, try stolen streets or if all this fails you… you can always self-portray . More patience than you with yourself I don't think anyone has. Light Without light there is no photo. You should know that already. In addition to being an essential element in the photo, it is an element with which you can play for very different results. From drawing a silhouette using a taillight to enhancing the aggressive personality of your model using hard light. The theme of the light would give for an entire article, but do not fear, we will not make you wait, we have it ready for you: the complete guide to illuminate your portraits . And as a tip, you can discover the beauty of portraits taken with a Beauty Dish.COMPOSITION
Composition is another element that we cannot forget in a portrait. There are two basic rules that you should only skip if you really have a specific, artistic, creative, emotional or whatever you want, the only reason that is not valid is ignorance. These two rules are: The law of the gaze According to this rule, the greatest space has to be left where the subject's gaze is directed. Playing with the law of the gaze allows you to tell a lot about the moment or your protagonist. I tell you everything here . The law of three thirds Most likely, you already know this rule and should only remind you that the center of interest is usually the look, so in closer planes you have to place your eyes on the points of interest. In a general plane it will be the subject or the face that is placed in the intersection lines. If you do not know what I am talking about, you should know that it is one of the first lessons that you have to learn in photography, so I recommend that before continuing you take a walk here . ( Bonus: shhh… don't tell anyone, but I'm going to “give you” another 13 composition tricks to get amazing portraits .)THE SOUL IN THE PORTRAIT
Now comes the most difficult part, the crucial moment, the magical moment in which you decide to press the button because that look is just the one that undresses your model, because at that precise moment he is telling who he is. This is not easy, it requires training and sensitivity, but I will be like a GPS in your search for your soul, I leave you an itinerary so you know where you have to drive and do not get lost on the road, here is the route faster- Take the Avenue of Body Language : body language counts much more than it tries to hide or transmit. It goes far beyond words. Do not ignore it.
- Stop at the Square of Personal Stories: stop to chat with that person, discover what he hides, what he fears, what he presumes or what he dreams of. When you meet her a little, find out what you want to tell her about before shooting.
- Tour the Calle de la Mirada: the face is the mirror of the soul, or so they say. What is not said so much is that the gateway to that soul is the eyes. Focus on the eyes and his gaze, they will reveal all the secrets, and focus them well. If they are at a different distance and you use a small depth of field, focus on the nearest eye.
- If you feel like it, you can stop for a coffee in high key or low key .
- You have reached your destination: when you think the time is right, knock on the door (shoot).
