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Creative Portrait Photography Ideas
Photography is quite popular all around the world. Some people go for it as a profession, while others hire photographic services for photography.
A forecast shows that the photographic services in the US will reach approx 5.826,8 million USD by 2024.
A highly popular type of photography is portrait photography. There are different ways to take a portrait. However, creative photographs are more visually appealing.
There are so many diverse options for portrait photography that can allow you to portray human personality and emotions in a better way. You can make the portrait photograph clinical or artistic.
Thus, you need to apply creative ideas and plan well to get attractive and flattering portrait photographs.
Let’s discuss how to plan your portrait photography session and some ideas below.
6 Tips for Planning a Creative Portrait Photography
The list below will assist you in learning about the main things to harvest next-level creativity in your portrait photographs. Just follow the tips here.
1. Equipment:
Technical knowledge is crucial for creative portraits. Apart from artistic videos, you should have valuable technical knowledge of photography equipment.
The way you handle the camera settings, strobe lights, lens, etc., will also have a hand in making your portraits creative.
You can try different techniques and play with your equipment more to get the most creative portraits.
See Also Best Cameras for Portrait Photography
2. Model selection:
Model selection is also crucial when it comes to creative portrait photography. When it comes to personal projects, you will be able to choose your choice model.
It doesn’t mean that you have to select professional models. It can be anyone from your family, or locality, or anyone you think has the potential to be a model for your portrait.
How well your portraits turn out doesn’t only depend on your model’s looks. It also depends on how comfortable they are with their pose and position.
You have to add a good vibe to the shooting session to make the model comfortable.
3. Lighting:
Lighting is a crucial aspect of photography. You should understand how light works. How does it spread, bounce, reflect, and how is it specularity?
You have to use proper lighting equipment and understand which source of light to choose. What’s more, you have to position the light in different ways depending on how you want the portrait.
The primary light sources are ambient light, continuous light, and strobe light. Also, you can check whether your portrait will be better with natural light or artificial light.
4. Light modifiers:
Different artists use different tools to bring out the best of their works. The same goes for photographers. You have to use the right lighting tools and shape the light effectively.
First, you have to choose the light source as discussed above. Then comes the selection of whether you want hard or soft lighting. Light shaping tools will be helpful for you.
Through such tools, you can check and manage the portrait’s shadows, highlights, and mid-tones.
5. Studio and location:
Apart from lighting, you should focus on the location and studio to make your portrait more creative. You should use a location that enhances the creativity levels of your portraits.
You have to explore the environment around you. You can also think of how to light or make the studio look perfect for your creative portrait photography session.
The portrait images also depend on how the frames are cropped around the model’s face, and it should also give attention to minor details. The details regarding the light and contrast should be in alignment with the location,
6. Props and model looks:
Creativity doesn’t only lie in the lighting, equipment, and model. It also depends on how you make your model use props and their makeup and hair.
This step is the most challenging one in creative portrait photography.
You should employ props, makeup, and a hairstylist that works as per your portrait requirement. They should be creative enough to make your portraits look flattering.
You can use different props such as umbrellas, flowers, or anything you find perfect.
Top 6 Ideas for Creative Portrait Photography
Portrait photography is more than just skills. It also requires a photogenic model. Photogenic doesn’t have anything to do with the model’s looks or dressing.
It depends on how they feel and behave in front of the camera.
You have to set the mood and the environment of the location to let your model feel better and more at ease. You can follow the below-mentioned ideas for creative portrait photography based on your model’s behavior.
1. Portrait series:
You can try out the portrait series using your camera’s burst mode. You can get creative results by communicating with the subject when taking the images.
You can tell jokes or engage with them in a conversation while taking pictures. You will get access to a large spectrum of the subject’s facial expression and changing emotions throughout the shoot.
2. Mirrors and reflections:
To make your portraits more creative, you can use mirrors. It will add an artistic feel to your portraits. You can try to portray your subject’s reflection in the mirror to get a unique portrait.
You can also get two perspectives of the model’s face by clicking pictures in this way.
Mirrors and reflections
3. Play with the colors:
Colors are an incredible way to take creative portrait photography. You can use color gels as they will allow you to set a particular atmosphere in the portraits. You can use one color gel at first.
You should ensure that the color is vibrant for the best results. Once you know enough, you can play around with multiple color gels and get creative portraits.
Play with the colors
4. Experiment with dynamics:
Use different angles and poses with different shutter speeds to capture the best moment of your model. You can ask your subject to move into a specific position while using slowed shutter speed and decreased ISO settings to get creative results.
It will create a unique blur that will add an aesthetic view to your portraits.
Top ideas for creative portrait photography – Experiment with dynamics
5. Soft focus:
You can take creative portrait photographs by adding a soft focus. It will add a soft and dreamy glow to the portraits, smoothen everything and reduce the sharpness and skin details.
Hence, you will get a dreamlike portrait which will enhance your picture’s creativity levels.
Soft Focus
6. Black and white:
Black and white portraits are famous nowadays as they add a dynamic look to the pictures. The absence of colors will make the viewers focus more on the subject and get the underlying message of the portrait.
While taking black and white portraits, focus on the eyes and lighting. These two play a crucial part in making your portrait perfect.
Top ideas for creative portrait photography – Black and white
Conclusion
A creative portrait doesn’t mean the subject is standing still and smiling at the camera with beautiful background.
It means that your model gives unique poses, and you play with the lights and camera settings to create exceptional results. It means adding an artistic view to your images.
You can try something new taking portrait photography to get creative results. You can add different elements or use different moods in your photography sessions.
Also, check on your model’s pose, background, props, makeup, hair, expressions, etc.
This article will allow you to get tips on taking creative portrait photography and ideas on how to get one.
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