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16 Inspirational Portrait Photography Techniques

« December Challenge: Day 9 - Demotivated
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By Brian Auer • December 10th, 2007

I’m learning that portrait photography can be tough in more than one way thanks to my participation in the December Challenge. I’m already getting bored with taking the standard cookie-cutter portrait, so I started digging around Flickr for some inspiration. Here’s what I turned up:

And yes, I realize that the accompanying text is much shorter than I would usually supply, but the idea of this post isn’t to teach these techniques — it’s to introduce you to them and hopefully give you some inspiration with your own photography. I feel that these photos are strong enough to stand on their own without lengthy descriptions.

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1. PHOTOSHOP

If you’re good with post-processing and manipulations, use it to your advantage. Get crazy with the adjustments, try some new Photoshop techniques, and maybe even a composite image.

2. TEXTURE

If texture is a big part of your subject, make it stand out and make it obvious. Match up the textures between your subject and your background. You might even try texturizing the entire photo for additional impact.

3. OVEREXPOSE

Blowing out the highlights or making a high-key image makes a nice soft portrait with kind of a light airy feeling. Another advantage of high-key photos is that the smaller details and defects are blown away, making the image look much smoother.

4. UNDEREXPOSE

A dominantly dark or low-key image will naturally draw your eyes to the lighter parts. These tend to have a grittier and harder look to them than the high-key images.

5. BACK-LIGHT

Hair lights up like crazy when it’s back-lit, so if hair is a big part of your subject make it stand out by placing your subject between you and a light source. You could also take this a little further and push the image to a silhouette.

6. POSING

Get crazy with the pose and positioning — extra points if it looks uncomfortable. Not only with the poses, but also with your own positioning — shoot from different angles to achieve different impacts.

7. CULTURE

Capture the local culture — what’s mundane to you is exotic to us. Culture is everywhere, even in your own town. Just image you’re visiting from a different country — what things would then seem more interesting to you?

8. REFLECTIONS

Make use of different surfaces to add that extra dimension — windows, mirrors, and water are all very good reflective surfaces that give a different result and texture.

9. SHADOWS

Make the shadow an important part of the image. Sometimes the shadow can even be more prominent than the actual subject casting the shadow.

10. GET CLOSE

There’s no rule against cropping out most of the subject’s face. This draws more attention to the parts that are left in the frame.

11. (UN)FOCUS

Out-of-focus subjects can be more interesting than the in-focus subjects. It kind of adds some mystery to the image because you can’t quite make out who that person is.

12. MOVEMENT

Use movement to show action, even if it blurs out the subject entirely. In cases like this, think of the person as a means of creating the subject rather than being the actual subject.

13. CAPTURE THE MOMENT

Catch somebody doing something they love, even if it’s not staged. Street photography is one of my favorite genres because it captures life as it happens — unstaged and unposed.

14. COLORS

Use vibrant and contrasting colors to draw attention to parts of your subject. This could be makeup, clothing, accessories, or whatever else you can get your hands on.

15. GET SERIOUS

Not all portraits need to have a smile, capture the serious emotions too. Some of my favorite portraits have no hint of a smile in them, and they’re highly emotional.

16. PROPS

Use the props and tools around you to make the setting more interesting. Find things to place your subject in, on, under, around, etc.

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Brian Auer is a photography enthusiast from San Diego, California. He's also the guy behind the Epic Edits Weblog. As a hobbyist photographer since 2003, his passion has been to constantly improve his photography skill set, to share his own knowledge with others, and to become an integral part of the photographic community.
Visit the author's homepage | View all Epic Edits posts by Brian Auer

This entry was posted on Monday, December 10th, 2007 at 1:16 am and is filed under Features, Inspirational. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

79 Responses »

  1. Skedonk on December 10th, 2007 at 1:56 am:

    Great post!
    Here is one I really liked:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/camil_t/70879947/

  2. Brian Auer on December 10th, 2007 at 2:05 am:

    That’s awesome — the photos on the wall in the background are a nice touch.

  3. Photography Voter on December 10th, 2007 at 3:39 am:

    16 awesome portraits as examples to 16 techniques for getting more interesting portraits.

  4. libeco on December 10th, 2007 at 4:19 am:

    You mentioned over and under exposing, but how about taking that even a step further and going for high and low key pictures? Following are not the best examples, just quick searches.
    High:
    -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/inkyfingerz/1090569329/
    -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/phiggys/580482700/

    Low:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/pblock74/311907879/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsquare/473640742/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradi/1394758606/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lallisig/1131608054/

  5. Brian Auer on December 10th, 2007 at 4:21 am:

    Wow, great examples you’ve chosen! Thanks for adding those.

  6. Antoine Khater on December 10th, 2007 at 5:54 am:

    What can I say ??? those are just …. (sorry can’t find the words)

  7. Brian Auer on December 10th, 2007 at 11:23 am:

    … is that a good thing or a bad thing? I only ask because I’ve encountered a few people who really don’t like my taste in photos.

  8. Neil Galloway on December 10th, 2007 at 11:43 am:

    Great set of photos. Always a good reminder of what you can be thinking of when taking a photo.

  9. inspirationbit on December 10th, 2007 at 12:16 pm:

    I definitely don’t belong to that group of people who don’t share your taste in photos, Brian.
    These are AMAZING 2 bytes of portrait photo inspiration. How do you feel today - motivated again to try new portrait techniques?

  10. Brian Auer on December 10th, 2007 at 12:41 pm:

    Thanks Vivien! (hahaha, two bytes — that’s funny). I’m feeling a little more up to it — I put this post together to help give myself a little inspiration. I can’t say that I’ll be going all out with these techniques on today’s portrait, but I’m feeling a lot better about picking up the camera and trying some things out.

  11. Denis on December 10th, 2007 at 2:05 pm:

    great themes, a very inspired and inspiring gallery ! Thanks for sharing it.

  12. Bryan Villarin on December 10th, 2007 at 2:26 pm:

    Wicked awesome post, Brian.

    I’m sure I’ll need to change things up, especially since there’s 21 more days left for this challenge! =/

  13. Brian Auer on December 10th, 2007 at 2:39 pm:

    Thanks Bryan — I figured a lot of us would start getting tapped out on ideas since we’re not professional portrait photographers.

  14. Antoine Khater on December 10th, 2007 at 2:56 pm:

    No Brian it is not good it is GREAT :)

  15. Brian Auer on December 10th, 2007 at 3:07 pm:

    phew… you had me worried there for a second. Sometimes I tend to be pulled toward images like #11 and #12, and some people don’t appreciate those types of photos the same way I do. Anyways, I’m glad you like the selections — if you like them as much as I do, visit the artists and add their photos to your favorites or leave them a comment.

  16. jim on December 10th, 2007 at 3:16 pm:

    excellent tips & great pix.

    http://www.golfnorwich.com/

  17. Antoine Khater on December 10th, 2007 at 3:24 pm:

    #11 and #12 are more “artistic” blurred and grainy IMHO it takes time and maturity for someone to start appreciate this kind of pictures.

  18. Nathan Ketsdever on December 10th, 2007 at 4:52 pm:

    Great shots & great blog post!

  19. spencer on December 10th, 2007 at 5:53 pm:

    Some examples from a friend who is one of my favorite local portraitists:

    high-key: http://flickr.com/photos/murn/1260992264/
    overexposed: http://flickr.com/photos/murn/1204268455/ or http://flickr.com/photos/murn/820098680/
    posed: http://flickr.com/photos/murn/1204376448/ or http://flickr.com/photos/murn/530934820/
    movement (sort of): http://flickr.com/photos/murn/997144223/

  20. jp on December 10th, 2007 at 8:14 pm:

    Outstanding ideas and photos………thanks for sharing some good ideas that I will follow up on.

  21. Ben on December 10th, 2007 at 9:57 pm:

    Some really cool tricks and techniques here. Gave me some inspiration for some portrait pics I want to take.

  22. Tony Landis on December 11th, 2007 at 12:44 am:

    Wow those are great tips!

  23. Daniel Hellerman on December 11th, 2007 at 12:55 am:

    Great work of compiling those images! I got some great inspiration from them!

  24. Gelay on December 11th, 2007 at 6:51 am:

    Eye opening!!! Thanks.

  25. art (bob) on December 11th, 2007 at 7:53 am:

    Wow; great illustration of the techniques you’ve employed. Thanks!

  26. Josiah Friberg on December 11th, 2007 at 11:31 am:

    Thanks so much for the great tips. Those will be very useful.

    http://fineartinspirationalphotography.blogspot.com

    Also, check out my photography articles on Ezine@articles by Josiah Friberg.

  27. Paul Indigo on December 11th, 2007 at 2:35 pm:

    What a superb collection to illustrate the different techniques and styles. As usual your text is thoroughly entertaining and informative too.
    Cheers,
    Paul

  28. josh on December 11th, 2007 at 3:23 pm:

    really good and sound advice for those who are interested in photography or just looking at striking photos. don’t forget to drop by at: http://lemme.be

  29. Blogerko on December 11th, 2007 at 4:19 pm:

    Ouuu, beautiful images

  30. psychic readings on December 11th, 2007 at 4:40 pm:

    I really loved this article!
    You might find some nice photography on http://www.picli.com aswell as Flickr

  31. Stef on December 12th, 2007 at 3:59 am:

    Wow, great pictures and ideas. Very clear writing style as well.

  32. mania on December 12th, 2007 at 10:00 pm:

    sure someone else already pointed out:
    low key is not underexposed, high key is not overexposed…
    all in all some pretty pictures but you better erase your own text…

  33. FishedzL on December 12th, 2007 at 10:05 pm:

    Thanks for sharing this article.
    here’s for me to share. im just a newbie in photography.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/akinito/sets/72157602624577065/

  34. Fotografo ritratto on December 13th, 2007 at 7:03 am:

    Thanks Abolutely interesting and inspiring.

  35. Tanja Short on December 16th, 2007 at 6:06 pm:

    The technique of overexposing is very great, if you have to take pictures of people who have a lot of blemish on their skin.

  36. Blue on December 16th, 2007 at 9:00 pm:

    Great list, but one is flawed.
    For #8 reflections the example at first glance looks like the reflection in a window, but its really just a exact copy flipped with the opacity dropped. A real reflection would not be identical, but would be a slightly different angle. If the camera was on the exact same plane as the reflective surface then the reflection would be very nearly the same but still not quite. In this image a real reflection would be at an angle showing more of her face from the front. Test it for yourself if you think otherwise.

  37. Brian Auer on December 16th, 2007 at 9:15 pm:

    hmmm… you’re totally right. At a glance it looks like a reflection, but it is just a copy. Good eye!

  38. Skedonk on December 16th, 2007 at 9:32 pm:

    Following this post, I finally managed to get a portrait I’m happy with:
    http://flickr.com/photos/skedonk/2114595000/

    Thanks!

  39. Sarahbear. on December 18th, 2007 at 1:30 pm:

    The first Photo by Paul, I know him. ^_^ He’s an amazing friend.

  40. Audrey on December 18th, 2007 at 5:45 pm:

    that is very cool.

  41. JohnD on December 20th, 2007 at 10:27 am:

    Great Photos Thank You

  42. Clif on December 20th, 2007 at 11:52 pm:

    All pretty obvious to even the beginner…

  43. Aakash Vakil on January 2nd, 2008 at 8:00 am:

    Great tips…..I look forward to reading your blogs on regular basis.

  44. yeroldyeti on January 3rd, 2008 at 2:33 am:

    Thumps Up!
    This is a “best of the best” site for the occasional lay photographer who need to make documentaries and representative pictures for their community of viewers!

  45. Pele Odiase on January 8th, 2008 at 1:08 pm:

    very good tips. would be helpful in my next wedding. http://www.rhemastudio.com

  46. willi on January 11th, 2008 at 11:02 pm:

    very informative! thanks thanks!
    may i use the texts and the photos you used here in one of my discussions on portrait photography with my class (high schol boys)?
    yur tips are easy to follow.

  47. Brian Auer on January 12th, 2008 at 2:29 am:

    Yes, please do!

  48. JimmyW on January 12th, 2008 at 7:08 am:

    Great Article
    very Helpful

    I am actually a young ameture photographer (I’m 14)
    Do you have any specific tips on how to get a better photo?

  49. Anna S on January 12th, 2008 at 6:00 pm:

    This article is very informative and helpful. It is a great post! I am starting up a site for amateur photographers. Its just getting started, but any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated!
    Again, great post!

  50. That Guy on January 13th, 2008 at 6:05 pm:

    In response to these tips: thank you Captain Obvious.

    This is the most obvious list of “tips” I have ever beheld.

    Wait, wait, wait………………………… a person doesn’t HAVE to smile?! Who KNEW? You have revolutionized my career! Thank God I read this!!

  51. olecanoli on January 14th, 2008 at 3:40 pm:

    okay “that Guy” maybe this was intended for beginers like me, it may come as a surprise to you but most people in the world arent professional photographers

  52. Brian Auer on January 14th, 2008 at 4:45 pm:

    Good point olecanoli. I can see that you have a better grasp on the intent of this article than That Guy does.

    That Guy — it would be great if you could point us to the stellar article that you’ve written on portrait photography so that our more advanced readers (such as yourself) can actually learn something beyond this obvious garbage.

  53. azadeh on January 23rd, 2008 at 9:18 am:

    there art brilliant !

  54. David reed on February 4th, 2008 at 3:04 am:

    Great diversified group of images. Really nice.

  55. Armando Velazquez on February 6th, 2008 at 12:40 am:

    I like very much your page , I think you are a interesting person, I can think you feel the air around the people in the photographs. Have a nice day

  56. Philippe Roy on February 11th, 2008 at 1:01 am:

    Thanks for putting all of the into words and pictures. I’ve started giving photo-lessons and it was difficult to put into words what my brain seems to do automatically! This list is absolutely great!

    By-the-way, I would even go one step further than “get close” and add “fill-the-frame”!

    Thanks again!

  57. The Dino on February 11th, 2008 at 2:51 pm:

    These are realy good examples of several techniques. I like the last one… sometimes it will be hard to arrange this :)

  58. BetterProtraitPhotography on February 28th, 2008 at 1:17 pm:

    Just found you through Digg. I can’t believe that jerk ripped off your post. Anyway, awesome photos and a nice way to convey these simple lessons. Pictures are worth more than 1000 words.

  59. alwizbme on March 16th, 2008 at 12:59 am:

    Very inspiring, I always come back to remind me of how to do a certain type of photography..

  60. Jo on March 21st, 2008 at 12:29 pm:

    very cool, keeping this for reference. Thanks!

  61. Bob Walton on March 23rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm:

    Amazing illustrastions of the technique discussed. Art is so expressive; I love it.

  62. wonderkid on March 25th, 2008 at 5:44 pm:

    j like 14. COLORS that so cool man

  63. Cassandra on April 10th, 2008 at 4:23 am:

    Thank you for putting this together… You’re very talented and those are some great tips. I think it’s great that you want to help people with the knowledge that you have gained. I am an aspiring photographer.. currently it is a hobby, but I’m on my way to school for it. I’m very excited! I’ve been working on my skill for the past couple of years, and have realised that I am very passionate about it!

  64. jenny on April 19th, 2008 at 6:07 am:

    i must say im astonished by your work:)amazing and the tips are really usefull for us:)i would love if you could take a look at my pics and tell me your opinion:)keep up the grat work:)

  65. mad lady's ru on April 20th, 2008 at 9:41 am:

    Great work of compiling those images! I got some great inspiration from them!
    You had me worried there for a few minute and… I belong to that of people who share your taste in photos, really good and advice for those who are interested in photography and not just looking your striking photos

  66. biz on April 26th, 2008 at 8:36 am:

    pic 1 so funny hehehehhe, i like it

  67. khalid on May 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 am:

    whats the effect of lenses in a portrait photography.. i mean,, can we use all kind of lenses, wide to tele?
    realy great pics.

  68. oxo photographer on May 15th, 2008 at 5:51 am:

    I love the first one the most haha

  69. Furious Photographers on May 15th, 2008 at 5:52 am:

    Seriously taking photography to a new level

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