[junousia]

I'm not very familiar with portrait photography and I have read now quite many web instructions. Still I'm a little bit confused how to compost the subject. All instructions advise to focus to the eye (head and sholder portrais) and the height of the camera should also basically at the same level, and use Golden rule. Thats quite clear for me.


But after that if I take the photo then there is too much free space above the head. Do I tilt the camera a little bit (not good idea?) or do I lower the camera (maybe not) or do I edit the photo with photo editor afterward.


Which one is commonly use practise?


Br. Jukka

[Unregistered User 8]

Hi Jukka. I found this helpful to me. Hope it is for you too.

You Tube

You Tube

[Billk]

Here's a shot taken from below eye level, which I think works.

You should focus on the eyes but you don't need to be level with them.

[redcat]

Always focus on those eyes, and rule of third is a good start. The level thing is not a must, if u want ur subjet to appears taller (full body) u can shoot from a low angle

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Last edited by redcat; 05-31-2016 at 11:13 AM.

[Billk]

Here's a youtube clip with Peter Coulson, one of the photographers I have learned from.

It is partly about lighting but also about the angles you shoot from.

You Tube

You Tube

[bigdavephoto]

I'm not very familiar with portrait photography and I have read now quite many web instructions. Still I'm a little bit confused how to compost the subject. All instructions advise to focus to the eye (head and sholder portrais) and the height of the camera should also basically at the same level, and use Golden rule. Thats quite clear for me.


But after that if I take the photo then there is too much free space above the head. Do I tilt the camera a little bit (not good idea?) or do I lower the camera (maybe not) or do I edit the photo with photo editor afterward.


Which one is commonly use practise?


Br. Jukka

As you can see, you have already gotten four different replies to your question. I am going to throw my answer in the ring too.


First, I am going to take a guess and say you are using your center focus point. If not, I would highly advise that you do so. This way you have full control of what you will be focusing on.


When you focus on tour model, yes you focus on the eyes. This is what draws people into your photo. Now depending on how far away you are from the person you are taking a photo of. You might see a lot of room above the top of the head. Back in the day of film and even into today, you would normally drop the camera aiming point down a little so you don't end up with a lot of space above the head.


Keep in mind if you are going to recompose after getting focus, you will need to hold the back button or the shutter button half way to lock the focus while recomposing. If you don't lock your focus you will need to start over.


Also, if you don't feel like recomposing after locking your focus, you can always crop in post production.


Both are acceptable. I, myself try to recompose most of the time but sometimes I do need to crop.

[junousia]

Thanks to all of you.


I have focused on the eyes or on the face and locked the focus and after that recompose, but I have never really learned how to take portraits.


Yes, I use center focus (Pentax K-x).

[Billk]

Thanks to all of you.


I have focused on the eyes or on the face and locked the focus and after that recompose, but I have never really learned how to take portraits.


Yes, I use center focus (Pentax K-x).

Compose first for minimal cropping then select a single focus point close to the target eye and then do whatever minimal recomposing is necessary to get that point over the eye and focused. You then have very little cropping to do in PP.


If you focus and recompose you will almost certainly move your focus in front of or behind your subject's eye and something other than your subject's eyes will be the sharpest part of the image.

[junousia]

Thanks Billk


I useally focus and keep shutter buttom half pressed and then recompose. It's easies way with K-x which hasn't visible focuspoints in viewfinder.

[Billk]

Thanks Billk


I useally focus and keep shutter buttom half pressed and then recompose. It's easies way with K-x which hasn't visible focuspoints in viewfinder.

With you now! I had a Kx briefly and hit that problem.


In that case, I think using the centre point for focussing without recomposing and then cropping the image in post processing for the composition you want is the best approach.


Even when you have a fair bit of depth of field, you nearly always want the subject's eyes to be the most sharply focused thing in the photo.

[clackers]

But after that if I take the photo then there is too much free space above the head. Do I tilt the camera a little bit (not good idea?) or do I lower the camera (maybe not) or do I edit the photo with photo editor afterward.

If you only get one shot, give space all around so you can try different crops in editing later on.

If you're able to get more than one shot, take different compositions. Bryan Peterson is fond of saying: "When do you take portrait (orientation)? Right after you've shot in landscape".

If you were later to shoot for a poster or magazine, you'd also do ones with a lot of space above or to the left and right, to allow the graphics designer to put text over the top of your image.