At least once in a lifetime, everyone has taken a portrait photo, whether it’s an average selfie for social networks or a photo taken on a professional camera. There are many common mistakes that even seasoned photographers make, and we’ll tell you about 6 of them in this article. You’ll learn how to capture pictures with better clarity, angle, and lighting. So, let’s take a look at the pitfalls so that you can avoid them when taking your photos.
1. Shooting from the Wrong Angle
One of the most crucial aspects of portrait photography is finding the right angle. Shooting from an incorrect angle can distort the facial features of the model, create the wrong composition, and ruin the impact of the portrait. For better results, you can try taking shots at a 45-degree angle to the person, slightly above eye level, or from a lower angle. Just experiment a little to find suitable angles for you or the model you’re taking photos of.
2. Capturing Photos in JPEG
Even though JPEG is a popular file format for sharing and storing pictures, it’s better to avoid it when taking portraits. After shooting photos in JPEG, you might notice a loss of detail and quality. The thing is that JPEG files compress the image, and even professional photo editors can’t help you enhance the quality of such a picture.
To take high-quality portraits, it’s better to use the RAW file format. It allows you to capture more details, which is also convenient for further image enhancements.
3. It’s Not Sharp Enough
Photos can be blurry due to different reasons. Some photographers prefer autofocus which might sometimes work incorrectly. As a result, the background or other details look sharper than the main object of the portrait. Another common mistake is not adjusting the shutter speed right. If it’s done incorrectly, it may result in motion blur and unclear photos. Besides, it’s especially important to focus on the person’s eyes when taking a portrait.
4. Overexposed Portraits
Overexposure is yet another common mistake in portrait photography. It might wash out the details from the picture and make the person look unnaturally bright. But you can prevent this effect simply by adjusting the exposure in the phone or camera settings and using the histogram as a guide.
5. Too Much Detail
While taking a portrait of a beautiful person in a nice location, you might feel the urge to capture all the details you see. But it’s not always a good idea. For example, it’s essential for the person’s eyes to be sharp in a portrait, but you don’t want to emphasize their skin flaws.
The background of your picture should also be a little blurry, because a clear background with many details might distract the viewers from the main object of the photo.
6. Using the Wrong Lens
There are various lenses available on the market. But some of them are a total no-no for shooting portraits. Many beginners get started with using a wide-angle lens. However, you should avoid them, as it tends to distort facial features and make the person look bigger. If you prefer head and shoulders shots, 70-85mm can be a good choice for you.
Summary
These are 6 common mistakes in portrait photography. Knowing them, you can easily avoid them and take stunning pictures. To fix the mistakes in the photos that have already been taken, you can use a portrait photo editor. So, even if you don’t have time to adjust the camera settings or find the perfect angle, you can make the adjustments in post-production with no problem.
Now, it’s time to put into practice the information we’ve discussed in this article. Remember, the more you shoot, the better your skills in portrait photography become.
