Tips On How To Create An Extraordinary Portrait

Many photographers think that it is impossible to photograph extraordinary portraits in an ordinary place. This is because it seems that a location with beautiful landscapes and superb view might be needed.

But some amazing photos are captured using creativity and that’s how they can make the image stand out. It takes patience and effort to capture the best shot and produce extraordinary images. It is better to stick with one subject when taking the shot if you are new to photography.

An extraordinary portrait mostly begins with how you perceive an idea and use it as a subject for the portrait. For instance, self-portrait and selfies are commonly used in social media nowadays.

There is a big difference between the two, as self-portrait refers to a composed, well-thought image. Selfies, on the other hand, are taken usually quickly using mobile phones.

How to Create Extraordinary Portraits?

Most photographers are aiming to come up with an extraordinary portrait, to showcase their work of art and artistic side of photography. Being artistic creates a huge difference and helps elevate a composition. Here are some tips on how to create an extraordinary portrait.

Create Abstract Compositions. One of the ways to create extraordinary portraits is through abstract composition. What is an abstract composition? An abstract composition is something that doesn't view as a direct subject. There are no rules for abstract photography. Images contain various elements combined with multiple objects which makes it hard to define the real subject.

An abstract composition often concentrates on a limited area of a subject, that reveals shapes, patterns, colours or textures. The movement of an object such as rushing water or wind blowing on a plant or water is an example of abstract images. To capture the perfect abstract photo, some photographers say that it doesn’t require complex equipment; your own imagination will be able to accomplish the perfect abstract photo.

Photos Captured in Dramatic Light. Dramatic lighting barely utilizes lighting equipment used to achieve the dramatic effect. It can produce lively images depending on the expression of the subject's face.

To achieve dramatic lighting the only equipment needed include small flashes, desk lamps or even just a window. These are used to modify and position properly the light that can be used to achieve this kind of lighting.

Dramatic images are often dark, and one of the things that contribute to the effectiveness of dramatic light is through one source of lighting. It can be hard or soft light depending on the subject and based on your preference. Soft light has a more gradual transition between the light and shadows, and it is more subtle on skin texture when compared to a hard light source. Light is made softer by using a diffuser or providing more distance between the camera and what is being photographed.

Change Your Angle. Angles in photography are used to define the presence of a subject and visual purpose. Once you have the perfect light, the next thing to do is to photograph your subject from the right angle.

Learning your camera angle and your view will not only make a big difference in your shot and images, but it will also improve your photography skills in general. How you position yourself around your subject can have a dramatic effect on the resulting pictures. Sometimes finding the right angle involves as simple as choosing where to put yourself and get the best register on the camera.

Use Photographic Techniques. Photographic techniques are tricks used by photographers. These tricks add a special touch to any image or photograph. There are proven ways on how this can be used that can help create better images. Examples of photographic techniques are listed below:

1. Pano Stitching. Panoramic images provide a dynamic effect in every shot. They create high-resolution environmental portraits. Pano stitching works best with lenses that give you a shallow depth of field and greater compression.
2. Spray Bottle. It is a simple tool where water is sprayed on the lens. By spraying some water in the lens, this can turn a dull image to an exciting one so it will be better to have some sort of filter for the lens. However, make sure to keep your lens safe when doing this.
3. Mixed Lighting. Mixed-light to pictures is sometimes being avoided as this affects the quality of images. However, did you know that it can actually create high-quality images and improve their quality when done correctly? The trick is to separate the light sources, so the temperatures don't mix, and there is a way to balance the light within the images.
4. Freelensing. It is a technique that uses a broken lens to let the light bleed through the edges of the frame, creating different flares and colour. The broken lens is used for this kind of shot and holding it off the camera body allowing light to flare through.
5. Tilt-shift. Tilt-shift is another technique which includes camera movements wherein there is a change in the position or orientation of the lens based on the camera’s image sensor. This is difficult to utilize at first with the functionality of a tilt-shift lens, but like any other strategy, it's just a matter of trial and error and experience. Understanding how it works can be hard because it uses a non-traditional perspective.

Capturing extraordinary photos is quite challenging, but with proper practice, patience, and creativity, anyone can create unique images. Finding the right techniques is crucial and knowing different elements can make your pictures look spectacular.