8 More Tips for Improving Your Portraits

1) Shoot children at their height

Get down to their level to shoot children, don't shoot the tops of their heads.

2) Shoot up to give power

Want to make someone look stronger in your picture, then bring the camera below their eye line.

3) Shoot down to make someone inferior

The reverse tip, if someone is literally "looking up to you", they will look inferior or submissive. Now this can be used positively, especially when trying to make girls look sexy or cute.

4) Don't just shoot the face.

Especially for children, but not exclusively, what about a child's feet your grandmothers hands, what about your friends eyes?

5) Find your sitters favourite environment

If you have a choice, put them where they feel most comfortable, maybe it's in their work shed at home, or the childs bedroom. If the sitter is comfortable that helps, but their environment is also part of who they are and part of the portrait.

6) Learn the "S" pose

For women you should to show them how to do the "S" pose to make them look just so, so much better than just standing square to camera.

7) Give your sitter props

They feel much more comfortable with something to hang on to. If they can wave it around and make it part of the picture even better. Flowers, guitars, books, toys, hats, all sorts.

8) KISS your model

Keep It Simple, Stupid. Struggling with softboxes, backgrounds, reflectors, camera settings won't always help. Sometimes you just need to let the sitter be themselves and be happy and relaxed rather than intimidated by your equipment - or concerned about you being flustered.

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