1. Plan Ahead for Professional Results 

It is important to plan and prepare well for your photo shoot. Both your functionality and creativity will increase. Knowing what you want to achieve with a portrait photo shoot reduces your options and makes the plan more effective.

So, how do I plan a photo shoot? Pre-imagining the photos you want will enable you to prepare them for them. You can consider including your model (s) in this planning phase. I like to list my ideas and discuss my model in advance.

It is always a good idea to get a signed model release before starting a portrait photo shoot. 

You also need to pack well. Check and you have the gear you need the most. Not the right lens for you or your flash battery in a bag you haven't brought. This type of monitoring will affect your creative flow during the shoot. It will also affect your credibility as a photographer.

Become a Model.

2. Add Location to Your Portrait Photography

We all love photos taken at great places. So many popular Instagram accounts are proof of this.

Plan your portrait photo shoot to embrace the places you are taking in your model. Including the surroundings can make your pictures more interesting. Look for the composition for the best angle and lighting.

Keep in mind that your main objective is to take a photo of your model and make them look good. If you are facing a challenging location and are struggling to find an angle, then get creative. Blurring the background is probably one of the easiest and most effective methods. 

In this photo, I wanted it to be clear that my model was in town, but keep the focus clearly on it. I chose my aperture setting so it is different from the background yet you can see that it is in the city.

3. Variety Is Key to Better Portrait Photos

Make sure that you take a real variety in every photo session. Well planned and chose the places you want to make the most of them.

Stay within your game plan. But mix the pose, expression, outfits, composition, lens and camera settings. Turn off your wide, medium and photo. See additional details everywhere and include them. I have a background in editorial photography. Therefore, I typically look at every photo session with the aim of producing a spread of photos.

If my model wants to close most of the photos, I will make a series of medium and wide compositions. When they see them, they often comment that they did not think about that angle or style of the photo. Remember, you are the photographer. be creative.

Very where your model is appearing. One should not always look at them in their lens. Do they see the way by far, up, down and gaze.
If you are not sure how to communicate this, ask them to look for something specific in the direction you want to face them.

4. Control Lighting for Better Portraits

Stay in control of the lighting. Poor lighting will also ruin a portrait photo shoot of the most attractive person. I like to use some kind of accessory, such as flash and / or reflectors.

Having the ability to play with ambient light allows you to control the mood of your pictures. During your planning, you must have decided on the look and overall experience that you wanted to achieve. Much of this will be determined by how you control the lighting.

If you have chosen to portray a dramatic image of your model, use harsh lighting and strong shadows. This will increase the effect.

A more attractive feeling will be achieved with soft lights that wrap around your model as they pose. Using reflector or diffused lights from more than one point in front of your model will produce pleasant results.

There are many techniques that you can employ to manipulate lighting to create a mood in a picture. If you are not in your lighting and control, you will not get the best results from your portrait photo shoot.

5. Communicate with Your Model for Easy Presentation

Take time to connect with your model. You will get better pictures. If you are away and non-communicable, your model will not be such a good response.

Talk to your model before the photo session. If you know your model, ask some specific questions. Ask them what they want to achieve with the photo shoot and share with them what you want. Working together in this way would be more of an idea to work with you.

Model poses are not always comfortable for people. A model will be more natural state if they want to achieve that you rely on you know. Communicate clearly with them what you want. They can not understand or your idea is not just work. Try to explain yourself more clearly or move on to something else.

Your model can be a good idea to pose. Listen to their suggestions and try them out, especially if they are having trouble resting. They say that they are photographed in poses that means they are more comfortable so the results will be better.

6. Do Not Fiddle with Your Camera During a Photoshoot

During a photo session, you need to focus not only on your camera, but also on your model. The more you are paying attention to your model, the better your pictures will be. To succeed in this, you need to know your camera and your craft.

Most of your time and focus on your camera and being distracted with settings will probably lead to failure. You should know how to set your camera for the style of photos you employ.

This means:

• Using shutter speed and aperture settings.
• Setting ISO correctly for lighting.
• Choose the focus mode you will be working with.
• Setting up your flash and / or reflector.

It should all be set and ready before you meet your model. Even if you need to make adjustments to your settings, they only need to be minor.
If you are engaged with your camera, you will not be sufficiently attached to your model. They will find it more difficult to relax and pose well (unless they are really professional).

If you are using a flash or reflector, make sure you know how. If you are working with an assistant, make sure they understand your intentions for the photo shoot. The more you pay attention to your model, the more they enjoy it, and the better your photos will be.

7. Portrait Follow After Photo Shoot

Once you finish, get in touch with your model. If the photo op is done well and you are expected to work with your model again, this is important. Be sure to send them a thank you text or email.

Follow along to get the photos you may have pledged. Then a few days later see again what they thought about the photos and the experience.

Even if you think the photo session did not go so well, communicate a little more with your model! You can both learn from experience.

If you are serious about developing your portrait photography, then give a short questionnaire to fill in your model. This may be some questions about the photo session and the resulting pictures. Be sure to leave room for the comments they want to make.

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