What Makes a Great Portrait Photograph? Tips/Advice For a Hobbyist Doing Portraits — Scott James Reeves

 I am professional portrait photographer and looooove the power of portraits. Photographing strangers is always so fun because there’s so many possibilities! Spend time getting to know your subjects. Doesn’t have to be long but try to find out something that makes them tick and then try to translate that into the image. You defs need to get closer for a classic shot but it also depends on what story you’re trying to tell.

For example, I would be surprised if this person had a loud, bubbly personality. His facial expression just doesn’t tell me that. But what it does tell me is that he may be very thoughtful and maybe a bit stoic. In that case I would want to get close and have him staring into the camera with his face relaxed. Staring off into the distance doesn’t match up to the story his body language is telling. He seems a little uncomfortable.

This all could be totally off the mark because it’s all soo subjective but thinking about what their vibe is can be helpful.

Technically speaking, don’t shoot lower than a 2.8ish on a close up. The 1.4 is fine on farther out shots because the distance helps load it all onto a finer plane of focus. I only shoot wide open in the daylight if I really need a super blurred background or I’m going for a more artistic vibe with something VERY specific in focus (on a close up).

A course on posing or body mechanics could be helpful if you’re wanting to pursue portraiture more seriously. I think your technical ability is there, I’d focus more on the posing & interpersonal skills while shooting.

I feel like great portrait photographers, along with the technical skills, are also great communicators who truly see a person and know how to unlock that beauty.

I am really good at seeing what makes people unique and beautiful, but I tend to stick to candids because I’m awful at communicating that to them and the results just feel off unless I capture them while they aren’t thinking about the camera in their face.

I will post more tips in the future. Take care.

An example of a portrait

Scott James Reeves is a Virginia Beach–based audio engineer, sound designer, filmmaker, model, and photographer creating cinematic, immersive visual and sonic experiences. Working across music, film, and digital media, Scott specializes in professional audio production, custom sound design, film production, portrait photography, and creative direction.

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