Top Tips from a Portrait Photographer

4 Top tips from an accidental Portrait Photographer.

Meet Karen! =]

Karen didn’t have a particularly auspicious start to her working life. She was fired from her first job in a pie factory after just two hours for being in words ‘a w****r!’ After a stint as a TV runner and managing a post office, Karen found herby in the world of Marketing and Commercial Photography for Travel firms. After years in the market, Karen knows her stuff and her job takes her jetting off around the world.

Karen has very kindly agreed to share some of her 13 years expertise on today’s blog.

As Creative types we all know that trying out new ideas keeps our work fresh & our jobs interesting but when it’s your actual paying job it’s all too easy to stay in your lane & get on with what you know… because it’s safe, it works & pays the bills.

This was me back in 2018, happily plodding on with regular travel shoots creating content for brochures & online guides. It was ace… then… 2019 … tumbleweed.
Lots of chat of reduced marketing budgets, taking all shoots in house & the dreaded B word meant I was starting the year with an empty order book & while the F.E.A.R was truly there it left me with time to try out new ideas.

I’m based in Ramsbottom, which is super close to Manchester (and Leeds & Liverpool)! It has so many ace independent business’, I thought there would be a need for fun, creative portraits to use to showcase their unique personalities. This spark of an idea I had worked & I spent most of 2019 shooting portraits, learning loads & having a great time doing it. Thankfully the travel work picked up again too so I got some sun in along the way!

A couple of things I have learned that help me get some ace shots.

1. Get to know your subject before the shoot.

Once I get a booking in I have a really quick questionnaire that I send through to my client using Studio Ninja’s questionnaire to get some basic info.

– The clients’ socials so I can have a good old stalk & understand visually where they are at or what they are trying to achieve.

– Some quick info on their business history & future plans.

– A few days before I schedule an email with a few pointers for the shoot like what to wear & bring along and all the practical info like where to meet & the timeline of the shoot. You want them to feel relaxed when they arrive for the shoot so as much info as you can give before hand really helps.

2. Keep it simple.

Your subjects aren’t going to be pro models & often are booking a shoot because they know they should show their face but aren’t really comfortable in front of the lens. I shoot either at their business premises or at a few selected locations in the North; Newtons Co working in Bury, Rawtenstall Market & The Salvage House Collective in Whalley. All the places are chosen to offer a variety of shoot options but are also really welcoming creating a relaxed shoot environment.

Also, don’t overwhelm your subjects with lighting. Keep it simple & you will reap the rewards. No one wants the photographer faffing about with kit & not engaging with the subject. Natural light is ace but not always the best option (or in the North an option at all). I use the Godox AD200 twin head kit, which is flexible, simple & gives great results.

3. Click with the subject before you click the camera.

On all shoots I always take the time to get to know the place or person before I pick up my camera.

On destination shoots I always spend the 1st day soaking up the atmosphere, looking at the light & getting to really know the place. It’s time well spent & the same process works for portraits.

Have a chat, tell a bad joke, talk them though the shoot. Sometimes I won’t even pick up my camera till 15 mins into an hour session but by this time I understand the client & have established a rapport & the camera feels like less of a barrier between you both.

Keep talking while you do a few test shots. Don’t announce you are starting “The Shoot” – just crack on. Everyone is more relaxed this way & when they realise the shoot is underway you will have bagged a few awesome frames & they will (hopefully) realise having their portrait done isn’t as scary as they thought.

4. Have fun!

If you are enjoying the shoot the client will & it will show.

Don’t be afraid to try out ideas, some might work; some might not. Look at the final collection from the clients viewpoint, capturing the character of the subject is sometimes more valuable than getting a 100% technically perfect shot.