1. A few tips for composition
Portrait Tips
A few tips for composition

2. Some classic portrait compositions

3. Wide shot – subject in environment

4. Top half: Focus on face, eyes, hands (Mid shot)
Still offers insight into background/setting

6. Head and Shoulders / Close mid

7. Tight Close-Up

10. Facial View & Camera Angles

11. Definitions:
facial view is what portion or angle of the face that is showing towards the camera. How is the subject’s face turned or angled relative to the lens, and your position at camera.
camera angle is where you place your camera, in relation to the subject in so far as the height, distance, and angle to the subject’s face.

12. Facial View: Full Face
Your subject’s nose is pointing directly towards the lens. You see equal amounts of both sides of their face.

13. Facial View: ¾ View
Where your subject turns their face just slightly in one direction until you cannot see the far ear any more.

14. Facial View: 2/3 View
The subject has continued to turn their head until the line of the nose is almost touching the outline of their cheek on the far side. Be careful not to turn them past that point so the nose breaks the line of the cheek.

15. Facial View: Profile
Where the subject’s face is turned almost exactly 90 degrees from front, basically their nose is pointing sideways. You should only be able to see one side of their face and not the eye on the far side, in a true profile.

16. Camera Angle: High Angle
Emphasizes the face
Eyes seem bigger
Proportion is more slimming

17. Camera Angle: Low Angle
Can make a person look taller
Make subject seem more powerful
Not always flattering though... Nostrils, etc.

18. Camera Angle: Eye Level
Best for groups
Often most flattering angle for portraits (at eye level, or slightly above)

19. Some Other tips…

20. Fill the frame with your subject

22. Keep eyes in the upper 3rd of the portrait

23. Don’t leave too much headroom
Also, use background to give insight into your subject

24. Use framing to concentrate attention on your subject

25. Composition: The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is the simplest rule of composition. All you do is take your frame and overlay a grid of nine equal sections. This means you split the vertical space into three parts and the horizontal space into three parts. Here's what that looks like:

27. Generally you want to place important elements where the grid intersects.

30. Keep In Mind…
If you’re photographing someone who’s moving or looking out of the frame, leave space in front of them…
The viewer will follow their gaze… give them room.

31. Be careful… don’t crop off heads, or cut off feet in a wide shot
Be careful… don’t crop off heads, or cut off feet in a wide shot... If you are cutting something out, try to do so on purpose.

32. DON’T SHOOT WITH THE LIGHT BEHIND YOUR SUBJECT… they will become silhouetted, and you will lose detail.