If taking pictures is a passion of yours, and you love photographing people, you could have a great career as a portrait photographer. It's unlikely that the people who pose for you will be professional models. You will encounter all kinds, shapes, sizes, and colors of clients along the way. There are some simple things you can do to create the kind of woman portrait photography Los Angeles clients will love.
It is important to meet clients before the shoot. During the initial meeting you can discuss what your client's goals are with the photos you will be taking. That will help you determine the best backgrounds, hair, makeup, clothing, and poses for the shoot.
You need to get to know the client a little bit by asking about her interests, hobbies, work, and family life. This gives you a feeling for your client's personality. The information you get will inform the pictures you take.
Everybody has a good side, and most women have opinions about which one hers is. You don't have to agree with your client, but you will have to work with what she believes. If you don't, you can take wonderful photos that you believe to be some of your finest work, but your client will never be happy with them. With experience, you will learn how to adjust the camera angles and lighting to maximize your client's most flattering features.
You need to avoid any awkward angles that make the subject appear stiff. When you're photographing more mature women, you can have them sitting in a chair with their legs crossed. This is a generally flattering pose that makes the client look poised and graceful. You might position younger women on the ground or leaning by a tree with crossed ankles. You can soften a pose by bending the leg.
Along the same lines, you must address the problem of what to do with women's hands. Because they are not professional models, it can be difficult for them to know what to do. You could suggest holding their faces with their hands, interlacing fingers casually in front of them, or intertwining their hands in their hair as ways of solving the problem. Once they are comfortable with where their hands are, women are more likely to relax.
One thing you can count on is that women will be concerned that their pictures will make them look fat. You have to be careful with the angle you choose to keep that from happening. One trick a lot of photographers use is to photograph the subject from slightly below the camera level. This is a way to elongate a neck and define a jawline. You don't want the angle to be so severe though that the subject is looking straight up.
You have to learn to take advantage of the environment. Photos where the wind is rifling through the woman's hair and sunlight is reflected in her eyes are always interesting. If the weather cooperates you should consider shooting outdoors in open shade.
It is important to meet clients before the shoot. During the initial meeting you can discuss what your client's goals are with the photos you will be taking. That will help you determine the best backgrounds, hair, makeup, clothing, and poses for the shoot.
You need to get to know the client a little bit by asking about her interests, hobbies, work, and family life. This gives you a feeling for your client's personality. The information you get will inform the pictures you take.
Everybody has a good side, and most women have opinions about which one hers is. You don't have to agree with your client, but you will have to work with what she believes. If you don't, you can take wonderful photos that you believe to be some of your finest work, but your client will never be happy with them. With experience, you will learn how to adjust the camera angles and lighting to maximize your client's most flattering features.
You need to avoid any awkward angles that make the subject appear stiff. When you're photographing more mature women, you can have them sitting in a chair with their legs crossed. This is a generally flattering pose that makes the client look poised and graceful. You might position younger women on the ground or leaning by a tree with crossed ankles. You can soften a pose by bending the leg.
Along the same lines, you must address the problem of what to do with women's hands. Because they are not professional models, it can be difficult for them to know what to do. You could suggest holding their faces with their hands, interlacing fingers casually in front of them, or intertwining their hands in their hair as ways of solving the problem. Once they are comfortable with where their hands are, women are more likely to relax.
One thing you can count on is that women will be concerned that their pictures will make them look fat. You have to be careful with the angle you choose to keep that from happening. One trick a lot of photographers use is to photograph the subject from slightly below the camera level. This is a way to elongate a neck and define a jawline. You don't want the angle to be so severe though that the subject is looking straight up.
You have to learn to take advantage of the environment. Photos where the wind is rifling through the woman's hair and sunlight is reflected in her eyes are always interesting. If the weather cooperates you should consider shooting outdoors in open shade.
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