We all enjoy snapping away with our digital cameras and more often than not we will be taking portraits of friends and partners. And while they may appear easy to take, many people make a thorough mess of them.

Too close, to far away or heads and other body parts mysteriously missing, let’s face it we’ve all been there.    To help avoid those problems lets look at some basic principles and tips for taking portrait photography.

This can be avoided if we take a little time to learn some of the basics.  Always use the LCD screen to help compose the shot. Make sure that everything you want to shoot is centred on your digital cameras LCD screen. Everything that appears on that screen will appear in your portrait photograph.

If you try and pose the person you are photographing, the picture will lose its spontaneity and the subject will look stiff and awkward. Just take the picture on the spur of the moment. If the subject suddenly moves out of range or you do not like the way the picture has worked out your digital camera allows you to erase it and you can try again.  Just delete the picture and move on.

One of the best tips in taking portrait photography, either posed or spontaneous shots, is to ensure that you fill the frame and use every available bit of space.  Everything in the frame of the photo should add something to the portrait.

Another basic factor to consider when taking your portraits is the lighting. Many people photograph outdoors so lighting is not such a big issue. But if you are taking your pictures at an indoor location, including your home, you need to consider lighting.

If there is natural light coming through a window it can be used to disseminate the shot by adding some nice gentle shadows.  Be careful though, if the light is too bright the shadows will too strong though, if the portrait is a posed one, you could use white card to reflect the shadows.

Finally, when taking portrait photography remember to focus on the eyes as they are a persons most important, and revealing, feature.

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