How to Make People Comfortable in Portraits

We often talk quite a bit about the virtues of different portraits lenses, how various lighting techniques render your subject, and how different poses make for a flattering final image. But one thing that does not get discussed enough is how to make your subject comfortable in front of the camera. This fantastic video discusses the importance of doing so and several techniques that will help.

Coming to you from Daniel Norton Photographer, this excellent video discusses why you should work on making your subjects comfortable in front of the camera and how to do so. You can have great gear, fantastic technique, and flawless post-processing methods, but if your subjects are not comfortable on camera, you will not be able to create compelling work. A lot of people can be rather camera shy, and as most top portrait photographers will tell you, their job is often more about being a psychologist of sorts than being someone apt with a camera. Luckily, you do not need to be constantly able to just improvise brilliant conversation; just having a few go-to techniques can make a huge difference in your work. Check out the video above for lots of helpful tips from Norton. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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2 Comments

Good video. Thanks!

You could pose for other photographers. Nothing like 1st hand experience in doing it yourself.