A subject who’s not used to being a model can make for some slightly awkward portraits, so having a stock of ideas that you can use can be very useful — particularly if they are men. Check out these ideas for some natural, relaxed portraits of a reluctant male model.
Photographer Julia Trotti is well known for gorgeous natural light photos, no doubt helped immensely by working with experienced female models. Having this insight into how she works with a somewhat less relaxed male model is really useful, and keeping these ideas in mind can be a great way to get a shoot started, get some keepers under your belt, and allow your model to become more relaxed by showing them some great results as you continue the shoot together.
Trotti is shooting on the Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM, which is great for blurring the background by shooting it at its widest aperture. Keep in mind that 35mm is slightly wide angle, and while you’ll want to be close to give yourself a shallow depth of field, be careful of getting too close — hands and feet that are very near to the lens can easily look huge, and anything at the edges of the frame can appear slightly distorted.
Which other tips would you add? Let us know in the comments below.
