Taking a successful portrait requires the confluence of good technique, creativity, and your ability to interact with and direct your subject. If you have been struggling with your portraiture work, check out this excellent video tutorial that will offer you five tips to help you produce better results.
Coming to you from Nicolas Doretti, this helpful video tutorial details five tips for improving your portraiture. One that frequently gets overlooked in the race to improve one's technique, lighting, and editing skills is the importance of learning how to help your subjects feel more comfortable in front of the camera. Many people (particularly those who are not models) freeze a bit in front of the lens, and it often takes more than simply directing their poses to get a successful image. This is why a lot of top portrait photographers will tell you that their job is more psychology than it is photography (though it is of course crucial that you have that side of things mastered as well).
Check out the video above for the full rundown from Doretti.
If you would like to continue working on your portraiture, be sure to take a look at "Perfecting the Headshot With Peter Hurley!"
"Intention precedes technique ." I like that.