Portrait photography is a challenging genre that requires a combination of technique, the ability to work with a human subject, creative vision, and more. Whether you are new to the genre or an experienced professional, check out this fantastic video tutorial that offers a wide range of tips and helpful advice sure to help you create more compelling images.
Coming to you from Anita Sadowska, this awesome video tutorial will show you a range of tips and advice for improving your portrait photos. I found Sadowska's use of water in her imagery particularly interesting. It is no secret that water can make for a great backdrop or even be incorporated into your imagery to interact with your subject, but as Sadowska discusses, there is a lot more to consider than just whether or not to include it. Not only can the water change the lighting in the image (and produce some spectacular highlights when the conditions are just right), you need to consider the fact that with your subject in it, some of their body will disappear and then adjust your posing accordingly to avoid any looks where a limb is awkwardly cut off or the like. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Sadowska.
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I'm not really crazy about the backgrounds that are busy with all of that foliage. Personally, I would have tried to isolate the subject more by moving her out away from the vegetation, so that I could blur it out more. And I would have done everything I could to get the model against big chunks of that beautiful blue sky. The photographer had the model in a great position out there in the water, but failed to take advantage of it by shooting back at the cluttered shoreline instead of getting lower and shooting her with the vast sky as the background.
What I did really appreciate was the great number of wardrobe changes and accessories such as the camera and bucket hat. That's a productive, experienced photographer who can make one shoot look like 3 or 4 different shoots, by mixing it up so well. That takes experience, planning, and preparation.
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