This document provides tips for taking better portrait photographs. It discusses using a large aperture to blur the background and focusing on the subject. While most portraits are taken at eye level, changing the angle can provide a creative perspective. Playing with eye contact, such as having the subject look off-camera or at something in the frame, can make portraits more candid and interesting. The document also covers lighting portraits using soft, diffused front lighting and experimenting with lighting directions and multiple light sources. It describes lighting patterns such as split lighting, loop lighting, Rembrandt lighting, and butterfly lighting.

1. P O R T R A I T S
TIPS + LIGHTING

2. O U R G O A L …
• A great portrait captures the personality of the subject.
• You want your subject to look “good”; the best version of
themselves.
• However, you also want them to look interesting.
• Typically portraits are shot at eye level angle and framed as
mid or close-up shot

3. K E E P I T S I M P L E …
• Many portraits tend to have a neutral background so as not to
distract from the subject.
• Background colours are also important. Try to find colours that will
bring out the colours in your subject (clothes, skin tone, eye-
colour)
• Try not to clash with your subject.

5. U S E A L A R G E
A P E R T U R E !
Using a large aperture (i.e. f1.4 - 4) will create a narrow DoF
to blur out the background, drawing focus to your subject.

6. T I P S
HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR PORTRAITS AND
MAKE THEM VISUALLY INTERESTING.

7. CHANGE YOUR
ANGLE / PERSPECTIVE
• Most portraits are taken with the
camera at (or around) the eye level of
the subject.
• While this is good common sense –
completely changing the angle that
you shoot can present a creative
perspective of your subject.

9. P L AY W I T H E Y E C O N TA C T
• Looking off camera:
• Have your subject focus their attention on something unseen or outside
the field of view of your camera.
• This can create a feeling of candidness and also create a little intrigue
and interest as the viewer of the shot wonders what they are looking at.

12. P L AY W I T H E Y E C O N TA C T
• Looking within the frame
• Alternatively, you could have your subject looking at something
(or someone) within the frame.
• For example, a child looking at a ball, a woman looking at her
new baby, a man looking hungrily at an amazing burrito from
Burrito Boyz

14. L I G H T I N G

15. H O W D O Y O U T H I N K
T H I S P H O T O I S L I T ?
T H O U G H T S ?

17. L I G H T I N G
• Typically, portraits are lit from the front using soft or diffused lighting
• Harsh, bright light is not flattering
• Soft light tends to make subjects look good

18. E X P E R I M E N T W I T H L I G H T I N G
• There are almost unlimited possibilities when it comes to
using light in portraits.
• Directions of light: front, back, top, bottom, and side lighting
can create different moods
• Using different directions of light can create different patterns
of light
• Various results can be achieved using natural and studio
lighting

21. T RY T W O , O R
T H R E E S O U R C E S
O F L I G H T

22. L I G H T I N G F O R P O R T R A I T S
• As we watch the following video clip, take notes on the lighting patterns
and how the lights are positioned in each pattern

25. S P L I T L I G H T I N G
• Half of the face is lit, creating dramatic
shadow on other side

26. L O O P L I G H T I N G
• Loop lighting is made by creating a small shadow of the subjects noses
on their cheeks. To create loop lighting, the light source must be slightly
higher than eye level and about 30-45 degrees from the camera

28. • Loop shadow created
under nose
• Nose shadow never
touches cheek
shadow

29. R E M B R A N D T L I G H T I N G
• Rembrandt lighting is identified by the
triangle of light on the cheek.

31. B U T T E R F LY L I G H T I N G
• Butterfly lighting is named for the butterfly shaped shadow that
is created under the nose by placing the main light source
above and directly behind the camera.

33. B R O A D L I G H T I N G
• Broad lighting is not so much a particular pattern, but a style of
lighting. Any of the following patterns of light can be either
broad or short: loop, Rembrandt, split.

34. S H O R T L I G H T I N G
• Short lighting puts the side turned towards the
camera (that which appears larger) in more shadow.

35. FA M O U S P O R T R A I T
P H O T O G R A P H E R S

36. Y O U S U F K A R S H
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

38. A N N I E L E I B O V I T Z
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

40. S T E V E M C C U R RY
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

42. L E E J E F F R I E S
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

44. J I M M Y N E L S S O N
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

46. E R I C L A F F O R G U E
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

47. D AV I D L A Z A R
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

49. J O E L S A N T O S
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

51. R I C H A R D AV E D O N
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

53. D O R O T H E A L A N G E
FA M O U S P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H E R S

55. P R A C T I C E E X E R C I S E
• In a small group or pairs, practice creating each of the
lighting patterns:
• butterfly lighting
• loop lighting
• Rembrandt lighting
• split lighting
• Remember to show both broad lighting and short
lighting – for each of the different patterns, where
applicable.
• Use light from a window, a floor lamp with a bare bulb
(take the shade off) or the sun
• This works best to start out with the subject facing the
camera directly, no turning except to create the broad
and short.
• Share your results please and share any challenges or
problems you encountered.