People Skills for Portrait Photography
People skills are important in every career, but they're especially important for people who work with the public. Facial expressions, body language, and even the positioning of yourself and your camera can help you take care of your clients in a way that conveys their personality to friends and family members. These common-sense guidelines will make you a better portrait photographer at the very least.
What people skills do portrait photographers need?
Portrait photographers must be able to put their subjects at ease when they first meet them. You might be able to photograph a shy subject with a natural, easy smile after you've spoken for a few minutes, but before that, your client is going to be nervous and on guard. They'll feel more comfortable if you're relaxed and chatty — they can tell when you're not being genuine.
When photographing children, parents are always watching out for potential monsters who will kidnap their little darlings. You'll have better luck talking with them if you use warm, friendly tones in your voice and smile often.
Keep your movements and gestures subdued when meeting a stranger. Arrive a few minutes early, stay close to the person you're talking with, don't put your hands in your pockets or scratch yourself, and make sure that you sit back in a chair rather than making any sudden shifts.
Get to know your client's family and friends before the portrait session. Even though there are no surprises at portrait sessions, they'll appreciate you asking about their day or telling their favorite joke if it's comfortable for them. You can ask questions like, "How did you meet?" or "What do you do?" but keep it upbeat; people will attribute laziness to dullness if it sounds grating.
Listen to your client's concerns and brush them off when necessary. If they say that they hate having their photograph taken, you'll need to reassure them that they'll be as comfortable as possible. You can do this by telling your own stories about how you felt when you had your portrait taken.
If you have an assistant or a top-notch studio, try to streamline the process so that nobody has much time to feel nervous. Explain exactly what will happen in the next few minutes, have clients get into position, and make sure that assistants are nearby if there are any questions.
Portrait photographers need to be patient and understanding. They must also be at ease with making quick decisions and reacting to changing circumstances. Some people are eager to have their portrait taken, while others are nervous or frustrated by the idea. You'll need to sense your client's mood and adjust accordingly. It's not enough to be a good photographer; you need excellent people skills, too.
If you've never worked with celebrities, it can seem like an exciting but somewhat intimidating concept. Whether you're taking pictures of celebrities for their own portfolios or they're being photographed in character for a movie or magazine cover, there are some things that you should know before you begin working with a famous person.
Do your research before getting started. Find out what kinds of pictures the celebrity has taken in the past and who took them. This will help you avoid making suggestions or decisions based on your own opinions.
Keep in mind that celebrities are not necessarily friends with each other. Some photographers even say that they prefer to work with people that don't know each other, as it makes for better pictures. However, if you have a good rapport with your subjects, you can always get them to like one another during or after the shoot.
Try to be friendly and personable when working with celebrities. Their public image is a carefully-constructed construct, and they'll want to be able to continue using it as long as possible. You need to make sure that you don't undermine that image.
Celebrities may be nervous meeting or working with someone for the first time, so be sure that they feel comfortable with you. Try to put them at ease by using friendly tones in your voice and smiling often. Choosing an appropriate background will also make your subject feel more comfortable, as they won't have to worry about their appearance in the pictures.
If possible, bring a stylist and makeup artist to the shoot with you if you're working with a famous actor or actress. Your client may feel uncomfortable in the presence of strangers. Having a hair and makeup artist there to help them look their best will alleviate this problem.
When taking celebrity pictures, some photographers prefer to get the subject used to having their picture taken as early on as possible. If you ask questions before a shoot or tell them jokes, they'll be less tense than if they're unsure about your intentions in the first place.
Celebrities should never feel uncomfortable in front of a camera. No matter what your relationship is with them, you need to make sure that they feel secure during a shoot. Do your best to relax them beforehand and to make them feel confident in front of their cameras.
A professional portrait photographer can provide clients with a variety of options when it comes to image processing. The colors in the final images can be adjusted, as can the contrast and saturation. Other settings can include sharpening, tone mapping or viewing in black and white.
Taking good care of your digital files is as important as taking care of your clients. There are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to image processing, but you need to know how each works before you choose one.
If you're working with a celebrity, you'll want to make sure that you bring enough light. They may not like the portrait session to end at all costs, and they may have different lighting requirements than you or your subject. Depending on the final output, they may prefer low-key lighting or even no light at all.
You should also bring enough power for your camera's flash units, as well as an external flash if one is available. It's also good to have a variety of lenses in order to capture portraits that are going to look their best in this kind of environment.
The initial setting of an image processing software program is always determined by a photographer himself.
Conclusion on portrait photographer
To wrap up this long article, I'm hoping that you've learned a lot about what it takes to become a successful portrait photographer. This is actually the first step toward becoming a professional-level artist. If you'd like to go further in-depth with your studies, there are many schools that teach students the technical aspects of photography as well as how to market themselves and their work.
You might also be interested in reading: 10 Photography Tips for Beginners (Beginner's Photography Tips) - 2018 Update!
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