GIVE US YOUR SUGGESTIONS & FEEDBACK ABOUT THE SITE
We will send you an E-mail every time there is a new article in your favorite section. Sign-Up For ALERTS.

Master Photographers Tell You How

Al Gilbert's 10 Tips for Graduation Photography Article rating: 8.00

1) Take advantage of digital technology. When using digital equipment for portraiture photography, you should have a laptop on hand so that the subject can see the images as they are taken. That way the photographer and client can compare images to see what needs to be changed to get the best results.

2) Think about clothing colors. For graduation portraits, when photographing a white gown, it is essential to turn the body away from the source of light. The opposite is true when the client is wearing a black gown.

3) Talk to your client. It is important to determine up front the final purpose of the portrait. Determine what the client has not liked about other portraits of themselves and what you as the photographer can do to make them look their best.

4) Remember eye contact. It is important that the client look directly into the lens in order to establish a look of confidence.

5) Use the three lines. There are three different lines a photographer can use to create a look for the portrait. 1, a horizontal line will give a softness to the photograph. 2, a vertical line will add stability to the image. 3, a diagonal line gives a feeling of strong emotion. I often use a diagonal line to make clients look more powerful.

6) Position the student. In portrait photography having the subject lean in from the waist gives a more powerful and striking look to the image.

7) Use soft lighting. When you are photographing women use a softer type of lighting. Soft lighting from the back will help to illuminate the hair and provide a gentler overall image.

8) Analyze the client's face. Do this beforehand to make sure you understand what their strongest features are.

9) Highlight features with strategic lighting. On my Olympus E1, I use 4 barn doors on a light to highlight good features. This way you can control light coming from different areas. For example if a client has a receding hair line, this can be subdued by bringing the top barn door down to keep light off the forehead.

10) Consider a long lens. The longer the lens you are using to photograph the better drawing you get of the face itself. I commonly use the Olympus 100 millimeter telephoto lens.

Click here to read Al Gilbert's Bio/Background...

Click here to read our interview with Al Gilbert...

^ Back to top

	A plethora of wonderful tips written in a friendly, sincere, "I-want-to-help-you-become-the-best-photographer-ever!" voice, which will be easy to put into use for even the newst newbie. Posted by: bakaca Aug 20, 2006 @ 1:43 AM EST
	Great information Al. Thanks for your tips on Olympics millimeter lens and using the "barn doors". Thank you. Posted by: K. Dunne Dec 2, 2006 @ 11:41 PM EST

* Your Name:
* Email address:
	(Enter the code shown)
	(Your e-mail address will not show on the site and is used so that we can contact you back if needed)
* Your Comment about this article::
	Include me in the TGP Monthly Newsletter