Trinit2

Hi all,

I love taking portraits, but I would like to know how to improve my

portraiture. this image is an example of one of my close up shots. Is there a

way to improve my close-ups? I'm horrible when it comes to composition,

so I would really appreciate any tips that you all may have. Thank you all!

Hello Brandy

A nice direct gaze. An unforced smile. There are tons of info on taking portraits. Go to YouTube thousands of short videos. Here's a link

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tips+for+portrait+photography&oq=tips+for+portr&gs_l=youtube.3.0.0l2j0i5.3618.6995.0.9819.14.11.0.3.3.0.106.990.9j2.11.0...0.0...1ac.1.iqHjpO_hrn0

A couple of things I'll note with this image. First the eyes are odd looking. They are so reflective I see you backlit in them and it's given her a sort of cat like iris instead of a round pupil it looks elongated like a cat's. The other thing is the background. It's not just portraits this applies to but it's very important with portraits. A busy cluttered background detracts from the subject. Unless it's being included to tell part of the story, like what they do for a hobby or work it should be discrete and simple. Here we have a brick wall and the black frame of a bench or chair. Try to keep the background as simple and uncluttered as possible. A blank wall or shrubs etc. at a distance from the subject to get it out of focus. I looked at the other photo of her and it's cluttered too with bricks, bench and exhaust vent. These are all things that divert the attention of the viewer from the subject and lessen the impact of the photo. I did a quick blur of the background to show how it impacts the photo. Didn't do anything with the eyes, it would take too long. Hope that helps some.

Regards

Greg