Portrait Photgraphy Basics 4
Processing.
We should always try to get the best result straight into the camera, but there is no denying that post processing is and really always has been a major part of the whole.
My preferred shape for protraits is the square. There is something logical, gentle even about a square image and it allows for subject placement in the “box” to be more creative, less strict.
This subject screamed mono to me.
Then I tried the faded, antique look. The image is also slightly shifted.
This is the core file with a little vignette added. Again shifted to the “normal” place, which is the rule of thirds coinciding lines applied to the left (his left) eye.
Colour is important.
All the shots below were shot against a plain grey background, I then brush the background in C1 and can shift the white balance from brilliant blue to deep purple or muddy brown.
The trick is to compliment or contrast, depending on what you are trying to achieve. My own personal habit is to go with my instincts, then try the polar opposite, working back through the process.
The basics of portrait photography are simple enough. You need to control light and apply basic technique, but otherwise pretty simple.
Practice is the key and the ability to connect with your subject.