Written by Brian Fulda; captured by Amaal Said
Luckily, most people know how to stand still for a photo, making adult portraits quite a bit easier than kids and pets. For group shots, you’ll want to shoot wide to fit everyone in, so zoom out to 35mm (or 28mm if you have to).
Look for an area that is evenly lit. Don’t be afraid to ask your group to rearrange themselves or face a different direction. For example, if the sun is shining directly on your subjects, it may cause them to squint and make for a bad photo. Try turning them at an angle, so their faces are slightly shaded. Remember to tap someone’s face on the live view to ensure proper focus and exposure in auto mode.
For individual portraits, you can get a little more creative. One way to get a great portrait shot is to utilize the same technique mentioned above: zoom to 70mm or beyond and back up till the subject’s face is in the frame.
Find an angle with a background that’s easy on the eyes. Distracting backgrounds can take away from your subject. Scenes with simple colors and repetitive patterns like brick walls or foliage tend to work well.
Try putting some distance (5+ feet) between your subject and the background scene, then tap the touchscreen to focus on their eyes. It’s hard to take a bad portrait with this technique!
Pro tip: You can add even more depth to a portrait shot with naturally shallow depth of field in Lumen. This will bring even more attention to your subject.
