Lead image by Chris Gampat.
Shutterbug and photographer Jordan Matter are at it again with a new Portrait Tutorial video showcasing tips for photographers who are just starting out in portraiture. While some photographers simply don’t know how to work with people; other photographer are just challenged by finding better locations to begin with. But Jordan shows you how to make the most of something random and all around you.
If you cannot see the video above, please head to our standard mobile website or our desktop website. Or better yet, check it out on Shutterbug’s YouTube page.
According to the post on Shutterbug, the locations for the Portrait Tutorial are:
Location #1: Car
Tip #1: Everyday Objects Can Make Great BackgroundsLocation #2: Doorway
Tip #2: Door Light Is Gorgeous!Location #3: Wall
Tip #3: Stone Provides Texture and ColorLocation #4: Sky
Tip #4: Blow Out the BackgroundLocation #5: Landscapes
Tip #5: Incorporate Your Subject Into the Environment
The techniques and tips that Jordan gives are a few that have been used by photographers a number of years ago when the headshot photography scene and business seemed to explode. In big cities, there’s just so much variety, and when you combine it with how good modern day cameras are it’s so incredibly easy to just shoot better photos anywhere.
A lot of the techniques are fantastic though, and he goes pretty in depth for free in this Portrait Tutorial! He also adheres to the ideas of keeping colors pretty consistent and minimal in order to draw more attention to your subject. Of course, this all depends on your different tastes in photos too. Many of the images that Jordan shooter later in the video on are positively fantastic.
Personally speaking, a lot of these tips really just involve natural light and something that he isn’t talking about in some of the locations/scenes/times has to do with the fact that there’s a lot of cloud coverage. This gives off what some photographers call “The softbox look” and therefore just makes everything look nice.
Be sure to check out the video for more tips!