Portrait Photography How To

Formal portraits and other people pictures are typically most compelling when precise focus is attained on a subject’s eyes, but that’s not always easy to accomplish depending upon your camera settings. Even if you switch from multi- to single-point focus, there’s often a better way to get the job done.

Not all photographers can afford fancy "hair and makeup" people to make sure their models are free of blemishes for the next photo shoot. And, even if you have the best makeup person on the planet, sometimes blemishes shine through in portraits. (It's amazing what high-resolution digital cameras can capture in an image these days; sometimes a lot of unwanted stuff, when it comes to portraits.)

The difference between making captivating portraits and those that don’t quite work often requires nothing more than some solid advice from an expert. If you’re struggling to capture stunning portraits, the quick video below may forever change your technique. 

Boudoir photography is really popular these days, but if you’ve ever tried this type of work, you know that sometimes images don’t look as enticing on the computer as they did through the viewfinder. The goal of this humorous-but-helpful tutorial is to keep you from saying, “Oh my goodness, this is embarrassing” when you review your results.

Recently we shared a popular tutorial on how to pose men who are not models for portrait shoots, and now here's another helpful video on how to work with male models who have more experience posing. Enthusiast photographers and aspiring pros should find a lot of helpful tips in the video on how to direct models and create a visual storyline for your shoots.

Photographer Julia Trotti's fans have been asking her to do a video on how to pose males who are not models for portrait photos for some time, and this year she finally delivered. And, no surprise since there's been a big demand, the tutorial was her most popular of the year, garnering over a million views on YouTube, and counting.