In this tutorial we’ll show you some clever portrait photography ideas you can try – from simple lighting tricks to clever Photoshop edits – to make a subject look their very best, whatever their age.
Portrait photographers are repeatedly asked the same three questions: "Can you make me look younger?", "Can you get rid of my wrinkles?" and "Can you shave off a few pounds?".
The answer to all three is – within reason – "Yes!" There are several simple things we can do as photographers to make someone look their best, whatever their age and size. And it's not magic, it's just a combination of flattering light, good posing, and a few subtle digital tricks (DON’T MISS: 19 stellar posing tips and camera tricks for flattering pictures of older people).
Look at the difference between the two portraits above. The shot on the left was taken with little thought to flattering the subject. The light is too directional, so it's creating shadows that emphasise the lines and wrinkles in the face.
What's more, the angle isn't helping, as we're seeing too much of the chin and neck. And there's room for improvement with both the expression and background. The good news is these are all simple things to fix.
We'll explain clamshell lighting (a flattering lighting technique that helps to even out wrinkles), give you invaluable tips on posing the face, and show you how to carry out subtle but effective portrait retouching in Photoshop.
With the right lighting, good posing and some subtle digital enhancements, you'll be able to create portraits that will make you very popular with your subjects!
SEE MORE: Studio lighting – 4 seriously simple lighting techniques to try at home
How to set up and light your portraits of mature subjects
01 Clamshell lighting setup
One reliable method for flattering lighting, when shooting headshots, is clamshell lighting. Angle two light sources onto the face, one from directly above the camera position, the other from directly below (this could be a separate light or reflector).
What this creates is flat, soft light. Because it's straight on, the light pours into all the lines and wrinkles, and the reflector below helps to fill in eye bags and shadows under the chin.
SEE MORE: 6 simple lighting setups for shooting portraits at home: free photography cheat sheet
02 Simple kit required
One of the great things about clamshell lighting is it can be done without lots of expensive kit. All you need for this is a flashgun, tripod, reflector and something to diffuse the flash light, such as a shoot-through umbrella. We attached a flashgun to a tripod using the thread in the plastic flash stand, then gaffer-taped a shoot-through umbrella onto the tripod.
SEE MORE: Flash portraits – creative off-camera flash techniques you have to try
03 Flash setup
We used the camera's wireless function to trigger the off-camera flash. To set a 70D to wireless flash mode (other EOS models may vary), go into your camera's 'Flash Control' menu. Under 'Built-in Flash Settings', set 'Flash Mode' to 'Manual Flash', then select 'Wireless Func.', pick the flashgun icon, and use the output settings to control the power – 1/4 is a good place to start.
You'll need to pop up your on-camera flash, too, as this is used to communicate with the flashgun. Set the flashgun to its wireless slave setting, and ensure it's set to the same Channel and Group as the camera (Channel 1 and Group A is the default).
SEE MORE: Flash photography tips: external flash techniques anyone can understand
Correct
04 Flatter the face
When it comes to flattering the face, some camera angles and poses are better than others. A camera angle slightly above eye level is usually the most flattering, so we asked our subject here to sit in a chair, which made it easier for us to shoot from above.
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The higher angle helps to de-emphasise chins. It also helps if you ask the subject to lean forwards slightly, as this stretches the chin and tightens the skin.
SEE MORE: 10 portrait photography mistakes every photographer makes (and how to avoid them)
05 Camera settings
If you want an attractive blurred background in your portraits, set a wide aperture. We used Manual mode and set the aperture to f/4, with shutter speed at 1/125 sec, and ISO100. Once you've settled on a likely exposure, set the flashgun to Manual mode and take a couple of test shots while adjusting the flash output until the strength looks right.
SEE MORE: Home photo studios – how to shoot pro-quality portraits with a basic studio kit
06 Work the pose
Try different poses, perhaps with one hand in the hair, and a few different angles for the face. We found here that the flash was making the top of the head a little too bright compared to the bottom, so we feathered the light slightly by angling the umbrella across the subject rather than straight on, which creates more even light and more wraparound in the shadows.
How to set up and light your portraits of mature subjects
How to edit your portraits of mature subjects: steps 1-5
How to edit your portraits of mature subjects: steps 6-10
How to use the High Pass filter for soft skin
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