Portrait photography is a style that is commonly seen today. What you hopefully don't see everyday are photos of people with a tree branch, pole, or anything else distracting intercepting the subject's head! We will discuss how to achieve a perfect outdoor portrait and why a neutral background is essential for a shoot like this so that you can create your own outdoor portraits!
Above is an example of a distracting portrait due to poor composition and not creating a shallow depth of field. The tree appears to be as if it is growing from the top of the subject's head! Since a shallow depth of field was not created, the viewers' eyes are trying to focus on everything in the image rather than what is most important- your subject.
Why is a Neutral Background Important?
Outdoor portraits should be captured someplace with a neutral background. For example, Lake Murray in San Diego has a great, natural setting which works great for a portrait. However, you will need to survey your location first, making sure there is nothing that will distract the viewers' eyes. Common distractions are tree branches, poles, and the horizon. Below is an example of a non-distracting portrait.
Outdoor portraits should be captured someplace with a neutral background. For example, Lake Murray in San Diego has a great, natural setting which works great for a portrait. However, you will need to survey your location first, making sure there is nothing that will distract the viewers' eyes. Common distractions are tree branches, poles, and the horizon. Below is an example of a non-distracting portrait.
This image was taken with a Canon Rebel XSi with the following settings:
- Focal length: 50
- F number: 1.8
- Exposure time:1/2,000
Another important tip for creating a non-distracting portait is to use a lower f number or f/stop. Using a lower f number, such as a 1.8, will create that blurred background, or "bokeh" effect, thus giving you a shallow depth of field. This will cause the viewer to focus more on your subject rather than the background.
We know that not everyone, or every photographer for that matter, is perfect. You may capture a great shot but overlooked the tree branch, or didn't see that garbage can in the background, until you get to the editing process. If this has happened to you, have no fear! We have a great tutorial on how to effectively use the Patch Tool in Photoshop. You can read this incredibly informative post by clicking here!
This topic was a challenge given to Amy Doan, which she completed at our recent Learn-a-thon event. This event was a great time had by all, and everyone learned something new that improved their photography. We can't wait to have another event just like this! Click
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