10 Tips for Better Portraits

1. Stick to a single focus point
Photographs can be with a number of focus points. This often happens in the case of images that are shot with Autofocus turned on. It is important to note that since we have just a single object of relevance in people photography, it doesn't make sense to have multiple focus points.  Have just a single focus point and make sure that it's the eyes of the subject since they are the most captivating part of the photograph. You can select a single focus point on most cameras by adjusting the settings.

2. Avoid short focal lengths for portraits
Images that are clicked with the subject at a nearer focal length often turn out to be blurred. Hence it is important to make sure that you click portrait images set at focal lengths from 70 mm onwards. The maximum limit is best at 200 mm. It has been observed that the selection of a wrong focal length with wide angle lenses can lead to terrible results in portrait images, such as large heads and shrunken torsos. Focal length selection is important for perfect photographs.    

3. Avoid using the camera flash
Though most cameras these days provide you with powerful LED flashes, it is advisable to avoid using them while clicking images of people. It is better to shoot the image in a well lit room rather than depend on an artificial, straight light to click the image. Mostly the images are captured with an obvious glow on the face of the subjects. This doesn't only ruin the photograph but also leads to omission of minor details on the face. This can be even more disastrous if the exposure settings of the camera aren't set appropriately. The image appears to be too bright.

4. Always focus on the eyes
The first important rule to keep in mind is that while taking a photograph of a person, it's the face that should be the main region to focus on, and on the face, it is the eyes that always capture most of the attention while viewing the image. Hence it is quite obvious that the sharpness of the eyes (in the image) is of utter importance. Make sure that the main focal point, while clicking the image, is on the eyes of the person being photographed. If possible on your camera, lock the focus on the eyes and then adjust other settings to match your requirements. Adjust the height of the lens such that it is in level with the eyes.

5. Pick the right background
Photographs of individual people go well with backgrounds that aren't too 'noisy'. This means that they shouldn't have too many elements such as trees, a large crowd of people, smaller objects like those that can be found in a room, etc. A plain, dark background is always helpful since it helps highlight the subject and also doesn't reflect the light in the room as much as a bright background would. Even in a crowded room, try and ensure that the picture of the person you are clicking has minimum or no elements in the background. Clicking images against a plain background can prove to be quite helpful while editing. It is easier to crop an image against a solid background.